Just so that this thread isn't only about complaints I wanted to add a thing I would consider to increase the longevity and, yes, also the difficulty curve.
The most important thing I would change in Salem: think about a mechanic that introduces interdependence of players. Not for the starting player, but for the player that has crossed into mid-game, roughly defined as having the basic skills and about 20-25 points in all humours. From then on players should be struggling to progress further on their own. A second barrier should happen a bit later, say at roughly 40-45 points in the humours. Even villages shouldn't be able to be self-sufficient in raising their humours above that point.
In the current game I find it ridiculously easy for a hermit, not to speak for a village, to have access to everything. I would seriously want to change that. For example, have many more ores that are only available regionally, have more crops that cannot all be grown with good quality on the same soil. Make people need this stuff to progress further. Make people trade or barter for it. Of course players (F2P game!) will just create new accounts and alts and use the Boston instant travel mechanic to circumvent this, thus either the travel or the alt mechanic has to be adjusted to make it work, maybe even both.
Breeding alts is so easy in both Salem and H&H because of the inspirational and food mechanic. Just a thought experiment: How would the game change when inspirationals couldn't be traded or stored in containers?
Would people actually have to play their alts instead of feeding them inspirationals from the village coffers? Inspirationals would become use-it-or-lose-it.
Another thought experiment: how would the game change if getting items to Boston took time, depending on distance? Think coach transport, if you're far away from Boston it may take an RL day or two before your goods arrive in Boston. Same with items from Boston to your village, your character may travel via teleport, the items will arrive via coach two days later. Shall we introduce a risk with that as well? Maybe the coach gets attacked and the items are lost? Maybe mitigate the loss by paying extra for a more secure sort of travel?
Anyway, in my opinion interdependence has to be introduced to give Salem longevity - otherwise it's just too easy. Sorry for my ramblings.