I'm pretty sure if you give me ten minutes, a notepad file and a keyboard I can come up with a viable scenario where nearly all of the current Europa RP scene would come to, say, Yew. It isn't hard. If you break down the basics of everyone's concepts then there aren't too many that are that restrictive. Even the town militias have political interests that pull them elsewhere.

The problems here aren't in character, at all. Anyone with any shred of imagination (and I appreciate not everyone's is as vivid as mine, and some people's are even more expansive[!]) can, at a bit of a stretch, get themselves involved in most of the scenarios and stories going on. I mean we all have our opinions on the forum, I'm sure our characters would all have an opinion in-game!

The problem is out of character. There's been hundreds of them named in this thread. Comments like "well my drow have no reason to go to Yew" and "Well Grd have no reason to go to Vesper" or "well the Duchy has no interest in Cove" are totally spurious and born purely from the womb of OOC pigheadedness. What these people really mean are "well, I don't really like Grd" and "Trinsic roleplay's really not my thing" or "tbh, I can't see myself settling with Cove." And I don't think we should really be shy of admitting that.

[WARNING: Naming-and-shaming ahead!]

I'm going to hold my hand up right now and say that, honestly, I find it very difficult to roleplay in the Trinsic Rose. Now before the Rose's owners and patrons jump down my throat, hear me out. I pop in from time to time and I love the deco, I love the feel of the "village", I love that it's busy and I love that a lot of effort goes into staffing it. But the roleplay there bores me to tears and, at times, frankly makes me cringe. I don't want to be surrounded by super-hawt elves in neon, I don't want to be sat on a tavern stool next to someone called "Wrath" branding marties and I don't really want to be bossed around by a teenage Officer of the Guard who orders "lemonade" from the bar. I don't want to centralize with that community. What I want has been gone for three or four years and it's time to accept that.

Now before you go up in arms, think about this for a second. Have you ever sat in the Trinsic Rose and cringed? Have you ever sat in the Swaggers and been offended at some of the lewd sexual innuendo or been bothered by some of the cruder "immaturity"? Have you ever gone to Stonekeep and been annoyed by how overly-offensive some of the language is or how confrontational their attitudes are? Have you ever sat in the Rusty Dagger and walked out because some blue elf said Rel Sanct a hundred and one too many times for your sanity to hold?

Ever been ganked by Thf, B^F or S^A and wished you weren't warred? Ever passed through Yew and been made to feel glad you play in Trinsic? Ever peaced a guild for being all too violent (and frankly, beating you too often?)

There are some of us that would benefit from a merger - but there are a lot of us that know that we're currently seperate for a very, very good reason. Our styles are completely different. I know I lack patience, I know I'm elitist, I know I'm a roleplay-bigot. But I also know I'm not alone, and I know a lot of you wouldn't want to roleplay in the same centralized community as me.