I watch the episodes from seasons 1-2 more often than CoE and read/write stories that aren't in CoE era too. There were plenty of dark stories at the beginning of Torchwood as well, but they still had a basis in Cardiff and the team was there all along.
There's some other scenarios where Andy could take a more active role (I've collaborated with some great roleplayers who developed his character in interesting ways beyond what was on the show), and there's also some of the audio plays and novels from the BBC where he takes center stage. Or he might be on the sidelines while Jack and Gwen travel the world, since they are the ones in all the promotional images.