this wow based forced faction system negates the positive efects of ffa system.
when factions are forced on players the norm is people will converge to strongest faction, i think tsw as a good example of that.
current guilds system takes in all races and classes, meaning any guild accomodates everyone, and allow you to customize to some degree your own player city wich is great feature wich i hope they develop further.
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despite looking the same i place great distinction in border kingdoms and tradeskill areas.
-border kingdoms are totaly disfunctional, i think they would benefit greatly in becoming a perpetual faction based battlefield warzone similar to what happens in tsw pvp maps.
main reason is ffa pvp doesnt seem to work to promote stable competition for battlekeeps
like i mentioned several times those areas would be great to have some forced faction system with multiple solo/group/raid objectives in each of those zones.
meaning 3 zones for pure massive pvp objectives with forced faction choosing on entering.
-tradeskill areas are a totaly diferent thing, they provide player built cities.
i proposed already many diferent things to happen there
.expansion of crafted cities buildings to cultural themed buildings
.adding nodes for player build cultual open world homes cultural themed with simple locks like tortage harbour
http://imageshack.us/a/img191/6404/w...picture003.jpg
.adding tents with faction representatives issuing offensive quests objectives in diferent guild cities, like destroying enemy faction tents in enemy guild cities.
.temples with added possibility to choose a god, and priestess issuing quests to destroy other guilds temples in sieges or in guild cities destroy oposite gods decorations
.thieves guild issuing quests for invading enemy guilds and steal items inside guild city
.guilds with highest renown get invaded by npc's wich players can aid to invade it
http://forums.ageofconan.com/showthread.php?t=184927
the whole zone be pvp enabled independant of server and maybe even along side border kingdoms those regions be cross shared to all servers so for example a guild on crom could go inside a fury based guild for mischief.
all of this part would give more strenght to guild vs guild open world without forcing factions in anyway like you sugest but by integrating them in a ffa manner.
meaning integrating ffa and factions in a way they mutualy suport more open world content promoting player generated content via guild hatred
i simply dont want any luck to be part of new crafting system so whatever system revolving around crits is proposed i wont even want it at all.
>>>>edited for easier read <<<<<<