The death penalty *is* equal across the board. Everyone has the same options for dealing with it. The only disparity comes in the option one chooses for handling it. Some level crafting. Some just say 'meh' and pay the NPC/other people. Some complain that it's not fair.

You say that the penalty for dying shouldn't be affected by how much time one puts into the game, yet you suggest SP loss. The person who plays 1-2hrs a day is more adversely affected by SP loss than the person who puts in 5-6hrs a day. How is this in any way equal? It's not. There is no penalty they could introduce that can't be mitigated by time investment.