Players that joined factions for the sole reason to use some overpowered items will probably quit, which is great. These artifacts were intended to give players an incentive to PvP and to give their gear a "slight" boost, not to make PvP:ers dependent on the items cose they were cheap to come by. The new changes give us a more proper point system and a more sensible incentive to get artifacts. That said - Perhaps the balance between different ranks needs to be slightly tweaked (future will tell) but the new base changes are justified.
Before this change, these artifacts were taken for granted and people that didn't even "participate" in faction events used them, now this is addressed and instead of taken them for granted they give each factioneer a slight incentive.
Ok, the minority of people is using the faction arties to pvm in trammel
The majority of people is using the faction arties to pvp in Felucca.
Now you screw up the system making the majority of people who uses the faction arties to pvp in Felucca to lose interest in faction and cut down their templates from 10 to 1 and then back to imbue/reforge another suit and quit faction.
Sir, what is the point of staying in faction then? If I am to be in faction and I need to work everyday to make sure I maintain my rank, whats the difference of this with a full time job? So we're working for this game and not enjoy playing this game?
Thus, you still haven't get the idea:-
What is the MAIN PROBLEM here when everyone is wearing the same artifacts to pvp?
As I have stated:-
The solutions to solve the Trammies going back with faction arties, should be focussed in Trammel. And not by screwing a bunch of players in Felucca who enjoyed pvp in convenient system to fix the Trammei problem.
As I have stated, putting Stat loss of 20 mins, remove the bonus of faction arties upon entering Trammel, auto unequip faction arites when entering certain area in factions, can solve most of the trammie using faction artifacts issue.
Nowadays, PVP is about PVP conveniently. Log on for 2-3 hours, for pvp then log off and call it a day. And not by logging on, worrying the armour drops in backpack then go steal sigil and pray no one steal, or pray that u get off the most last kills off the fights.
Another point I would like to bring in is that:-
Do you think factions will increase in population or decrease in population after this patch?
BE honest and specific your points.