You think that we GMs have some magic switch we can push and it'll happen. And I say it won't. On the contrary, the large stable power blocks will be the ones left standing when the dust settles.
You are very good at correctly pointing out that players are in the drivers seat. To the extent that a kingdom is strong stable and boring is a testament to how that kingdom is run by its rulers. GIVEN.
--BUT--
It does seem like you don't acknowledge the massive amount of responsibility that you ALSO have, in creating the rules and process of Battlemaster. To the extent that a system is volatile or stable is VERY much under your control. To the extent that you've reduced volatility and unpredictability into the system (almost no player deaths, very weak monster/undead hordes, lots of costs and obstacles to upset a kingdom, not a lot of costs to keep one together, etc...)
With all the talk on medieval role playing, its shocking that no one has implemented a "marriage" function in the game. So much medieval politics comes down to who's married to who, who wants to be married to who, who has a first born son, etc. BM has none of those dynamics.
In the war of ForumMaster vs BattleMaster, you've clearly picked a side by murdering the Local boards, and BM now is wounded as a result.
It's super heavy handed, and I'm not sure you're really grasping what kind of damage you're already doing.
I too was one of those people that when I first looked at BM I had no idea wtf I was suppose to do. And I've read Game of Thrones, I've been a DM in a D&D game, I've LARPed, etc... I should've have some familiarity but BM was almost completely opaque and not at all friendly to outsiders. Reading the stories about what was going on in the forums was ultimately the way I got drawn in and was able to chose an island to start. Otherwise I was just choosing blind. Playing as an adventurer could be one of the awesomest parts of the game, but its clearly underdeveloped (ignored even) and it shows.
