Perhaps you just woke up to strategus and did not see the nonsense that happened for the last few days with everyone attacking everything, getting just a few weapons, since they knew that their enemies wouldn't have any, because they either hadn't gotten to their fiefs yet or had just spawned and didn't have any time to get anything. I will forgive you for that. Now hush.
Hush? Better keep your downvotes coming, because I'm still not satisfied. Let's try again without your condescending bullshit.
I don't care about random stragglers, but it sounds like nothing was really lost or gained, and it does not suggest at all that giving both sides free gear would be anymore unfair than giving one side free gear. I am still waiting for a good reason. Right now it's pretty much impossible to lose a village if you just manage to show up.
You get to completely ignore your defenses and you're given better gear than any attacker could afford right now. Why is this a good thing? Why should fief owners have it so easy? I'm not saying attackers should have it easy. I'm simply saying, again, that either both sides or neither side should be given free gear. Both sides should have to fight with the resources they are limited to, or everyone should get something for free. That's fair. If this gear system is not going to be fair, then it should be removed. Currently attackers are catching people off guard (and I mean people with something worth losing), and are being punished for it. It's a bad system. Neither side should be given a free advantage. If you don't properly defend what's yours, you should lose it. You should not be given a handout.
(guarantee someone will ignore my point and instead throw some smilies at my "bullshit" remark)