A few points from me (My two trias if you like),
First, the 'faster' travel will be Megaras and Pterosaurs (unless the devs have totally changed their mind from the original plan) but these might be a way off. This may have been discussed in the wishlist thread, but the way I would do this would be to have 'landing platforms' like the one at the Bronze Doors, that are located at major centres, i.e. Hydlaa, Ojaveda, Bronze Doors, and a fee to fly between them (the game would show quicktime movie of a flying animal and you would be at the other location). I would do it this way rather than owning them and being able to fly anywhere because it would be a massive lag to have several flying creatures in a region at once.
Second, again this has probably been discussed, but perhaps when there is a hometown for each race (or most races) in the death realm, it is free to return to your race's home, but perhaps through a really difficult quest, or owning a particular item, or by charging trias or experience or something, one can spawn back to life in another race's home town. (It would be neat if there was a difficult quest for each different town to be able to spawn to)
Third, Ojaveda isn't really that far. If we assume the races run at about what would be an average pace running for a human in the real world, Ojaveda is really only about 4-6 miles from Hydlaa, not that far for major cities. If it were up to me, I would double the distance from Hydlaa to Ojaveda, but add many small things between, like individual farmhouses with an npc or two, or npc miners at the mining locations, or perhaps a cave or three with monsters, or even a rogue/bandit encampment.
This is all wishlist stuff I know, this thread is turning into that... As far as the distance from Hydlaa to Oja, I think it's fine for now, especially since the new mining areas are now implemented.
Hey, what ever happened to the Ojaveda Casino? Maybe that should be restarted...
Xirius