I enjoyed living in brodgar last world, it made late game a little more interesting, since I could interact with a lot of people etc. and I spent first part of my time there trying to do things without going back to EC, but after having people bringing random animals into town constantly and getting ko'd multiple times and killed, not just by animals but other people who find fun in downing a newb alt, it got pretty old fast. and I can't see any fun in being a big target, since anyone can live there, ppl had cr to the place, location was publicized etc. What brodgar ultimately does is everything you try to avoid when setting up a town .
People are the most important thing within a town. If you have players who are genuinely new and want the place to work, then you are secure. My villagers are what makes my town. Allowing anyone in is a bad idea.
expecting people will develop when the area is dominanted by a large number of people is naïve. If I can't find a tree without having to get on a boat and searching further afield just to build a plow then the game experience becomes dull very quickly (hence building a mansion last world..no trees!)
the plots are small. You seriously can't do much in there, unless you set up communal areas or open areas that people can use to plant their own things and harvest it. but again..heavily based on trust.
Ramones idea on having smelters/kilns/ovens etc setup is important, it saves on space people would need inside their plots, and adds to the community aspect, which is what should be focused on in brodgar
and yes the allowing people to live as part of a group would be a great idea. although u got people walking around etc, and some chatter, you did feel like you were on your own a little. if different groups of people were able to create their own mini town inside brodgar, would be a great idea
yolan and snacky, I think you guys did a great job. the brodgar idea is awesome, a great experiment. sadly, not everyone allows good ideas to develop without feeling the need to squash it.