There is already a check for how long the game has been running since the last reload. I've noticed I tend to get better items if I just take loot as it comes. Several times I've reloaded for a chest that gave a good quality item that I could not use (ie a shield or two handed weapon for my dual wielding warrior), only to get mostly poor quality items. Loading the save and letting it sit for awhile before confirming the loading dialog seems to count as well, so I have done that in certain circumstances in-between doing something else (ie reloading for the Gregory chest while watching something on TV; I mindread 3 times for the damn thing, and I was determined to get something usable, even if it did keep offering me very mage-centric stuff).
I didn't notice a lot of 2 handed swords as quest rewards, though I don't recall getting many good 1 handed weapons from quests. I used some armour and jewelry from quest rewards, but don't recall upgrading any weapons from the actual rewards (I used Barnabus' hammer for awhile). Some items are hard coded in, though (or are mostly set but some attributes are random).
But speaking of stuff forced on you, I'm practically swimming in nightbringer class equipment I can not use; trying to get upgrades in Aleroth they were very predominant, and the weapons were heavily biased towards magic and balanced (even normal weapons were more likely to have a magic damage bonus on them than normal / ranged).
