Well this thread didn't turn into a troll fest as i first expected. There are actually some pretty good ideas and good discussion on topic.
Here's my stance on all of this
The main argument that i see is that shard shields creates an imbalance between players that have them and players that don't. Well, Yes and no. Transfer tokens are available to everyone however they are ridiculously overpriced.
Transfer tokens are 20 bucks so lets fix this by taking shard shields away from the Vets!!!!! That isn't gonna happen bud sorry.
1- You just dont take gifts back once awarded (it's poor practice).
2- Many players keep accounts open that they dont even play just to have that account eligible someday (myself included). Removing shields would create a dramatic loss in revenue from cancellation of said accounts.
3- It's my personal belief that the UO store should NOT sell anything that can't be obtained through gameplay (with the exception of vanity items). That store takes away content that could be otherwise obtained through fun gameplay.
(I know that's not the way it is now but this belief is subject to another topic for a whole new discussion)
Ok so Shard Shields aren't going anywhere so how do you level the playing field for those that don't have them?
There are several ways to ease the disparity for players with younger accounts.
1- Remove the account bound tag so they can be used by anyone. The tokens generated from the shield would however remain account bound. Younger account holders could then purchase the shields from vets for what i'm sure would be an insane amount of gold.
2- Lower the price on transfer tokens purchased from the UO store.
-Lets put this into perspective. It costs us the equivalent of TWO MONTHS subscription just to transfer a character from one shard to another. That's absurd!
3- Mailbox's between shards - Thank you
@Tabin I do like this one. Should be a 20 year vet reward lol just kidding! I think a 5th year selection would be appropriate for something like this.
I'm gonna wrap this up with my thoughts on what should and should not be allowed to to transfer (shard bound).
In short, i feel that if an item can be obtained on any shard it should be allowed to transfer. Power scrolls and primers included.
If items generated on a shard are only generated on that shard then they should be shard bound. This would include making all EM drops shard bound. Keeping those items home would help preserve the history of that shard.