Factor fortune and unpredictability

Agreed with the addition of gathering, crafting, more quests, and another continent worth 10 more cities 20 more cities if you have an alt.  I believe future additions should move toward making the game more streamlined and require less time.  Rather than having to play 24/7 this was one of the main reasons I liked Illyriad was it required less time for the type of game it is.  Now they seem to be throwing that away in favor, of 24/7 play in order to do everything. 

Instead of animals just running through the plains, they could/would 

- attack any armies stationed outside a city. 

- remove farm sov by "eating" your crops... You'd have to fight them off, or keep feeding them to make them grow. 

- Attack a city if they get too large. 

- delay/ambush caravans. 

- form defenses around your city against invasion. (a moat of bears)

My suggestion is, to add some more features to make Illyriad a more meaningful (in contrast to daily grinding) sandbox experience. At the moment life in Elgea is quite safe and horribly predictable, as the only larger influences are player made.
My theory is, that there is a higher possibility and willingness to start wars in the moment, as nothing else happens and players get bored with daily grinding and all day equal routines. They want to feel themselves, their power, their armies and to proove, that their long term strategies and plans work in the end.
What I miss in this sandbox (and this is my only point of critisism ) is the lacking challenge.
So I worked out some ideas, that maybe could help making gaming less grinding and more challenging:

At first: I really love surprises.Things that break my daily routine. Things, that make me think to myself: "Upps, what happens here?"
So why not coincidences, where you get quests (by gathering at a certain point, or occupying it, or foreigners visiting your city, and so on)?
Or incidents in your towns like deseases,which wander around through Elgea and  which kill pop and that can be ended with....xxx
Or riots, or natural desasters? Or sudden regional (!!) dynamical (maybe biome specific as well) weather influences, which make your food go red or give you bonusses? (Just imagine, the first MMORTS with weather events ).
Yes, why not things that are a big misfortune? That hurt and are far away from being no matter. Not every day, but just from time to time to rouse you again in your daily routines.
Treasures found while gathering, blueprints for armours or cryptic hints for unique quest lines?
Or dynamic events: like rare plants, that can only found by night or at certain seasons?
Why not a possibility to ambush someones caravans to rob them?
Or your own caravans accidentially and unfortunately robbed or killed by NPCs? NPC thieves intruding in your towns?
Why not regional events of animal plagues or hoardes of intruders, making neighbourhood cooperation necessary to fight the oppression?
Or Dragons, Trolls, Hydras, Cerberus or other mythical creature occuring accidently? Or threatening landscapes? Wandering around like animals? Or just spawning?

And concerning another game aspect like mysteries and discoveries.....
Everytime, I have discovered anything, I am quite happy and excited. But at the moment, all (of the few) discoveries are quite predictable as well.
Just do xxx times the quests to get "Block and tackle". Just build a swordsmith to get "Elfen sword". This is not exciting at all.And far away of something special YOU have discovered. Every player has discovered that, at least for now.
Why not more discoveries? Which come to you through luck? Which surprise you? Which give you advantages others don't have? Kind of unique characteristics? Kind of: "Your leather armourers found a technique to produce armours quicker?" "Your Trueshots invented a new training method?" "Your caravans get more loading capacity?" "Your mages found an ancient spellbook?"
Just some more unpredictable events. To make the sandbox gaming experience more meaningful. That give you joy, as you were lucky to get a discovery. Which annoies you, as your town gets attacked or a snowstorm destroys all your food? Kind of sudden events, that can happen anytime, anywhere. That makes you wonder: "Oh, what game codes have been impleted?"
Something comparable to the Elfen spirit bow discovery? Or deseases, that need special plants to cure? And that are a real thread, not only a popup or questlog, which doesn't matter at all.
Things, that lead to the believe, Elgea had kind of an independent existence, which hardly can get influenced, or only with combined powers.
More PVE experience. More incidents. More surprises....
Or things, that dignify your individual gameplay. As a crafter you might get the (really small) advantage to invent something. As a warlord you get an unique (and really unique) weapon for your commander, at least at a small chance. Or bonus items, that can be held by a town (document of fabulous tax income, boots blueprint, that makes your units faster, super special horses, special bonus researches, or items that give buffs to towns, ... and so on). Maybe items, that can be sold , that can be fought over... Extremely rare items, maybe unique. Kind of: "want haves".
Just anything, that makes Illyriad unpredictable (besides player interaction)...
All in all: the factor: misfortune and luck!
Maybe, some of you have some ideas towards it as well.... Please share it.