I seriously think they need to change CoF 1 – this singular dungeon is too quick and easy creating a gold influx that allows for massive inflation. To be able to compete and afford items, people also have to get on this treadmill. If you don’t, inflation from easy money paths will outpace general pay.
CoF 1 is full of hard hitting tough to kill trash that you need to kill a grand total 0 of (though the two at the start turrets usually are taken out as they just go down with the aoe – acolytes are mission one-shot-kills). Don’t have the trash despawn in the acolyte room. Make the bridge a required fight (flamewall the tunnel). Heck, make flame spewing lame champion in the torch room required. Simple solutions to make this dungeon a bit tougher and longer. Path 2 is also too short, but p1 is the biggest issue. Any dungeon that can be PUGed under 15 minutes is a problem – unless all dungeons are that way. An option may also be diminishing returns on money/loot dropped by bosses/chests/etc in each dungeon path instance.
When attempting to balance an economy and limit inflation, not only do gold sinks need to be looked at, but ways that gold is made. When you have aspects so disproportionate on income rate that they become your only serious option, that is a problem. I know you’re looking at dungeons, so please make CoF next.