Bring back torch contest and modify it so the land winner of the torch contest would have their land expand one scene into No Man's Land towards GoE, and subsequently further towards the other lands. Losing the contest would decrease your influence by one scene. The influence would never pass the opposing land's gates. The Path of Loneliness would be skipped over, always a part of Established Housings.

The goal would be to gain as much influence over NML as possible in order for your citizens to have easier effort moving in the area, and particularly to be able to enter your land with the land loyalty afforded through controlling your gate, and even to control other lands gates!

Any more thoughts/ideas?

Expanding a land's influence is an idea I had since many years ago (and not only me, obviously), but I think there are some conceptual issues with this one.