This is something which has bugged me for quite some time. I have recently been digging around in the Weapon Drop forum post, and it seems to me like over the years less and less people have been getting gear from boxes, or at least gear that is actually in the 3-4* range.
This has gotten me to thinking: How about the drop rate for gear and weapons from boxes is increased significantly? I am a person who has made over 10+ accounts that have gotten or reached 5* and all missions complete, and the 3* and 4* grind has always been the worst, as it has always been for everyone without any money.
The best way I think this can be achieved is to, like I said, increase the drop rate of gear, but also make the gear scale to the depths. Gear in the 0-1* range would still drop in depth 18+, but the chances of getting 4* and 5* gear would be much higher than the others, the same going for all other depths in the game.
One of the main reasons that people leave the game after a little while is that they get stuck in the 3* or 4* grind for gear, and I feel like increasing drop rates would keep them in the game because with enough grinding they could get one or two pieces of gear to help them out on their journey.
I also feel like this would not really hurt the economy, because most weapons without UVs do not sell for anything anyways, so adding this would do practically nothing to people actively merching, and if people getting the weapons wanted to, they could at least sell some gear that they get in levels for some decent crowns.

Just my 2 cents. I have gotten a couple of pieces of gear in my 3k+ hours of playing the game, and 2 of them were actually good things for players to craft up, a Prismatec Alchemer Mk II, and a Drake Scale Shield (3* version). If these drops were increased, it would really help the community in my opinion.