I think all that needs be done in regards to faction arties is:OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG
How many ****ing posts are we going to have about seige and the ****ing faction artifacts!?!?!?! really? I mean ****ing really? My head is going to explode. jesus.
Business is just fine with crafters. What the hell do you expect to make that isnt already used by the pvpers??? GM leather armor?!?!!? OMG I just made 2.5k for selling this super sweet armor set.
Everyone on Siege Perilous needs to pull their damn heads out of their ass. I've said this before and I'm going to say it again....
You take faction items away, you'll have the same group of pvpers fighting in cursed artifacts...the same items that they replaced with faction arties...SOOOOOOOOOOO the crafters "in your words" are still getting the shaft. You take away faction artifacts, the price of cursed artifacts go up, meaning now ONLY the rich will be wearing the best gear. Having the faction items in game allows everyone access to an unlimited amount of great pvp gear.
You take away artifacts in general, you'll lose alot of the different versatile templates and the only characters you'll be fighting are tamers and bushido warriors. PvP would be dull and no one would do it.
I agree with everything else you said though. And Freja this post was not directed at you. i read one of Sir Dumbass (morder) post about this **** again and I flipped out lol.
I do love how everyone that complains about factions items either A) is not a pvper and not in factions or B) Uses the damn items in pvp and complains that they don't get sold back in 2 minutes after dieing...
Everyone STFU and play the game, learn to adapt and have fun!!!
RAWR
1) Let anyone farm silver.
2) Have a turn in box for faction arties that gives you some percentage of silver back.
Thus everyone is included, and faction gear is even easier to get ahold of.
I am also for some form of perma cursed arti source again, and perma TOT's, and an increased drop rate for Ilshmarties/MLmarties.
On the fairness of items front, I think those changes would work wonders for balance, as well as giving pvmers/non factions people some more places to hunt for items of value for themselves to use or to sell.
As for other ideas to help the populace:
Bigger bank, great idea. Nude transfers. Second Char slot... at this point it doesn't really matter, but I'm not 100% for it. Make gate a recall level spell, let people load scrolls in books. Make rot 5 minutes all the way to 120.
I think those changes wouldn't spoil anything really, but would help population.