What I would like is that the developers/animators or whoever they are that run this whole thing, would seek out talented people who have ideas of improving the gameplay and try incorporating them into actually making the game better. Dont have an exact say, but to me it seems, that Travian games have gathered a playerbase of tech minded people so im pretty sure there are some who have a clue of all the ones and zeroes that make the magic happen as well. Plus people who have been playing a lot might have come up with some ideas what they would like to be improved on.
For example Im thinking of around 3 big ways travian could get more enganging off the top of my head:
1. Make challenges ..That one is kinda being handled in the form of forum quests, shiny badges and tutorial part of the game and partly answers the problem thats asked about in this thread. Personally i would like the vibe of helping along unexperienced players and make this sometimes tedious, unnerving or confusing game a bit better and earn a more experienced competitors and a healthy forum life in return. Matchmaking is a great thread imo and is a step in the right direction...only a little badge is missing still of getting 24h coverage with international dualing trio 
Maybe whats missing on that area is decent guides with pictures of important stages in village and more through explanation of all the different strategies a player can take...oh right thats in the blog section so not sure what more is there to for training beginners and make it good experience for them..
!F only 1 could make some tournament or challenges section in the lobby
...Oh wait I can in the forum 
2. The Big One imho is players tweaking maps by open-sourcing that part of the game... and let them set their own terrain they can fight on.
Mist is a great add and shows theres a lot more that can be done on the map part of the game.
!F only 1 could design maps of clustered mountains with tight and dangerous valleys and elsewhere dark woods, lushious cropfields or clay caves 
((id like to see it evolve in some weird starcraftian type gameplay direction where all the building and fighting happens simultaneously, but in travian pace))
3.have some rounds with player advised rules...so no one can finally point the fingers and accuse the kingdoms team of bad management 
!F only 1 could choose the Natar tribe and play against all the server
...+1 that Might be appealing to people who like limited gold idea is some kind of server reservation .
......and probably will help the huge number of player attendance lag issues
..!F only 1 could run tournaments that people earn back some of the gold putten in servers, then Im sure they will get more excited about kingdoms 