Those contests/experiments that have pop up every once and a while over the years with some interesting than others but they came down to the idea of allowing people to try their hand at being a CL and also repopulate a city. In the history of MR has that ever worked out and didn't end with Bloodshed?

There's always bloodshed there, in reality that's the whole premise.  Survival of the fittest and in this case the fittest was always the biggest gun and strongest defence.

Yes, experimental cities will have periods of calm as an alliance of like-minded people come together but something is bound to happen to disrupt that.  Personally, I think they're a good distraction particularly in periods of calm and peace.

:)

I'm still waiting for bacon island to be honest. That would be a guaranteed success !

Uhh LA was a free city when Bobby_Munson got control of it, along with Scottie and Olympia. Became an official city after a war or something I can't remember. But yes, it's worked once or twice.

That LA survived until the entire regime of the game changed(think every city got wiped or half wiped) so that's about as good as any city can get.

PS- I don't think I've seen it work with someone who's legitimately a first time CL/doesn't know people who know people.

There was a time that Las Vegas was set up as a deathmatch city- in which Animal (Rinaldi) won out and had control for over a month, I believe. Which back then was a significant regime.

What is considered success to begin with?
Staying alive for N months? Having a large amount of Button men and women? Surviving a sizeable conflict in which the city is a major player?

I think plenty of experiment cities had a fair success. They gave people a chance, a career, experience. Things many of us will never get too, so while their stories might not make the history books, these cities had value. If they tended to fall sooner I'm willing to suggest it's as much the fault of negative and opportunistic people than the design of those cities. Experiment cities tend to pop up in a time where there are long standing or powerful people in place. Opportunities are granted to relatively new faces in our community. It's not uncommon for people to try and find anonimity there and perhaps even hope to con leadership to follow their advice against the ruling powers. Most experiment cities are nowhere close to be a real danger. If they got wiped, I would say it's as much the fault of people within overreaching, grouping together, breaking omerta and feeling significant than the fact a city might have been destined for death. 

That said. I think we're due for another one of those cities. Sounds like fun :)

My five time with a LA crew ... umm, ended. Days away from a crew myself at one point. There is much I would like to say, but I digress.

I agree with Dusty, would like to see one, at least once.