I still would like to see more map options being used. The commands for .map file are extensive. Here is a little quick reference
http://www.dom3minions.com/docs/map_qref.txt but there is a complete document for mapedit commands in your dom3 directory (usually in something like dominions3/doc MODs must be available to host and players for every turn, and can be changed in midgame because the game rereads it each time. This is true of text and images. There is also some interesting situations where the host and the player do not have to have matching mods but in general they should. But MAPs do not have to exactly match between player and host. MAPs are split. The players must have the graphic image of the map. Or... A graphic image named the same as the graphic that the host uses. The graphic is used each time. The text info (the .map file) must be available to the host, when the game creates the initial fatherland file (the fist turn) and is not read after that. The players copy of the .map file is not used at all. It does not even have to match the one used in the game. The players copy is only useful if the player wants to create another game with that same map for solo play or testing. The players copy of the graphic image of the map also does not have to match. It must have the same number of white dots (number of provinces) but the colors, icons, borders, etc do not have to match. This means that games can be created where the players do NOT know or have any way to know the special locations or special provinces. They dont get to know what AIs will ally with each other if they are in the game. Or what special gods, magic, scales, equipment, starting armies might be assigned to a nation.