some or partly awnsered

1. actually EURO servers are in the netherlands in amsterdam if im correct.
so yes the ping in a US server would be higher then they currently have.

2. i can understand this is something Crafters would like to consider, but i have not had it mentioned before this post. On the other hand i don't feel like it should be a very high priority as u can have the best resources available its still useless if u can't sell it to ppl (or sell your crafted items to those ppls)

3. The rank 4 cap on planets is a issue but it won't go away no matter what server u pick but it would be wise to check ahead of time if there is a place availabe.
(as posted in guides all Core planets have a Rank 4 or > cap of 10 towns and all minor planets (lok) have a rank 4 or > cap of 20 town.

and we have a the same saying in holland :D although i had a few experiances where the grass was actually a whole lot better :D