If you are planning to re-introduce original cRPG with crazy high levels and generational bonuses, make sure you change item prices so they are easily affordable. That was the most annoying aspect of old system and only truly grindy component of it. Back in the days there wasn't many items, but today there is a ton and keeping crazy high prices would be nothing but detrimental.
What you're trying to do is to bring back players and introduce new ones to the mod. Old system was good for new players, except those crazy item prices. Whole generational bonuses thing kept people playing and that is what you want, isn't it?
Just remove feel of grind but keep or reinstroduce interesting collectathlon mechanisms, generational bonus was one of them because you didn't even need to play much to get said bonus. But you had to stick around the mod and never make big pauses. Which is better than grinding your ass off then burning out in the process and having to make multiple months breaks.
If you think that collectathlon aspect is yuck, well sorry boi, but that is the nature of whole gaming industry for past decade or longer. Either accept it or die trying to fight it. Whole point of DayZ was collecting items and surviving in the process. People love that shit.
Edit: Another thing. While I wasn't strategus player, that is huge part of this mod. Dead strategus = dead cRPG. If you can keep strategus alive, then you've already done 80% of the job.