Issue is there isn't enough players to expect people to randomly defend.
No one gives a fuck about AI feifs by default. So, of the people that sign up, usually less than half actually play. See tonight's Sungetche defense. 4 vs like 20.
Back in the day tons of normie pubbie scum would sign up to get their dicks bloody in a random siege. Now, if you want to milk the dwindling player base for defenders, the only way it'll happen is if it's political, ie: signing up to fuck up an enemy faction's attempt to cap a castle. Mod is without lifeblood.
Gotta wait for M:BG to come out for easy, big rosters to be a thing again. If that's even how it'll work. If it even becomes a thing.
Yeah, even I remember the days where you'd actually have more than 50 defenders show up to really key AI-controlled fiefs. Fucking madness compared to what we've got now.
I agree with Jona that fief-voting would be my preferred method for how Strategus starts out. But that's some moot shit right there.
Kinda sucks, but I know for myself weekends are mostly shot for me playing battles or being in TS for coordination. Working a shitty shift all weekend because, you know, ain't no class held on weekends! I feel that recently, several of our nerds may have been busy. Of course, I can't really be sure, because I haven't been around myself. Fucking shocker, I know. I'm not that pleased with my lack of free time, but we do what we must.
So I'd like to put forward the idea that we didn't sign up for some of those AI defenses en masse is that some of us haven't been there. It is a bit miffing to hear people claim us responsible for certain shittily-defended AI fiefs when we've been some of the only folks signing up for AI fights from the beginning. I'll sarcastically apologize on behalf of myself and those others failing to defend AI fiefs; clearly it is our chadz-given responsibility to fill every AI roster out there.
Edit: You should be thanking me, because I signed up for both our battle and Khorne's, but wasted a roster spot by not showing up to either. I'm doing MY part out here, cunts.