Couple things I'd like to share

-Free to Play is NOT a means from which DAOC can go as it is a PvP centric game, and F2P relies on content to be sold through the store by which the game is designed around content being sold. Meaning, the game as a whole is devalued so that you have incentives to pay MORE money per month than you were previously spending with a small fee of $15/month (many of us pay a LOT more since we have more than 3 accounts).

-The "free gear" aspect for Battleground characters was an awesome idea, however the same aspect would be TERRIBLE for lvl 50 RvR. Quite frankly, the whole point of the PVE aspect of the game is to fund & gear your PvP RVR end-game aspect. It is what made, and has continued to make, DAOC one of the best MMO's still to date. However, if you go the same route as they went with the BG gear then they officially have given up on DAOC entirely and are purposefully trying to destroy what DAOC is. It isn't a good idea at all, and will do nothing but devalue the rest of the game. Simply don't do it.