You need better marshals, that's why. You got clogged up with people wanting the position for the prestige, instead of for the flexibility.
This. And a lot of other this'es, up above (especially jaune's) :p
I had assumed most of the people coming forward were those who had played Tom's other War Islands game a lot, and had something to prove as strategists. Seems not at all - they all think this is just one of the other islands.
I suspect this first war will go quickly, and then after the reset things will get back to the old style War Islands we remember.
