[Also Dwilight was initiated as being a frontier realm, and less nobles (more wilderness) isn't all that bad.]
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I have kind of missed the thread and it's too late to start reading 20 pages of comments, so apologies if I disregard previously reached consensus. I won't suggest changing the maps though
What I think is that a declining playerbase in itself is not the problem (I've played Wolfenstein and Soldier of Fortune well past their expiry dates), the problem is that in order to have fun in BM you need a certain amount of people to get the ball rolling. This is both for RP related fun and the strategy game kind of fun. We need to enable players to enjoy the game even if there is less people then there once was. Other solutions will only treat the symptoms, not the actual problem. For instance sinking an island will increase player density for a while, but with a player base in decline it won't be long before we have to sink another one to get the same effect. I'd hate to see three islands sink within three years and BM die out within half a dozen.
For me the discussion ought to focuse on how to improve the game in two ways: keep it fun (even with less players), maximize player retention.
This is no easy task, but from the top of my head a few ideas:
* Intra-realm wars. Duchy based, or even region based conflicts. Why can't a Lord simply ravage the lands of his rivals next door? This would spawn more conflicts of different scales, and it would be easy to have fun even with just a few people.
* BM Light. Players are in the regular game world but half of the content is cut, creating a truly lightweight game. You could still have all options in the bottom of the screen as today, "you can't do this because your account is set to Light". This could even work as a tutorial fase to make the learning curve a little less steep. In essence this Light version focuses on "making Droning fun". Maybe limit character progression so that Light players can obtain a Lordship up to Earl, but no government positions.
* Roleplay Groups. Right now roleplaying is restricted by your character's role or current location. Why not get rid of these restrictions? Continent wide players should be able to start 'roleplaying threads' (within the game world) where they can invite other players to join. In other words, make RP more meta. Why can't I, as a player, observe all the roleplays written by rulers throughout the whole continent? It would make playing BM, for those who like RP, more like reading a book. Of course OOC knowledge being abused ICly might be a problem, but not one that cannot be overcome.
These three changes would create more fun with less people, without imposing limits on future growth. More fun equals higher player retention, and thus might reverse the current declining player base.
It goes without saying that these suggestions all require a lot of work, vision and commitment - all things I wouldn't have to contribute myself. So maybe I'm just proposing vastly difficult things out of ignorance.
