by Samus on Sat Mar 03, 2007 9:01 pm
To answer your question from a while ago, yes, you are required to have both a large and small version of the map, not exceeding 800px and 600px wide respectively.
Here is how I see this map as a player approaching it from a strategy standpoint.
There are 3 large regions, 2 medium, and 1 small. Never, ever go for large regions in a singles game and very rarely in a team game. The small region borders nearly every continent but one, and considering how few other regions there are to go for you can assume people will be gunning for you and you won't be able to hold it. This leaves the medium regions, however in general you need to start with several territories in or very near a medium region for you to be able to take and hold it. It's not as bad as some maps, but it still has serious issues with the luck of starting position. Fortunately, I think this map is not too far off from being a pretty damn good one.
To fix this map, I would suggest 2 things. First, split Dragon as has been suggested, forming 2 regions with 4 territories each. This would require adding a connection between Oporth and Chauth. The southern of these regions should be worth 2 and the northern 3 (it borders more).
Second, move Bejul from Elves to Liche. Liche now has 5 countries and borders Dark Elves. While it technically still only has 3 defense points, it now borders every region except for the newly formed southern Dragon, so increase the bonus to +5.
Reduce Elves to +5, it now only has 6 territories with 3 defense points, and it's in a corner.
Dark Elves should be +4 and Orc +5. The Orc region has 6 territories with 4 borders to 3 regions including Liche and south Dragon. Meanwhile, the Dark Elves region has 5 territories with 3 borders to 2 regions, and one of these regions is the only remaining large region so in a normal game there will be no players going for it.
Increase Gnome to +8 just for the sheer mass number of territories (12 is a lot to take without anyone stopping you first).
These changes make it rational to go for any region given the situation except for Gnome, but there should always be one huge territory that only and idiot would go for. Idiots deserve a region too.