Hi LP & Zylithan:
Thank you for your comments.
When I was originally designing the map, I was worried that the mountain range would be too big. However, a good friend recommended that I go for it anyway to create a map that presented a new "challenge". Also, the map was designed for a scenario that would not really have players starting in the middle of the mountains (except maybe the Giants & Agartha). The mountains were intended to create a bit of a barrier.
Province 288 was certainly never intended as a starting spot, although the mountains and large waste area was intended as the home of Abysia. The mountain pass through 299 was intended to break up the mountains a little, but I wanted it a bit difficult. It has waste on one side and swamp on the other. The City at 299 was intended to be a bit of a Shangra-La, if you will.
Border mountains were intended to create the resource situation of mountains but without the movement restrictions.
I enjoyed creating the map, but it might not work perfectly for random nation placement. I still plan to create the scenario, plus a version that will have much fewer provinces (maybe 150). Also, with future map making, I will take care to keep the layers in GIMP longer (even when doing the pain-in-the-butt wraparound work), so that I can more easily make changes later.
If you have ideas of where nations should start in a late era scenario (and maybe a middle era, too), let me know.
Pasha