I've already looked into the NSExpand option but it didn't produce the clean results I was hoping for. But might be a good starting point, now, on second sight.
Still, I am open to walking away from XML::Simple, any hints then?
Update:
After playing around with the NSExpand on in and out, I think with a bit of work I can get 90% of what I initially needed. Thanks ikegami!
Anyone else who has an idea on the "namespace collection" problem, please comment!
Comment on Re^2: How to unify XML namespace notation
->{"{$nsA}Foo"} is not much longer than ->{"A:Foo"} and doesn't incorrectly rely on a specific value for the prefix. I don't see how this is a "starting point" and not a final answer.