Once again, I create a character, and once again, wham, 50% lord tax.
I've never even seen anyone use 50% lord tax anywhere, except when I create new characters in realms I don't know.
I do it when I'm lord of a region with no knights. I don't think I've ever gone higher than 25%, and that's only when my lord character had no estate.
I'm with you on the 50% tax thing. It's pretty much false advertising.
