Additionally if you’re on a PVP Official server and managed to either steal or gather what you need, starmetal is nothing. You’re swimming in it. Because the gathering rate is x4. 1 trip to gather starmetal with a farming build and you have enough or more to support raid hours. This is of course if you’re able to get it. Chances are serious groups will have an abundance of it because members will spend time on the server during slow hours, so farming is easier. Of course there’s many uses for it, it goes quickly but nonetheless.
Shards are easy to acquire 100%, especially now with the need to farm legendaries. No question.
As you’ve pointed out the biggest imbalance is absolutely with the favor.
I do really hope there’s a reason for it but we’ve been proven wrong many a time too.