HatWalk ~ The Virtual Kingdom, Age 76 ~

[StratOcastle]

The Smaller Kingdom Argument

The Virtual Kingdom answers the Smaller Kingdom Argument as gracefully as possible without invasive mechanics. As pointed out above in post #38, with all due respect, some monarchs are asking the devs to lower kingdom size in regard to maximum provinces per kingdom. The argument goes back and forth between kingdoms that have a wealth of recruits and the many that don't.

Now I'm not blaming or making fun of small kingdom struggles. In fact I'm trying to help without ruining the game for the 25ers. I'm quite at home in kingdoms that are much smaller than the 13 to 20 province level I've seen in The Suggestions Forum. This basically comes down to how you react to being outgunned. You must look in the mirror and ask yourselves if you're too hardheaded. If you are then you just have to live with your circumstance...and that's good.

So we don't have anything resembling The Virtual Kingdom except in the top kingdoms. How you ask? As the game shrinks, these good players have a deep rooted reputation and enjoy the competition. I recognize their names and their lineage: they have earned respect. Therefor, they tend to be welcome in a way that casually resembles the more structured Virtual Kingdom method. They don't require the structure because they have crowns to silence doubt and everyone broadly knows the top kingdom system.

The Virtual Kingdom still is not a real kingdom and this can be traced directly to a ghetto mentality signature: hard headedness.

The initial notion is, "if we merge with another kingdom they'll want to run everything." - The fear of cultural extinction.

This is absolutely a real fear and I've seen it destroy kingdoms because no cultural preservation was negotiated. So we had one kingdom struggling to survive, and the quick solution was to invite players from a kingdom that was dissolving by end of age. The hardheaded monarch of the hosting kingdom gave zero thought to the consequences of taking on a proud group of players who'd forged a fine reputation in the warring tier. Obviously things went sideways and both kingdoms are just an obscure memory.

We could simply go with the idea that top kingdoms are populated with smarter, more gentrified players. It hurts to admit that ghetto mentality is akin to less developed thinkers who still hang on to basic animalistic behavior. We need to be alpha in our group. We run from superior predators and feed on the small and weak. We don't evolve.

The Virtual Kingdom offers a structural mechanism; a missing link in evolution. I'm attempting to rebuild a broken step for ghettos to get them in the frame of mind to enlightenment. That step is civilization or the ability to live together with marginal compromises and flourishing gains. You are invited to reduce the instinct to dominate in the interest of delegating. When we're culturally civilized we don't need the structure because we practice mutual respect.

25 province kingdoms that can compete are there for the taking. The option has been there for many ages. The Virtual Kingdom template is the materialization of the first meaningful step toward not even thinking about kingdom province reductions. The validity of the reduced kingdom province levels is relevant only to the hardheaded. The hardheaded should be at peace without the need to go to 25. If you're fairly reasonable then getting to 25 through a series of cultural recognition merges is a reality. All it requires is communication and mutual respect.