It used to be so that realms would actually force their rulers to give e.g. weekly updates of what was going on on the continent, so everyone stayed involved. That way you could easily distinguish the good realms from the lesser ones (or the good rulers from the apathetic ones). I don't think people should get their information from the boards on the forum. It is a OOG medium and will, deny it as much as you will, influence the way your character behaves. Simply put; perhaps it is better you cannot know what is going on everywhere all the time. Your character don't, why should you?
This mirrors many of my own thoughts. The
game should be the core of the
game, not people feeling their interest in the game is being lessened by not being able to post to sections of the forum. If you want to know what's happening in the south of an island, and you're in the north, pressure your ruler or ambassadors to keep you updated. Or, even better, make contact with nobles in the realms you want to know about and ask them, increasing in-game communication. Join and promote guilds or religions as mediums to hear or share more news IC.
Having a fog of war in terms of information isn't a bad thing for the game. I also think that many people who use the forums just don't realize that the majority of players in the game hardly ever (or never) visit here. Shunting more communication and interaction into the game is positive, and will help with player retention.
