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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Evilhalfling" data-source="post: 3086994" data-attributes="member: 16991">city states are a good model, but so are short term empires created by a single individual or group that conquers the societies around it and then falls apart. (Alexander, Napoleon, Gengis Kahn)  You could easily see a group of ambitious HLs taking over 2-5 countries, then it collapsing as the humans & halflings died from old age (barring litchdom or reincarnation sillyness)I did a survey of human history, in that with a few exceptions (like China) governments have at most a 600 yr lifespan.  Personal empires lasted 25 yrs or less, many goverments last about 300 yrs with 500 yrs+ only found in eygypt 18th-20th dynasties, Rome as republic, and the Ottoman Empire. (and perhaps Mayans)        Not sure how fantasy lifespans would impact this model.  But the 6000 year old countires with a single type of government assumed in some games and books is absurd.  Cities tend to be far more permanant so I could see a city lasting that long, but not a civilization. It helps a little if you assume that different races in a fantasy world are like differernt ethinic groups in RL. They can live togeather peacefully, usually with one group in a postion of greater power. At other times it becomes endless small scale warfare.</blockquote>