First of all, Neil, I have to agree with you. It is the political flavor of
BR that drew me to the game as well, and is what seems to be one of the most
enjoyable aspects for my players. In a recent meeting we held to discuss
problems with the game, my players demanded MORE information about their
kingdoms - one or two of them I don't think will be happy until they know the
names of everyone including the chambermaids!

But it can be a daunting task for a DM. Yes, I am the idiot who let her
players chose kingdoms all over the place. It isn't as bad as it used to be -
the guy who picked the Vos kingdom of Melyy had to quit playing and everybody
else is at least on the same side of the continent. If I could start the game
all over again, I'd insist that PC regents play bordering realms so that they
would have more common issues. We work very hard to keep our game running
smoothly, and everybody as happy as possible. Domain turns are where we have
the most problems, primarily due to differences in playing styles. Some
players want a lot of detail and can (and have) spent hours roleplaying a
single action. Other players can wrap up their entire turn in 10 minutes.
It's all in finding a balance. I do one-on-one roleplaying with some of my
players; others I give detailed written reports to; and still others I simply
talk to inbetween game time. We make it work anyway we can because we love
the game, and in the end, we have more than a game - we have a story with
living, breathing characters, who have good days and bad days, marital and
financial problems, and yet, still manage to be heroes.

I may gripe and complain sometimes, but I'd rather have all this depth than
cardboard hack-n-slash characters any day.

Alison
PS - Be careful with political marriages. We've had three so far. One is
working out ok, so far. Another has been a disaster since the ceremony. And
the third is about to put the PC regent involved in a very tight situation,
as his mistress has just been arrested for murder.