Upgrade RPG Exploration Experience -- 2

I’m refining an RPG title and want its exploration loop to feel rewarding instead of repetitive. My priority is gameplay mechanics, with a special emphasis on exploration.

Here’s what I need from you:
• Design and document a fresh discovery-rewards system that consistently excites players when they roam off the beaten path.
• Propose ways to increase free-event occurrences in the overworld so each region feels alive and unpredictable.
• Outline how the two features integrate with existing quests, loot tables, and progression pacing.

If you have ideas that naturally touch on map design or interactive elements, feel free to note them, but keep the bulk of your effort on discovery rewards and free events. I’m open to a short prototype or detailed design doc—whichever showcases your approach most clearly.

Please share relevant experience with RPG mechanics and any engines, tools, or scripting languages you prefer so I can gauge fit quickly.