No, I disagree with 1 char per continent.
In Enweil, you'll see a lot of people with double characters both having titles, and others with none. That's because the latter clearly don't give a !@#$ or have the time for these offices. Because they are constantly offered positions and opportunities, and not of them say a word. I'm having a hard time finding a candidate for the next region I want to annex for my duchy, no one is bringing his name forth. Last lordship election went on without a candidate before I put my name in 5 minutes before the end of the referendum. The general only wins again and again because nobody else puts their name forth, 'cause we'd get rid of him ASAP if there was an alternative. Judge wants to step down for a while now, but there are no candidates stepping forth that he trusts yet enough. Same goes for most positions and titles. Those characters without any titles just aren't making the least effort to get involved and promoted, they just stick to setting their estates and following orders.
And I suspect the same of many realms. There's nothing wrong with active players having many titles.
hint: if you want promotions, Enweil's a good place to go to. There are still plenty of rogue regions about to annex, but we lack the nobles to claim them (while not having anyone really desiring to lord over them anyways).
maybe i'm wrong, but i believe you did not prove much with this argumentation. estate issues are something to be solved separately.
but even without estate issues solved, i would alway prefer to see realm with 10 regions without double-chars than realm with 20 regions with many double-chars. there is nothing more depressive for me than when large realms are silent, that is why tend to have my chars in smaller realms, less talk is more natural if nothing else.
so, use of second slots to expand realm is some sort of zombie-solution. even worse, if your military foe is doing that often you have no other choice but to try to oppose them in the same manner, as extra slots give really, really strong advantage, nothing else in game can easily overcome.
people in your realm are not interested in council positions? is it not sign of ultimate boredom and lack of some realm's path!? one other thing that i really dislike in large realms - lack of ambitious nobles, it is really, really depressive, currently i spent about two months in such realm on AT, firmly decided to develop my career there, but gave up after two months. how can it be that noone between 50-60 nobles has no any visible ambition. i am not saying everybody should strive to be king, that would lead to anarchy, but when ruler leaves the throne, even temporarily, not a one single person shows ambition to take throne, but 3 or 4 readily step forward stating that they will humbly hold the crown until old ruler comes back. i can understand it in realm of 20-30 nobles, but in realms with 60 nobles that is outrageous in my opinion.
to answer your argument directly - if you have no single noble to even apply for lordship, if no two chars are allowed, you would have to leave with that and find ways how to solve it in-game, that would certainly give much more fun to many, instead of zombi-resurrections of silent family members, who are so disciplined, aligned with their relatives that i personally consider them dull and not trustworthy at all.
