Since no one else responded to this I thought I would.
The playtest for TAG is not finished! Not sure where you get your info
from.
Yes commercial games of TAG have started:
The never-ending kingdom is a open game with no magic user/priest
built in rivalry... and thus not a nation vs nation game and could be
played by players who wish to develop in isolation. It would be an idea
game for anyone who wants his own space as the number of players last
time I checked was still under 25 and the world I'm told is similar in
size to G1.
Some Islands in G2 have very low player counts.
Start up some stealth nobles and send them off looking for a new home.
You can develop yourself to a certain point in the safehavens while you
look for a home. But as mentioned before you should have an alliance to
hold onto what you find. You might also find it much more beneficial to
join an alliance. They will have 120 plus turns of resources for you to
call on with no investment yet of your own. With your quick study
points you can get a few nobles doing specific tasks that you find
enjoyable quickly.
The world is not overpopulated by any measure... you just need to look
for the huge gaps in the world and be ready to fight for what your
claiming.
But if your not up for the challenge consider giving tag a try. Trust
me its a lot more different than it might seem initially on the surface.
Basil