If you don't like your starting equipment, you can open the sovereign's XML file with an editor or even just Notepad and change things around.

It is also possible to mod items in for customisation:

Copy an entry from CoreItems.xml/CoreWeapons.xml/CoreArmor.xml and paste into a new file.  For example, the Amulet of Flames starts with this:

<GameItemType InternalName="AmuletOfFlames">

and ends with this:

</GameItemType>

You'll want to use a different internal name (what's in the quotes above!) to differentiate it from the item you copied.

To make an item available for sovereign creation, add/change this tag to the item:

<IsAvailableForSovereignCustomization>1</IsAvailableForSovereignCustomization>

If you want to charge one point for adding an item, use this tag:

<CustomizationPointCost>1</CustomizationPointCost>

Finally, you're going to want to add or change this so that your rank and file units don't have access to it:

<HeroOnly>1</HeroOnly>

<IsAvailableForUnitDesign>0</IsAvailableForUnitDesign>

I know that modding isn't for the faint of heart, but you'll know (having sunk 300 hours into it) what you would like to see added, so it's a lot quicker and easier for you to do it.

By "turn on", do you mean for them to modify the game to fit your explicit desire? To start off with very low end weapons is the standard for anything with RPG design. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with what you want, but it doesn't seem to fit with their vision for the game. I would guess most people enjoy the time in upgrading their characters, or making an early find exciting.

all low end weapons / armor would be fine - they tell me to customize my backstory to fit my person and then I have a backstory of a blacksmith that doesn't have the ability to start with any armor, or a hunter that was raised in the desolated lands and has been hunting for his whole life but they best he could come by is a crude shortbow. this doesn't jive with what we are supposed to be able to do. if we are supposed to create then yes I want to be able to be creative and more choice is necessary for the to happen.

Um, if you notice, there is a fairly limited number of items available for sov customisation.  These items have to show up only on that screen, nowhere else.  The reason why there isn't more variety is because those same steps that I just explained would have to be used to create those items.  It is not as simple as just flicking a number to 1.

If you don't want to be pigeonholed (and after 300 hours of playing, you probably want some variety) then I highly recommend modding in your own items.  You can even supply a description which fits with your own particular vision for that character.  Here, see this example:

<GameItemTypes>
    <DataChecksum NoParse="1">
        <Ignore>DispName</Ignore>
        <Translate>DisplayName,Description</Translate>
    </DataChecksum>
    <GameItemType InternalName="SwordOfTruth">
        <DisplayName>Sword of Truth</DisplayName>
        <Description>In any other hands, this is just a piece of steel, but in the hands of the Seeker, it bestows the power to fight evil.</Description>
        <Type>Weapon</Type>
        <Type>Defense</Type>
        <WeaponType>TwoHanded</WeaponType>
        <WeaponUpgradeType>Blade</WeaponUpgradeType>
        <CanBeEquipped>1</CanBeEquipped>
        <ShopValue>150</ShopValue>
        <GameModifier>
            <ModType>Unit</ModType>
            <Attribute>AdjustUnitStat</Attribute>
            <StrVal>UnitStat_Attack_Pierce</StrVal>
            <Value>28</Value>
        </GameModifier>
        <GameModifier>
            <ModType>Unit</ModType>
            <Attribute>AdjustUnitStat</Attribute>
            <StrVal>UnitStat_MaxCounterAttack</StrVal>
            <Value>1</Value>
            <Provides>+1 Counterattack per round</Provides>
        </GameModifier>
        <GameModifier>
            <ModType>Unit</ModType>
            <Attribute>AdjustUnitStat</Attribute>
            <StrVal>UnitStat_Splashdamage</StrVal>
            <Value>0.25</Value>
            <Provides>Splash- Does 25% of its attack damage to all surrounding units.</Provides>
        </GameModifier>
    <CustomizationPointCost>1</CustomizationPointCost>
        <IsAvailableForSovereignCustomization>1</IsAvailableForSovereignCustomization>
        <RarityDisplay>Rare</RarityDisplay>
        <HeroOnly>1</HeroOnly>
        <IsAvailableForUnitDesign>0</IsAvailableForUnitDesign>
        <AIData AIPersonality="AI_General">
            <AIPrefType>AIPrefType_CUTTING</AIPrefType>
            <AIPriority>380</AIPriority>
        </AIData>
        <ArtDef>Greatsword_ArtDef</ArtDef>
    </GameItemType>
</GameItemTypes>

Virtually identical to the entry for Greatsword, with a couple of teeny tiny adjustments.  And the cost of one point is probably way off considering how strong it is in the eraly game, but it's just an example.  It's not rocket science.  It's you getting to fit your character out with something unique and particular to them.

Ha! you guys are a tough crowd. I don't want to change the value of any item. I just want a bigger selection of stuff to pick from (that already exists) in the game. there is no way that if I start with a basic shield it would throw off the challenge of the game. currently there are a bunch or OP'd items to choose from. Eerog's Token necklace (sorry for the spelling) is one of the best items in the game and I can pick that one up but I have to hope and prey that I can find a leather helmet in the piles of rubble scattered around the world.

there has to be people out there who understand what I am asking for here.

if the devs wanted everyone to start equally then there would be no equipment at all- we would all start naked. and with nothing at all - no spells - no abilities and have to randomly find everything. this would also be a cool mod for you modders.

I would love to settle my game arguments in multiplayer!

Two dragonfly bracers walk into a bar...

I guess I just want more options of everything at the start, after you play a lot this lot of items becomes stale quickly and i think all of us can agree that the start of this game is by far the best part of it. i have been waiting since this games original release for more items to be added to this and after almost 3 years i felt i needed to voice an opinion about it.

i used the example of the crappy bow because i cant fathom a bow sovereign starting with a crude shortbow  with -8 initiative. there are 3 types of staffs available for mages but not a normal bow for an archer, just the worst bow in the game. then its very hard to find a good bow, it should be more balanced.

if someone used all of their creation points on equipment they would also suffer with no spells or no other bonuses and this will add greatly to the differentiation of play style. i think ive exhausted my creative thought on this topic - hopefully Kael can give me some love!

The Gauntlets of Grazna are effectively two-thirds of a suit of leather armor for 1 point.

I thought it had been greaves ... though why exactly the Queen of New Pariden had 47 pairs of leather pants and not the rest of the wardrobe I could not say ...

I will agree that it would be nice if there were more options for starter equipment, but most of that stuff gets tossed rapidly anyways, and with the defense value they chose for leather armor it's not like there's a lot of room for low-end armor that's good enough to cost a point but isn't going to completely outclass early troop equipment, and if they made it free then there would be no reason to ever be without armor on your sovereign.

Create custom units for your custom AI factions the easy way, though a Workshop tool would be nice too.

Create your custom AI faction and Sov. Start up a new game with them. Use the Complete Research cheat, then create and save your designed troops. Exit your game, and your custom AI faction now has units designed to fit their strengths, or weaknesses. You'll have to play around a bit with the designs and the Sovereign traits to get the right mix, but it's worth the time, imo.

Ereog's Token is great against Wildland Bosses that melee.  Try this combo - strong enough Sov to take one hit from Wildland boss, Beastlord, a few Bears or Cave Bears, plus a decently powered Slow spell (although this last one might not be totally necessary) - dead boss.

Making leather armour or something like that available for sov customisation can be done, but since it already exists in CoreArmor.xml, every time you start the game the modded armour would be overriden, meaning it would be not available.  That's why I suggested copying an existing item and giving it a new internal name - so that it is a new item which can't be overriden by the core game data.

You can alter CoreArmour.xml directly but then it will get overwritten in a future update so you'll have to change it again.  Too much hassle.