Earlier today I spent some time researching statistics regarding player numbers (as in players with
seats) in different types of nations in the game. The findings were quite interesting, and I would like to share them. At least a few others, I am sure, will enjoy pondering over the results, the methodology and so on.
To begin with, I divided the nations into 4 main categories, these being:
CULTURALLY PROTECTED NATIONS WITH ENGLISH CULTURES
Nations - 8
Total players - 38
Average players per nation - 4.75
Indian/Afro-Caribbean Malivia included here, as allows English character names.
Unsurprisingly, these are doing well in terms of average player numbers, although as it happens, not quite as well as I expected. Perhaps a temporary lull in numbers in some of these nations?
CULTURALLY OPEN NATIONS WITH A PREDOMINANT ENGLISH THEME
Nations - 6
Total players - 35
Average players per nation - 5.83
These tend to have English nation names, character names, constitutional titles etc. Interestingly, on average they are doing even better than the CPd English nations, making them the best performing category of all.
CULTURALLY PROTECTED NATIONS WITH NON-ENGLISH CULTURES
Nations - 35
Total players - 108
Average players per nation - 3.09
For those like myself who love playing in CPd non-English nations, I would say there is some surprisingly encouraging news amongst the figures in this category, with quite a few nations doing very well and much better than they have done in the past. However, unsurprisingly, it remains very much the case that on average these nations tend to have lower player numbers than the English nations.
CULTURALLY OPEN NATIONS WITH A PREDOMINANT NON-ENGLISH THEME
Nations - 9
Total players - 24
Average players per nation - 2.67
These are the kind of places where although English character names etc. are not forbidden, a quick glance at the nation suggests most informed players wanting to RP an English party would probably not choose to go there, due to features such as non-English party names, nation titles, constitutional titles, character names etc. Most of these nations once had a Cultural Protocol matching the currently RPed culture.
This category performs poorest of all in terms of player number averages.
***
Now lets add the English CP nations to the English Open nations to form an "ENGLISH NATIONS" category. And lets also add the non-English CPs to the non-English Open nations in order to form a "NON-ENGLISH NATIONS" category. This gives us...
ENGLISH NATIONS (CPd and OPEN)
Nations - 14
Total players - 73
Players per nation - 5.21
NON-ENGLISH NATIONS (CPd and OPEN)
Nations - 44
Total players - 132
Players per nation - 3
As we can see, whilst the majority of players (with seats) are in non-English nations, a very significant minority, 36%, are in English nations. However, this 36% minority are squeezed into just 24% of the nations (14 out of 58). By contrast, the 64% of players who play in non-English nations enjoy 76% of the nations for themselves (44 out of 58).
That's not such an injustice or a bad thing, many of you will probably think. After all, isn't it nice to have some diversity of cultures in the game?
But here's the thing...the Cultural Map which Moderation is now proposing to introduce would decrease the number of English nations from 14 to just 7, and increase the number of non-English nations from 44 to 51. Doing the numbers again, this would be equivalent to
squeezing 36% of the players into just 12% of the nations, and allowing the 64% of non-English party players to spread out over 88% of the nations.
Most of you will have guessed what my argument is going to be before I have made it:
in its current form, the Cultural Map is squeezing the English party players too far.
Of course, I appreciate the argument that over time, some nations will opt-out of the Global Role-Play Accord and become essentially Culturally Open, but nevertheless, on the day these new rules come in, this is what the new Cultural Map will look like - 51 non-English nations and just 7 English nations. Also, to be honest,
I am concerned that even if the opt-out is introduced, scrapping it will soon become the next item on the agenda.
This, I hope, is something not only the Moderators, but all those who care for the long-term interests of the game, will give pause to reflect on.
By the way, the stats I collected are listed below, and I encourage anyone who is interested enough to browse them and check them etc.
CULTURALLY PROTECTED NATIONS WITH ENGLISH CULTURES
Hutori - 7
Kalistan - 4
Kirlawa - 3
Likatonia - 5
Luthori - 4
Malivia - 4
Mordusia - 5
Rutania - 6
CULTURALLY OPEN NATIONS WITH A PREDOMINANT ENGLISH THEME
Baltusia - 6
Beluzia - 6
Hobrazia - 4
Lodamun - 6
Solentia - 8
Vorona - 5
CULTURALLY PROTECTED NATIONS WITH NON-ENGLISH CULTURES
Aldegar - 1
Alduria - 4
Aloria - 3
Badara - 3
Barmenia - 4
Beiteynu - 1
Cobura - 3
Deltaria - 1
Dorvik - 4
Dranland - 3
Dundorf - 4
Egelion - 6
Endralon - 3
Hawu Mumenhes - 2
Hulstria - 4
Indrala - 7
Istalia - 7
Jakania - 4
Jelbania - 1
Kafuristan - 2
Kalopia - 3
Kazulia - 4
Keymon - 3
Kundrati - 1
Lourenne - 1
New Endralon - 1
Rildanor - 1
Saridan - 3
Sekowo - 4
Selucia - 3
Trigunia - 2
Tukarali - 3
Valruzia - 5
Vanuku - 2
Zardugal - 4
CULTURALLY OPEN NATIONS WITH A PREDOMINANT NON-ENGLISH THEME
Cildania - 2
Davostan - 3
Darnussia - 3
Dolgava - 1
Gaduridos - 4
Kanjor - 2
Pontesi - 2
Talmoria - 2
Telamon - 5