Here is a site detailing killing guards...
http://www.angelfire.com/rpg/whitewi...des/tricks.htm
I think it really was just the fact that people were scared to screw up their faction. This was the first BIG (imo) MMO and people didn't get all the concepts, or know all the shortcuts, or knew the long term effects of their decisions. If people understood ZEM and the effects on killing guards in a town there was no point in having faction with I am sure more people would have been killing guards.