Here are my suggestions/updates:
Utilize your clock. This will remove the players from your view, and overall reduce the lag.
Likewise, this will help to make signs easier to reach, as people won't be getting in your way.
Within the upcoming week, we're planning to release a new system to jump between hubs though the game. Basically, there will my multiple hubs for each region, and you can switch between them to find your friends in an instant. Please be patient in the mean time before this update is released. Overall, this will reduce the amount of players that your computer has to deal with all together, and help people with poorer quality computers.
That's the Lobby Games...it's supposed to be that way. I'm unsure if it's a glitch that the chests don't fill though.
This is not intentional to my knowledge, and should hopefully be worked on a.s.a.p