POP system in Crusader Kings

[fr-rein]

What does the Imperator POP system has to do with numbers of buildings? They can easily add the POP system in CK3 and keep many buildings. There is no connection like this.

I:R is around 7000 provinces.
CK2 is around 1500, but per each there are 4 holdings in average, making it 6000 entities with current density.
Now, each entity is politically ruled by a baron-count-duke-king-emperor. There are different cultures, possibly within one domain. How will social migration, growth work? How will economic relations work? How it will reflect on your political power aside from wealth? How do you justify possible monsters like a church with more serf pops than entire African population for example? And if so, you would need to introduce more limits.
CK2 is not about cities. It can't have mechanics of Rome easily as most population were serfs and concentrating population was not a thing at that time.

But my main gripe is that pops didn't really matter at this time frame. The economics wasn't tghat interconnected and advanced either, except for Byzantine. So there is no real need for pops, no?

 

[Vohen]

what would it add to the game?

You can represent rebellions without a pop-system and there are too little stratas in CK to make it a viable game mechanic

Pretty much what I think as well.
The only tangible improvement I could see with pops is the migration aspect of the game, especially concerning the earlier start dates.