To be fair, Khorne and definitely Despotate actively merc for your side. So when Gobblins, as the biggest and most active faction in terms of number of active players, doesn't sign against them, AI has small rosters. (number of Gobblins actively on attacker side)
In contrast look at our siege, CC's siege, HOC, BIRD clan, Mithrim attacking ismirala last night. AI actually outnumbered attackers in almost every one of these.
Basically you need to join the merc-circlejerk or else be massively outnumbered by AI defenders. Which is fine, if it wasn't so blatantly boring and unbalanced to have the all the members of the merc circle-jerk get free castles and cities.
well i think you're comparing different situations. people signed up for dhirim defense because its literally the best defense map in the game, and because it was the first city attempting to be captured, under contention from several small competing factions.
i also strongly contend ur claim that we are the most active faction lol, that is either hoc or the despotate... again, you are not considering how many of my players are totally out of the loop of communication, barely play this game, or literally logged in and joined the faction and have not been seen again, or at best are afking in a fief.
aside from that, i dont have much of a problem with people not signing up for the defense in this ahmerrad siege as compared to what i might with other factions, because i dont think that khorne is just going to get fiefs and then afk in them, we have an expectation from their performance this strat and their theme that they will use those resources to go back to war with players
plus your math just doesn't work based on tonights line up, of ~8 battles we have the most people signed up against us of any battle, but you say we're the proprietors of the merc circle jerk lol... clearly flying in the face of logic.