So, currently crafting really bogs people down, making it so that "gameplay" involves sitting in a fief, crafting, and occasionally logging in to sell/transfer items. There are hundreds of other things people COULD do that would really add more depth to the game, such as scouting, looking for specific items in markets, etc. Yet, due to the fact that 90% of a clan needs to be actively crafting while the other 10% or less actually DOES stuff, it allows for situations like we have now where only a very very tiny percentage of people are actually doing anything more than sitting in a fief crafting.
The suggestion then, is this:
Allow people to craft in a fief by simply visiting it, and beginning the crafting process. Once this has started, they are free to leave and do other things while they continue to craft items at the fief, which will be held there until they return. The efficiency of the fief would be hampered by having people crafting there by the same amount as if those players were still in the fief. Obviously the owner of the fief would have the option to forcibly take the goods/equipment, or to simply stop the crafting. This would make it risky to leave while crafting in a fief where you don't distinctly trust the holders to not just grab your stuff while you're away, and would stop weird situations like having an enemy of a clan actively crafting in their fief.
Additionally, they can only craft at ONE fief at a time, if they begin crafting in another fief, the crafting in the previous one will cease.
The only "gameplay" this would simplify is the process of having to log in every few days to transfer goods, while allowing people MUCH more freedom to actually participate in the game.