War helps. But just being at war isn't the only thing that does it. You have to have an exciting, dynamic, active realm. You have to talk, and actively engage people. That's what really attracts and retains players.
My experience is that war does not contribute to having a dynamic, active realm. Quite the opposite. A lot of talk is often steam rolled by war measures and justified by the urgency that war creates. In all of the realms I've played in, once wars started, I'd see this kind of thing going, and not only by rulers on a power trip, but by all ranks of nobility.
