I like this idea.  Probably too late for the Elemental series though.

While I really do like your suggestions, I don't think the changes you suggest are likely to be implemented in the base game by the developers. Too much recoding required.

As for the central issue you are addressing in the game balance for the wildlands, I think the key here is that the time and investment is no where near the rewards. Other than farming xp after you've won the game, why invest troops and energy into clearing a dangerous section of the map for some stupid +50% fire resist bonus to troops DEFENDING some random city in your empire?

My solution was this: I changed the trophy bonuses. This is merely an EXAMPLE, but I think it addresses the heart of the issue. My bonuses for each wildland trophy are +20% growth in selected city (up from 10%) AND some bonus to troops defending AND BUILT. i.e. units built in a city with a particular trophy might get +25% fire resist, or +25% cold resist, or +def, or +att. This has the surprising effect of making you say, "Ah crap" if an AI clears a wildland, which I think is a good indicator.

While I like your solution better, mine is much easier to implement and addresses the key problem. Risk vs Reward. Stardock has already shrugged off all of the balance changes I've suggested to the game, so I don't see MY solution being implemented either, but at least it can be fixed on the user's end for those able to use / embrace modding.

The way I see it, champions sort of function primarily as monster killers, whereas normal, trained units are better for fighting other trained units.  Champions can get really good dodge and armor and, obviously, get access to developing talents to make them tougher or more evasive, and as individuals, don't suffer from the overpower trait or a severe reduction in attack capability as they take damage.

I agree completely, though, Wildlands are far too difficult for the reward they offer in relation to the stage the game must be in for you to have conquered one.

Every Wildland can't be Wearloga though. I would like to see Wildlands serve dual purposes. Firstly they should be monster preserves that stop expansion and contain several levels of monsters that respawn endlessly. That way the entire map doesn't get cleared early on. Instead of being all or nothing Wildlands should scale so that you can explore them all game. When you actually kill a Lord there should be an alert to everyone else and a reward. While the rewards shouldn't be game winners they should be more significant. At that point of the game you don't need more territory or resources. The chief reward should be powerful artifacts, monsters, and spells that would give you the ability to challenge your neighbors and change the flow of the game. I would almost say that most Wildlands should never clear even if the Lord dies as it is largely pointless and homogenizes the map.

Imo, there should be an RPG element to the conquering of the wildlands.

Each sovereign should have an RPG storyline written out, with "good" and "bad" path to follow; the user gets to choose which. This RPG path would allow for a loose story to be told throughout the sandbox mode; from what heros you attract to your cause, to which wildlands you need to go and explore, to which side your forces will commit to. Also along the way you'll be able to gather important pieces for the building of the towers. Than, and only than would the story line converge into being able to complete the Spell of Mastery. (Yes, I'm still calling it that.)

At the very least, defeating a wildland should grant the user enough fame to call another hero.

Indeed, Wildlands are a bit disappointing at times. Especially because I love the idea behind them.

There are some additional ones in the map pack (I think) that have a wider span of difficulty. The darkling city for example. It is realitively easy to take and provides an interesting bonus, long before the game is decided.

I would love to see more of that and a more diverse set of rewards for clearing them.

Ever respawning Monsters would be a nice thing as well, but it would be incredible hard to balance. A constant stream of XP for the armies in the area is a bonus in itself.

So, what could be done about it?

So, for the realistic part:

Provide alternative means of conquering the wildlands.

Nodes:

Add three to four nodes in the wildlands. All guarded by a stationary monster army, far less powerful than the main guardian. Clear all the nodes, clear the wildland.

Economic domination:

Add a shrine to every wildland. Go there, sacrifice a hefty amount of ressources, clear the wildland.

Territory domination:

Have a number of outposts at the border of the wildland and build a dedicated wildland domination building in all of them (has to be added), clear the wildland.

What happens to the guardian?

Either make it stationary or have it disappear alltogether. I'm not really in the mood to talk about that though

Read more on something that is far less likely to happen

Unrealistic "that would be so awesome option":

Capture and hold type:

Generally small wildlands with a structure in the center, providing a significant bonus similar to the current ressources, just on steroids. I'm thinking of a +4 shard, +3 Material or +15 Gildar thingy.

The mechanic behind those would be, that an army has to be positioned on the ressource to hold it. As long as this condition is met, the bonus of the ressource is provided to the nearest town or the empire at whole. As long as the ressource is occupied, monster armies spawn on a semi regular basis and try to liberate the ressource. Those armies don't provide heavily reduced XP and never leave the wildland.

Dungeon type:

Generally medium to large maze like wildlands, filled with loot and higly active, but clearable monster spawners. Boss type creature at the end or center providing an item, ressources, a hero or a combination of these when slain.

Raiding type:

Generally small areas that have respawnable monster spawners which in turn spawn monsters that roam the general area around the wildland, rading and attacking what they find. Clearable... for a while (Until the spawners respawn)

These make the area around them a dangerous place to dwell.

Optional: A ressource intensive way to clear them, possibly unlocked by a tech.

Armies to keep them at bay, while you gather the ressources to seal them.

Clearable Wildlands:

Current type, but with changed rewards. One ot two city spots with a "Holy mother mary of god" quality.

Most of these would need drastic changes or additions to the AI, as well as a lot of work, so it is rather unlikely to come anywhere outside its own expansion.

Supported