Unsolicited advice: the sooner realms start giving duchies to players that enjoy the economic game, the sooner they can free up the battle-types to spend all of that surplus gold on ass whippings. Reward players appropriately. Don't make the girl or guy who is always running around with a 1K CS unit a duchess or duke, because to be an effective one usually requires that they stay in their duchy. Same goes for Bankers, Judges and any other position. Give them out to the people who actually want to assume the responsibilities. Often, they're doled out as rewards with no regard for what's expected of the roles.
But, but, the less functional my realm is the more powerful I am...
