Problem:

Increased numbers of new players on shards are causing extreme lag due to population concentrations in high utility areas (ie. Sanctum/Meridian).

In my experience, attempting to perform normal operations in these high population areas (crafting, banking, auctioning) during high load periods are problematic due to the long response times (lag) in that zone. Moving to another zone removes the phenomenon compeletely.

I would opine that the congestion is somewhat driven by the fact that many of the core services (banking/auction) concentrated in cities like Sanctum and Merdian force players to congregate in those locations.

Suggestion:

Improve the utility of offload cities like Fortune Shore and Argent Glade by adding supporting services like bank, auction and other support functions.

Reasoning:

By providing these services in other potential concentration areas, player loads can be better distributed and offers players other places to 'bind' their toons to. This should help with the congestion forced on Sanctum due to the concentration of utility services in that location.

Fortune Shore or Fort Zarnost/Atia would be great places to bind the soul to and set as a home base if they offered similar services that Sanctum or Meridian did.