I like the markets! Even if you nerf their ability to function as a poor man’s void chest, I like having a server-wide official market system. They’re also a good reason to settle down within easy travel of a settlement. I like settlements but I think they should become more interesting and helpful, not less, as hubs of activity in their general area.
Maybe just as a quick fix to the missing markets, NPC traders could sell markets? Maybe they should be quite expensive, as markets are rare, special blocks and you only need one in the settlement. I don’t know how hard this would be to implement, but perhaps the traders could only offer this if there isn’t already a market within a certain distance.