I don't think phasing is really being used to it's potential. I would rather it were used to display server wide efforts, or potentially for sliding stagnate. For example, a town that fluctuates between being sacked, abandoned, repaired, and controlled by another faction. Everyone is in the same phase, but the phase itself changes based on what the server as a whole has accomplished.

Right now, the way it is implemented makes sense for low traffic areas, but large groups of friends makes it very inconvenient.