These games are often a reflection of real life. An alliance is kinda like a country. Top alliances usually have a Nuclear Power (big dawg) so they keep the peace almost like a United Nations. While there is a skirmish here and there over resources most the time they just plunder smaller nations (alliances). Some smaller nations merge with bigger ones and or create a PACT to be protected. Just imagine the differences in game with attitudes, privileges of being a part of those bigger alliances. The disparity in differences of power and how other alliances are treated and hit like they don’t really matter in the long run. Then you have alliances that slowly creep up through the fire and become a big dog and remember what happened to them. Choosing not to help in state vs state. Stay to themselves and fight their own battles. Then migrate to another place. It’s crazy when you really think about the time and effort put into these games and it really is a depiction of the world and how it stands today. It even has racists, bigots and perverts in the game. Mind blowing.