there has been some complaint/debate regarding unique items on the boards.
The solution to just about all these problems is rather easy.
Just make the items nodrop or on a personal timer (1 week or even 4 weeks) and then decrease the spawn to 5, 10 or 15 mins.
This is the way Asheron's Call did it and it makes Guild quests alot more fun when a whole group can benefit.
It would also allow several small guilds or indivduals to band together and go in and get everybody the item rather than only a few of the large guilds.
Hour+ long spawn times is plain stupid. This kind of thing drove most of the people away from EQ and was one of its worst aspects.