[gameplay] Early game and people

The impression I have gained from the lore and story is that the world was all blowed up, people scattered to the 4 winds, and now live in a horrible wasteland.  Then I come along, the start of an epic journey - to gather the peoples of this broken world and lead them into the future. Then I magic up some green land, build some houses with nobody, and people just pop out of nowhere and fill it all up.

The beginning feels...flat.

As one who generally plays the big games, I like my world/verse to slowly develop, it seems more intersting that way. The start is usually important in that.

Currently it seems the game doesnt begin until you find some fertile land - this is fine with me - but what about the people?

I would like to see things like bands of refugees wandering around the map early on, random events where you come upon things, opportunities to actively boost your early game where you are just building a few things.

For instance:

You start out, near the coast. There are hills in the distance, and a forest just inland. On the border of this forest, you come upon a camp of survivors. They have made a life for themselves, hunting beasts from the forest for food, however their living conditions are bad, with no knowledge of how to build even simple homes. Even worse, recently some sort of nasty beast has moved into the heart of the forest, and has killed 2 of their number already. Scared to hunt, they are considering moving elsewhere, although fear starvation may claim them before that.

When you come along, they have another option - to join you. Their condition, however, is that you seek out their best hunter in the forest, and aid him in killing the beast. Upon doing so, you gain their hunter as an explorer unit, and the people themselves will trail you, and join your future encampment. They also bring some materials from their camp, to help with early construction.

There could also be wandering peoples, captives of beasts or raiders, or lone wanderers who can take you to hidden encampments where people are holed up. These encounters could tie into the heroes starting stats - some would want a quest done, some would need rescue through combat. Some would need convincing through diplomacy, or want proof you have the ability to do as you say you can. It could depend on your magic or the resources you have gained so far.

It has been said many times this is to be a living, breathing world. As far as population goes, im not feeling it. We just build houses - houses are not alive, they are quite static, a tool of the great City of Spreadsheet to increase a variable. They are also kinda boring to build, unnecessary management of something every city will have. Other buildings distinguish and separate a city from the others, but houses dont - they are always there. I would prefer it if they just took care of themselves in an organic fashion.

People are alive, and at the start you are just one of them - you have no cities or armies, just essence, and perhaps a legacy. Let gathering them be a part of early game life, and evolve into building stuff from there. Not another stage of the game, just an augmentation to one.