Isn't it an idea to release a gear dispenser npc ? With items that can compete with the high gear players atm?
It will be items that are pretty easily to get and they won't be tradeable or upgradeable so all the old players won't get screwed over.
For example:
Armors: Valkry Sets +6 / Red Chitins +7 / Black Chitins +7 / Shells +7.
Jewels: BDW Rings+0, Rocs +1 , Rols +1, Roms+1, all Juraid Jewels +1, EME+1, PE+1, SSE+1, Skeleton Belt +1 , Bronze Belt+1 , Ft Necklace +1.
Weapons: Normal High Class+8 (Such as Raptors 8 , Shards 8 , Iron Bows+8, Elixir Staffs+8 ), All Juraid , FT, Biffrost Weapons +7.
Wing: Wing Of War or Phoenix Wing 1 (Also untradeable)
Unlock all skill quests & master automatically when people login the game for the first time.
With these things above people can also compete alot easier on big bosses such as felankor to drop Rofs, Iron Necks , Iron Belts , Glass Belts aswell.
With the current beginner gear u can't do much at all.
And when you do this kind of patch you should advertise it and for sure alot of ingame players will post it around in discord servers and tell eachother about it aswell.
And in the current servers nowadays which are 99.9% xacs wannabes you have a high chance to get alot of players back with such a patch like this.
@nikos32a suggestion with a example doesn't have to be the exact same as i posted here.