[Gandalf Parker]

On the algorythm for finding a start position, here are some ideas for programs to use it.

(A) Based on a comment by someone in another thread.. a 3 age scenario. The same graphic map (RGB) but zipped up with 3 .map files. For example a scenario for abit of extended roleplaying with Ermor.
Map 1: Early Era Ermor, a set starting position with one province.
Map 2: Middle Era Ermor, same as above but start with 3 provinces.
Map 3: Late Era Ermor, same as above but 9 provinces.

If the 9 provinces were the same on each map (same poptypes and sites even though you wont see the sites on earlier maps) then it might give a real feel for a 3 game campaign And it would give a real feel for Kristoffers work in giving storyline progression on some nations.

(B) The Pipeline or Tower maps. I like the concept of the Tower map (very tall but only wide enough to have one nation stacked above the other) but the concept of starting at one end and fighting your way thru successive nations gradually getting stronger and stronger seems to require preset starting positions.

Of course both of those can be done manually (If anyone wants to, please feel free to do it for us all). But personally its going to sit on my ToDo list for ever. But if it can be programmed you could make it available for nightly generated new versions in your web directory.