Aye, cheaper on Siege mainly because the competition isn't (normally) decked out in top end gear.

OMG, I started a character on LS, the same time I started a new one on Siege. WOW, is all I will say. Siege is at least 10x less expensive than the production shards.

To the archer starter...create a thief, then steal arrows from the rangers outside of Skara. LOL, I do that on Siege all the time. I believe arrows and bolts sell for 7 gp each...la

It is not so difficult to make a new viable character.
Just to get to the high end point is a real pain like in other games too.

I settled for most of my chars with 110 or 115 scrolls and it is well enough. UO just has a bad skill progression where 6 skills beat 7 skills always and clever developers would look for possibilities to change that.

Kill 10-15 Ratman Archers (the ones in the blue shirts) at the Compassion Moongate in Ilshenar, that will give you around 700-1000 arrows.

I really want to see you killing rat archers with a newbie character.
For developed or sort of developed characters it is possible, else you better kill chicken/harpies and chop wood

When I created my archer character, I killed harpies for feathers and corpsers for boards. After awhile, I started killing reapers, too, for logs.

I found some fletchers tools on the ground in Luna, so basically, I got my arrows for free.

You don't even need fletching skill to make arrows or bolts, so that helps.

Yeah, you're right. I'm just so used to reload my quiver that way, so I didn't think about that.

Well I would have to agree making a (legendary Character) is Pricey.

However to make A viable new character is well within reason. Just following some basic in the feild training of a character can bring it up to a decent money gathering level (very playable and sometimes even challenging).

Well, other than the Zoo armor or and the ring, everything else could be free ;P.

the zoo armor could be free