I like the look of the map. I like the depth of geographical detail, and the fact that visually it's very clear and easy to understand. I think graphically this is a big hit.
What I really don't like is the fact that Paris has been rendered almost irrelevant. I really can't see anyone investing the time and effort to go for an objective victory. I understand that there is a proposal afoot to tweak this problem by reducing the number of neutrals and adding a bonus for the foreign claims. Personally, I think that's not the right solution either.
I would completely throw out the objective victory. I would make the foreign claims accessible through their nearby territories, just as they are in reality. In order to make them interesting, I would give them autodeploys, but no relevance to the central objective.
Paris should be the central objective. More than any other major nation on earth, France is centred on its capitol. Every war and revolution has been extremely focused on the centrality of taking and holding Paris. Still, I think an objective victory there would oversimplify things. Rather, I would treat Paris like the forts on the South Africa 1885 maps -- a multiplier that magnifies other bonuses. That would ensure that it would be heavily contested, while preventing anyone from sneaking a surprise victory there.
