About design: I had been working well over a year on a design path and no matter how much I wanted it, I had to put it down. It was entirely possible to design, but to implement it, and to do so well, was not logical. I will try and carry on portions that work for other designs so all is not wasted. Knowing the faults/deficiencies to your own work is something that must be done, but most have difficulty seeing what is best for the game versus what they want most.
While an open world is a tremendously important thing that is lacking in the current MMO market, it is lacking for a reason, and as an indie I must admit that I will not be the one to get it done; At least not on my first release

. I have reverted to a design that creates a world setup like DAoC to separate three sides from each other with a central PvP area. The reason is simple: Healthy PvP that isn't forced upon players.
RTS elements will be included to promote a healthy blend of PvE and PvP interaction. What players accomplish in PvE does more than to increase the quality of their gear, it will also impact how the NPC portion of the game operates. This is where I have found a means to include caravans in a realistic yet successful manner. Players can choose to rely at least partially on caravans supplying their keeps, but if the shipment doesn't make it through they will have to do without. Why is this good? Well, players can still be their own version of the caravan. Run the supplies themselves. The NPC supplies are to be seen as a bonus, not a necessity. They can carry more goods than individual players so their is benefit to defend them/attack them.