Was a lot easier to RP before characters became nobility and the SMA straightjacket leaking out.
Characters "became" nobility?
Sorry to burst your bubble, Kai, but our characters were nobility since the game first launched. And I've seen plenty of RP on Dwilight (and thus under explicit SMA) and on every other continent I've been on since Dwilight opened (where I presume you mean it's "leaking out").