Just relooked at the forum after months upon months, and reading through this thread, I find it odd that it wasn't mentioned that larger realms also tend to get the vast majority of new nobles from newer players from my own personal experience at least. I'm a part of large and small realms but nobles almost always seem to be joining new into large realms while not as much in small realms. I think that is likely one reason large realms stay large. They get more nobles to join them, then smaller realms some times. Yes, sometimes good small realms can retain their nobles more for reasons, but there are other times that realms just start falling apart because the lack of nobility prevents them from doing anything else compared to the large realms around them. My example here is Coria, although it may not be considered a small realm by other continent standards, it certainly is in Atamara, at least by number of nobles.
This is absolutely true. New players are attracted by the power of large realms. If they are anything like I was, they seek powerful realms to be able to do a lot of things collectively, without consideration of personal advancement opportunities. People like winning battles, and you suspect you'll win more by joining the large realms.
The game should perhaps give a brief intro to newcommers to describe general trends on social mobility, and present the good aspects of small realms that they might have not otherwise thought of. Encouraging new players to small realms would likely be a good idea, because I don't think the idea of joining a tiny struggling realm to sound very alluring to them, despite the great opportunities for advancement they present.
I think the political progression system depends on the realm. Some realms are inherantly more anarchistic then others so progression is easier.
Political identity is a hard thing to get, as it is historically more religious and racial then regional. I'll use Chenier and myself as modern examples. Compared to other nations we are Canadian, except in reference to our "home" (say, France and Ireland) countries, to whom we are provincial (Quebecois or Avalonian), however, while we are clearly from different areas, the term RoC (Rest of Canada) is a shared concept.
A French Catholic is Quebec has more in common with a Catholic Avalonian then a Protestant Avalonian has with that same Catholic Avalonian who grew up two blocks away. Eastern Canada is vastly more progressive then any state represented in battlemaster and while I wouldn't want mechanical forces put in play, I'm really of the mind that there should be a mental pecking order for many nobles.
1. Same religion
2. Political advantage
3. Regional allies
This will solve the "big realm" issue as say, Dutchy #1 in the north will constantly be trying to keep Dutchy #2 in the sotuh from gaining position and power, which will eventually lead to either a political or scessionistic throwdown. I'd love to see more Dukes pushing "their guy", rather then "who's the best".
I've found it quite fun to grow my ducal power bases whenver I got them. I am slowly building Iato, a tiny remote ravaged border-city, into a powerful regional entity. I brought the duchy of Paisly a long way as well, from a brand new pack of ruins into D'Hara's most prosperous city and duchy (it now has full population). Fun stuff. Dukeships are something you can easily build upon, I find, through a wide variety of means.
