This again, Shatters is the only check in this game against massive consumables. If shatters go, then remove all potions. Maybe if people left yew gate once in their daily grind they find pvp without people who shatter nonstop. But then again that's where the pvper's then cry about para fields. This game just needs better pvpers, simple as that.
Everyone "prefers" pvp away from yew gate, guard zones, etc. Its just a quick easy meeting ground to find pvp without heavy scouting, and is also much more open field than seas of para fields to hide in. Grinders are a form of pvp, but for most, definitely not the desirable form (see definition of boring). VvV towns share that as well, though not fully adopted in any capacity. and even worse, outside of age old champ spawns, what reaosn is there for people to be out and about in the fel world that kicks off pvp? none. champ spawns, vvv towns, yew gate. Thats it.
The worst part of shatters is there is truly no counter. You could be an alchemist who is for obvious reasons heavily reliant on potions, is utilizing "skill" and still get all your pots smashed in minutes. But as stated previously, the game is heavily balanced around the usage of potions, where that is right or wrong is up for a lot of debate, but shatter pots aren't exactly debatable. You could go way back and start stating that "lrc is a crutch, people should have to use regs" and make many of the same arguments when trolly thieves walked around taking stacks of regs. Was it tactful? yea obviously, take all that guys black pearls and he's limited just as smashing someones cheals/cures down to near nothing limits them. But in reality, as shatters do today, all it did was prolong, people didn't try to fight through their lack of black pearl, they just left to get some and came back. Same thing people do with shatters today.
Hell, lessen the effects of shatters, give an immunity to the shattered guy, etc etc, but add another one - alchemical skill lessens their effectiveness as well, up to no effect against a gm alchemist. Now you have a skillful counter effect to a anyone can use consumable.