The wonders of nature

[Jackard]

Rather the opposite; I would very much like to develop the early game (and mid-game, and end-game) in the wilderness into something much more of a survival game, where it's normal to die a couple of times in the process of getting the hang of it.

That sounds interesting, making it more like Island Troll Tribes. The gap between novice and veteran characters would have to be addressed before a more rugged survival setting could work, though