So just an idea based on how there was only a 6 hour window of prep time for CoS; you should create a quest chain during the preceding season that unlocks special, powerful gear for the raid in the following season. So like for instance, in the last like 5 weeks before SoO dropped, you could have had 5 weekly, non-match-made, 6 player bounties (1 per week) that were super difficult BUT they rewarded powerful drops up to the raid requirement power levels--but each piece was time-gated to when the raid went live. Before then, you could inspect them but not equip. Just an idea to make raid prep fun AND add a new kind of activity.