[Ansteorra] Nordsteorra

[Jay Rudin]

In my field (Operations Research), it is an established principle that one 
evaluates a potential change in a system by looking at the actual effects 
it will have, as opposed to the intended effects.

A principality adds no new officers.  (The regional offices just become 
principality ones.)  Therefore it adds no support to the actual day-to-day 
running of the kingdom.

It adds a new, important tournament (Coronet list), a new class of heavy 
fighters (and their lords and ladies) who have precedence above the peers 
and landed barons/baronesses (viscounts/viscountesses).  It adds a new 
court presence (the prince/princess), and a new court event (Investiture). 
And it would have new principality orders and awards

Therefore I could support a principality only if I believed the following 
things were true about Ansteorra:
1. All the offices are working well at all levels in all branches, and we 
can de-emphasize them by focusing more on something else.  Any problems in 
the seneschalate, herald's office, exchequery, etc. can best be fixed by 
adding more oversight by heavy fighters.
2. We don't have enough generic modern-style elimination tournaments.
3. The workers / artists / fencers / archers / etc. have too much 
visibility, attention and influence, and the rattan fighters are being 
overshadowed, and need to get more visibility.
4. The peers and barons / baronesses are too important and need to be 
knocked down a level.
5. We don't spend enough time in court.  (or, perhaps, there aren't enough 
ruling nobles in a particular region -- too many shires, not enough 
baronies).
6. Ansteorra doesn't have enough orders and awards, and its award structure 
isn't complicated enough.  It needs an entire new level.

When all of these are true, I will be glad to see principalities in 
Ansteorra.

Robin of Gilwell / Jay Rudin