@Strider From an outside perspective the catch up is this;
Not enough player base to have 8KD provinces so this making the game boring by limiting targets.
Too many good players in 8 KD provinces but not enough filled.
All afraid to hit each other and are picking off smaller provinces/newer players
Specifics;
R8 and T18 being the bitches they normally are and are playing together, when they are actually skilled players and should be fighting independently and I am sure they have skattered friends in other small provinces like every other round (Looking at you @KingLear "Dont hit the random orc in this province, he is an ally") - You know what I am talking about.
L19 fucked themselves by being dishonourable and knowingly tried to exploit a flaw in the new system (which sucks because they are extremely great players) and are now not a threat to the top 3 provinces.
T4 afraid to hit anyone in 8 player provinces (Another group of skilled players playing it safe and making the game shit for the non-filled provinces as they picking them off, but I can see why playing it safe due to the 16 player alliance right below them.)
...............so its farmville for the big guys while the little ones wait for 8 player Provinces to outgrow them.
Thats it in a nutshell.