So pure conjecture then.
What rigorous statistical and repeatable method did use to determine that 8 would be "reasonable".
There has long been a sweat spot for realms. Too many nobles and realm becomes somewhat impersonal l, individuals are lost and it feels hard to make a contribution. Too few and the realm relies far too much on two or three nobles to generate interest. M&F is great example of what low bars for realms creates. There you need only 3 players to create a realm and there are methods to have a realm of a single player - which is sadly all too common. With the exception of a few realms where created by BM players I would say the majority of M&F realms have 3-8 players, and they are dead. Dead of all communication, dead of anything happening other then logging in to ensure your characters remain active just dead.
Really in my opinion 15 is too low for a viable long term realm, somewhere more like 20-30 produces on average the volume of interaction required. However setting the bar there is too high, and we need to acknowledge that colonies generate interest and interaction, so starting lower makes sense as there is a far chance they will be attracting more nobles in the medium term.
