<div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=111594.msg5204059#msg5204059">Quote from: Joslyn on 13-09-2011, 20:22:38</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">Just a general thought I had regarding the world building lately, is that we should try to stay realistic. For example, the average poor person in both Theiri and Aserit is probably going to be living in miserable conditions and not be thrilled with his government regardless of how much virtue and merit the people at the top have--monarchy as a system kind of sucks regardless of the leaders, which is why it's not so popular anymore. :P Their loyalty if any is going to be based on either buying into the prevailing ideology or fear of neighboring governments being even worse.<br/><br/>Also, every government that's ever existed has had a fair amount of corruption, and it's impossible to have a true "meritocracy" without a level playing field to start with. So on both the Aserit and Theiri side we can expect to see some corrupt and incompetent military, political, and economic leaders. The Aserit might put stronger emphasis on weeding out this sort of thing, but it's still going to be there. There are two sorts of people in the world who want power far more than anyone with good intentions--sociopaths and people with narcissistic personalities. Neither are very good leaders. :P<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>Couldn't agree more. I can see some of the peasantry being nationalistic, particularly in the capital, but as George RR put it "The peasantry prays for summers that will never end, they do not care how the nobles play their game of thrones" and I think that sums up the view of most in medieval history, indifference.