I went back and found the changes I wanted to make to the map and added a few in red below. The maps match the changes in the text.
Please feel free to give any feedback that you can on these possible changes. Will they help balance things a bit or are they bad for the map overall.
I will make the XML changes once this has had a week or two to be commented on.
Hopefully the fixes to the current XML that I posted above will make it to the live servers soon.
=D13=
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Bonuses+1/3 (Min +3) attached to basic lands (as it should have been).
- No standard Territory Bonus back in effect.
This change should smooth out the early game just a bit so it is harder to knock someone off the map early and prety much keep them off the map.Wizards- Require holding territories that border 2 blood towers to allow the teleport (instead of 2 territories that border a blood tower)
Right now its too easy to take 2 territories and jump around the map for wizards. This will make it just a bit slower.Barbarians- Horde 3n (down from 5n)
- Horde required to grant the +1 per 3 basic land added bonus
This will make it necessary to take the horde to get the added bonus and may promote use of the horde as a way to travel around the board easier. I rarely see anyone use the horde as it is currently implemented.Demonic- Underworld 3n (down from 5n)
- Basic bonus +1 per minion (removed the added +1/2)
- Underworld required for an additional +1 per minion bonus
Similar to the horde the underworld seems to be unused by players. By tying an added bonus to it, it may now start seeing play.Dwellers- change the 4 caverns +2 to +4 as it is hard to get all 4 as you are spread across the map where you will no doubt run into opposition.
Being able to jump around the map for free is powerful but spreading out around the map can also work against you. This change will now grant a really good bonus provided you can get all 4 caverns.Cosmic- change the 2 radiation +1* to 4 radiation +4 like dwellers and caverns. Net bonus is the same just harder to get to.
Cosmic gets some nice abilities once they get to 2 territories but like dwellers they don't get rewarded for taking all 4 radiation. This increase will help that. And probably make keeping that 4th radiation out of the hands of cosmic all that muck more important.Seas- changed to start 1n down from 2n
- now killer 1 down from 2
With land being 3n and people leaving 1 troop behind quite often it can be much more attractive to go around seas that to cut through them for the aquatic player. This drop to 1n may make it worthwhile.
Kingdoms
- change kingdoms to be able to reinforce to favored territories you control.
This would be one way and would not work the opposite direction.
- change kingdoms so they can not assault favored territories that border blood towers.
This would decrease the possible starting territories from 4 to 3 but also limit access to the 8 most important territories on the map.
Chasms
- removing chasms and connecting the land permanently across them for all player
because the start areas are no longer the #1 of each basic land type (S1, M1, T1 etc...) players can no longer exploit the short routs between them so the extra complication is unnecessary