And like Stabbey says, items that have a +1 to an ability will become and feel more important.
Indeed, on the current 1-5 scale, +1 seems almost like an artefact, if it can make you go from, say, master (level 4) to legendary (level 5).
I think you'll understand once you see the new skills and the way they are organized and distributed.
I can't wait to discover this system