Just to be clear I posted all of this in the discord channel - it fell on deaf ears there.
However...
Let’s take a fresh and honest look at the current direction of Utopia’s Age 111 mechanics, particularly around defecting, war reward scaling, and how we treat kingdoms under 22 provinces.
The intention behind these changes is clear: promote full kingdoms, encourage more war activity, and raise the level of competition. But in doing so, we’ve unintentionally penalized the majority of the game’s player base — and more importantly, the very kingdoms that are critical to Utopia’s long-term health.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Let’s look at actual game data: Taken in the last week of the age
• Most common kingdom size: 22 provinces (20.83%)
• Only 4.17% of kingdoms have 25 provinces
• Kingdoms with 23–25 provinces: only 15.84% combined
• Kingdoms with 18–22 provinces: 39.17%
That means 64% of the game exists outside the "optimal war kingdom" model the new mechanics are built around.
And yet, war rewards scale downward for them.
They’re excluded from receiving defectors.
They’re treated like second-class citizens — when in reality, they’re the lifeblood of the game.
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6 Reasons Why 17–21 Province Kingdoms Deserve Better Support
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1. New Players Are Most Likely to Land in These Kingdoms
With full kingdoms rare (4.17%) and mid-range ones scattered, most new and returning players end up in the 18–21 province range.
That’s their first impression of the game.
Yet those are the kingdoms:
• That can’t receive defectors
• That receive lowered war rewards even if they win
• That struggle with inactives, farms, and trolls
How does a new player learn, grow, or stay in a game that penalizes them just for landing in the wrong kingdom?
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2. These Kingdoms Are Our Training Grounds
Most 17–21 province kingdoms serve an essential role:
• Teaching returning players modern mechanics
• Helping new players understand build orders, attack timing, and spells
• Offering leadership opportunities to casual or learning monarchs
But right now, there is no support system in place to help them succeed — only punishments for being too small.
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3. The Reward System Is Inverted
A 20-province kingdom wins a war?
They get 50% of the reward.
A 24-province kingdom wins?
They get 80%, even if the war was a stomp.
This creates a broken feedback loop:
• Smaller kingdoms take more risk and show more skill to win…
• …but receive less for succeeding.
Why would anyone stick around when the system tells them their best efforts still aren’t enough?
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4. Defection Rules Only Help the Top
New rules mean only kingdoms with 22+ provinces can receive defectors.
Who does that help?
Not the majority. Not the struggling monarchs. Not the casuals trying to build a team.
It helps the top 36% of the game — kingdoms already winning.
Smaller kingdoms are left with:
• Inactive shells
• Farm provinces
• Trolls and multi abusers
But they can’t even get fresh blood in to replace them.
That’s not just unbalanced — it’s unsustainable.
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5. They Clean Up What the Top Never See
The top kingdoms are full, coordinated, and carefully curated.
The bottom kingdoms — especially 17–21s — are where:
• Bad behavior lands
• Farm KDs propogate
• The game’s worst abuses accumulate
And yet these are the teams expected to grow, compete, and "earn" their spot at the top with crippled resources.
If you don’t give them tools, they will never rise.
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6. Not Everyone Plays to War — And That’s Okay
Utopia has always thrived because it supports multiple playstyles:
• Some love war. Others love building provinces and managing long-term growth.
• Some stay for the strategy. Others stay for the friendships.
Many of the kingdoms in the 17–21 range are:
• Longstanding friend groups
• International casuals
• Veterans playing at their own pace
They are just as important to the ecosystem as the warring elite — and should be treated with the same level of respect and opportunity.
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Final Thoughts
Right now, the system says:
“Be 25 provinces or get less.”
But the game looks like this:
64% of us can’t be 25.
We’re trying to teach, build, and grow Utopia — but the mechanics are stacked against us.
This isn’t about lowering the bar.
This is about leveling the playing field for the kingdoms that create players, not just crowns.
The future of Utopia depends on more than just the top 36%.
If we don’t support the bottom half — we won’t have a game left to grow.
all Pre-Coffee so probably 1-2 typos etc.
But all in all these changes have meant in real terms I have just lost 3 players not to return and with 2-3 more sitting on the fence and may leave if the game continues to slide.
Also please keep in mind personally I have always supported and promoted the game - but if I see something headed the wrong way then I will speak up
Edit:
One change I will suggest and support is that kingdoms that are under 10 players in size. You know the ones that have 1-3 players only - these should be given 1 week to defect and then be auto closed. This also means that newer players can go into a slightly more organised kingdom. But would like to see community consultation on this
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