For what it's worth, nations on LOTC are not what they used to be.
Cauróst is by far one of the most appealing elven nations to me. I like the idea of the warrior-elf, and the aesthetic generally appeals to me on top of having good people to RP within the settlement.
Haense has been a mixed bag for me in the past. I've had some strong disagreements with leadership, and generally, just wanting to play in an underdog nation has made me avoid it. It's an excellent new-player-friendly nation with an ancient and invested community where you'll find (mostly) great roleplayers and people who value narrative.
I love the Reinmar aesthetic, the players, and the culture. It's enjoyable and refreshing to see, and I'm proud of how far they've come. I've barely been there to roleplay, but it's on the to-do list.
Norland, I have been interacting with a lot recently; it's where I mainly play now in Sólgaard. Red Faith and Norland culture is severely underappreciated on the server. Roleplay is a little lackluster in the capital, though, I find, and it's not my go-to spot for RP.
Petra is one of the 1 million human nations I'd like to see stick around. It's got roots in the server and a cool knight-state shtick. The main reason I haven't played in this nation is due to some poor RP that I've had with Petran players. On the list to check out, as well.
The Church nation I've barely interacted with, but I know there are good people behind it, and it's still in its infancy. Church RP has never appealed to me, but places like Grense always have. Without a doubt, one will find great RP here with invested players. The only reason why I placed this lower is because I haven't interacted with them all too much.
Haelun'or has 110% the best build on the entire server. That puts them high for me. Playing a snobby high-elf prick seems cool, and my cursory knowledge of the culture has given me a good impression. High Elf RP is exemplary of players who do it right, and it's one of the nations I wished I had checked out properly when I joined back in 2018.
The Rexdom is a really cool iteration of orks that I hope will last. It was given the new coat of paint that orcs so desperately needed, in my opinion. I need to interact more with them; I can't say more.
Celia'nor used to be really fantastic when it first came around, and now I think it's still a nice take on elves; just the current iteration that has poor roleplay that really shatters it for me.
Numendil is literally one of the most extraordinary nations on the server, with excellent lore and culture with inspiration from the Númenóreans from Lord of the Rings that is just done incredibly well. The build is top-notch as well. If it weren't for the community's poor mindset of glory-hunting and other ST goblining— with otherwise pretty good quality RP— it would be at the top of my list.
Balian is a niche that doesn't appeal to me, unfortunately. If you enjoy Spanish Imperialist RP, then this is perfect for you. I can see the appeal, and Balian has a quality culture and lore that elevates its roleplay. I've had great experiences with players from Balian; it's one of the 1 million human nations I'd choose to preserve- if it were up to me.
Koyo-Kuni is the ST nation. Great culture, lore, all that jazz— it's all really fantastic and appeals a lot to me. I've played as an Oyashiman retainer since the culture was in its infancy, and I immensely enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I find the nation too gatekept to get involved with, which is sad.
Hyspia is big on its culture, which is one of its strong points, in my opinion. The build could be better, and its blinding, blue coat of arms could be revised. All surface-level stuff, I know. Just like Balian, it does not appeal to me, unfortunately. I've also had good experiences with Hyspian players, who are very new-player friendly.
Salvo is new, and my gripes are cursory with the nation. I'd love to interact with them in the future. While I think America is super cool and fantastic and awesome IRL (please accept my green card application)—American LARP is a unique niche that does appeal to me- but just not when it's in the same universe with 15th-century kingdoms and serfs. It has its time and place. If LoTC were set further into the future, I'd eat this shit up. I can't wait to see what's done with the lore and culture, though. Salvo has immense potential.
Ravenmire is also a pretty new nation that I haven't interacted a whole lot with, but it is one of the 1 million human nations- and if it were up to me, I'd dump it. I loved Veletz, and I consider this as a weaker successor state to Veletz— but there are more things to explore than just that.
Urguan is the sick man of Aevos. It's far from its glory days, in my opinion, and it just seems stale to me. I haven't interacted with them a whole lot in recent times, but I think it just needs a fresh coat of paint. Dwarf RP deserves to live on, and there are many great niches to explore. It needs people to have ideas.
Vortice is a nation I have honestly never interacted with. There's nothing noteworthy for me to say about it.
The Vale is a nightmare. I don't even know how this nation has survived this long. Just about every RP interaction I've had there has left me emptier than I was before. It's the case of the lore nation, which I feel survives purely because of the existence of druidism. It's the GATEKEPT NATION. How do you gatekeep a nation, dude? I'm lost for words. Trembling as I write this. There's still room for the Vale to redeem itself, to me. But it might be hard to.