I only started the game recently, have maybe 12h playtime, but I do know the game has been around for longer. So I kinda wonder if the building wheel really is the "only" options there are & why the building system isn't more complex in a game which seemingly has building a settlement as a core element.

What I mean is I can see that you can build prefab houses & designate land to fields, but I do not see the ability to say connect a workspace such as a smithy directly into a house or say landscaping tools to build earthern ramparts, or say build round houses, etc. There's a number of ways in which a game like this could be developed, but those feel like a logical step to progress into after so many years of development for this game.