(and possibly a way to type make in the dv directory and not make verify-test-rtl or similar?)

Yes, I do that as well. I dislike both docker and also cocotb, so I think we are in the same camp. My personal preference is to put as little software as possible between me and the end result. To me, docker is a convenience but just adds an extra layer (or two) of software that is unnecessary, adds complexity, and causes its own set of issues. Ditto for cocotb. However, the openlane developers went for the cocotb solution and left the older testbenches in the repository but in a state that may or may not actually work. The setup for running verification outside of cocotb is no longer documented. But I still do my own verification tests that way, and I can get most of the old testbenches to run without too much effort.