It just seems a little too much when it comes to Encumbrance. It's just too slow. Is there something I'm missing? Can we increase a stat so we can move faster with heavier loads? Strength? Running speed?

I played Wurm Online and that is something I hated about that game. When you carry a few items too much you move slower than syrup on a cold day.. I know that the game is trying to simulate real life but you have to remember that this is a "Game" and you should try to cater to both sides of it.

There just needs to be another means of carrying heavy loads across a distance. Taking 30 minutes to get to a place that is only 2 minutes away is just overkill.