Now I know we are in the middle of the huge changes involved with plot reclaimation, resizing, and auction...so this idea I just had is for thought and if possible, implimentation at a much later date...
There is a LOT of unused land out there...no mobs or any other reason to visit said area. Istaria is a land of opportunity, where people explore to see waht they can find. So my thought is...
Lightly sprinkle some of these wide open areas with Large Plots (Thinking nothing less than 100x100). Maybe think of them as land claims, or a frontier expansion...where hardcore players/crafters could build what may eventually become the center of a new town. Someplace away from the beaten path, a refuge from the Aegis...secret hideaways where the Gifted can quietly grow in numbers and strength as the war continues.
These plots, while large, would obviously be a good distance away from towns and communities, with no nearby gates or portals. They may or maynot have roads leading to them. They are stand-alone plots...belonging to no community...or a community of one...with no other wilderness plot nearby. Where once built up and as population grows and the Gifted expand outwards, these single plots could eventually lead to further development (Dev's putting in more plots around the "key" plot) and as the budding community develops...possibly leading to more plots, a road and or maybe an arrival pad.
As I've written this...makes me think of how most all civilizations and nations expanded...someone finds a nice place...builds...others follow behind...sometimes you get a thriving city, other times a ghost town.
Just a thought I had...