So I genned a world with what I thought would be some good traits for adventuring. Savagery 10 to 100 and checking for Megabeasts about 150 years earlier than default.
Result? In two different worlds I've genned, dozens and dozens of empty fortresses, swept clean of defenders and lords. Very few towns, although plenty of hamlets. I haven't actually found a fortress with a population in it yet (other than lions, cheetahs and rhinos, oh my!)
To boot, the closest sites containing baddies are....well...the Night Brute right next to where I started announces at least 8 kills he's made. He's pretty bad ass, and I'm sure he's been there since close to the beginning.
So end result I'm having to go everything solo until I find some worthy companions, and while I can take on 10+ size wolf packs, a group of Bogeymen still generally fucks me up six ways from Sunday.
I'm pretty sure it's exactly the combination of savagery and early mega beasts that's pretty much driven the civs to the edge. Previously I had a 900 year old world start, and there was even less civilized life. This one is only 600 years old, but mega beasts and night creatures have pretty much killed off all the law givers and nobles within my whole starting area. I keep getting historical records of so and so at empty fortresses I've visited murdering people, as much as 400 years ago...so yeah. Pretty sure I'm boned since most of the prime targets for adventuring are, shall we say, seasoned.