4Game

1. Neutral items will become part of the pick ban phase in captains mode. So instead of complaints about RNG it will be part of the strategy to choose from the pool of items to complement your draft. Which could reveal your strategy or be used to counter the opponent's strategy or hide your stragey (e.g. picking pupil's gift over grove bow).
2. Higher tier damage carry items will start to get mana regen penalties to force users into using the backpack and ferrying consumables more. which will also increase courier microing more.
3. Some thing will be done about vision to increase need for map awareness even more. Maybe footprints will be left by all heroes and not just arcana's. Or something to do with "grass" being walked over in certain strategic areas that will flatten when a hero walks over it and after a while grow back.

These are mostly inspired by what I've seen happen, and what seems to bring the most "hype" or strategic insight when a pro player does something.

1. is all about pick ban phase, and adding a new complexity. This is something pro's seem to really like and imagine the mind games where you pick a neutral item that completely head plays the opposing team. For example picking grove bow and then not going a ranged carry and then actually not going a ranged carry.

2. there is much more courier usage and sniping going on at the top levels and sloppy mistakes get punished much more. This would increase the need to be actually careful with your "second hero"

3. was inspired by how yataro caught the enchantress taking over a creep. But instead the environment would actually punish sloppy play. Like walking over branches or grass instead of going around it – depending on how much you think the opposing team was paying attention.

Wanted to try and gather some cool suggestions other than hero balancing.