This.
It's YOUR fault for choosing the mainstream class/faction.
Within the first week of playing my entire guild swapped to Republic because we wanted to focus on PvP.
Since you decided to stick to Impire due to its pros, be willing to accept the cons that come along with it.
Republic, quite honestly, sucks in a lot of aspects like story, armor, etc.
Areas where the Impire does not lack.
So the Republic get to enjoy the PvP.
That's the way it is, and if you honestly have the hopes of free faction changes EVER coming about, you are going to be disappointed with life in general.
The most you can hope for is a PAID faction/class where everything is just converted to its faction-counterpart. (Titles, armor, etc.)