The current siege system is not optimal.
Sieging takes a lot of time, you have to stay up for like 12+ hours straight and collect a lot of brimstone for preparations.
Most of time goes to preparations, not so much to the active sieging.
I have a new idea that could replace the current siege system!
Vulnerability windows.
Claims would still have shields to protect the walls and other structures from siege machines.
Owner of the claim could specify a time window when his or hers claim would be "vulnerable" for a few hours.
When the claim is vulnerable, a siege phase could be started.
Siege phases would be quite short, only 2-3 hours, maybe even less.
During the siege phase, you would have to damage the village claim for a specific amount.
This would be done with catapults and battering rams. Which drying times would be greatly reduced, so you could build them during the siege phase.
To break the shield claim, you would need three successful siege phases in a row.
On the third time, shield claim would break, and you could raid the village "normally"
Village claims would require more successful siege phases than private claims, they also could be longer in the duration.
When a siege is started, there would be a notification given to all villagers and maybe realm chat that the village is located in.
That is the basic idea.
Of course it would not have to be exactly 3 times, or few hours every day, values could be changed around.
This way the defender could actively defend, attackers could actively attack.
Both could do some preparation prior to the siege phases.