iirc I played when in EC the average nobles per realm was something around 120, with Perdan touching even 160 or something.
Good times. I started in Ubent, a small realm with no cities and still some 50-60 nobles if I recall correctly and also a communist dictatorship whose main produce was toilets. I remember it as a lot more silly rp and a lot less rp submersion. In the sense that nowadays people like to play their characters more as real medieval nobles who could have actually lived in those times and made such decisions. And it's just harder to bring humour into the roleplay if the character on it's own isn't already outrageous by itself.
Personally, I like the evolution though. That it's harder doesn't mean that it can't be done. And the constant evolution of the game means that there's always new things to look forward to.
There were way more non game-mechanic related RP but overall the game felt way slower compared to BT where there were many more small realms
Yeah, BT was always the most dynamic continent. Realms dying, new ones being created, others growing, alliances shifting or just everyone trying to survive, and to survive as strong as possible. BT is still by far the continent I love the most, and I think the new scrolls will make new conflict a lot more interesting as well. Both strategically as diplomatically. But on it's height (though it may have been a little over the peak) I ruled a pretty big realm, Old Grehk, of some 70-80 people and that was a lot of work already. I couldn't imagine what it must have been like on Atamara or EC...
Though the way I remember it, there was a lot more teamwork at the top as well. There was just usually a larger group that took a special interest in a particular realm. I know that I don't want to be involved in the government of the realms of all my characters. Somewhere I just want to have an infiltrator or a loyal soldier and don't give a crap about how the realm is run, unless it affects me personally. Like peace.