largest map size people will play

[Gandalf Parker]

I have random maps being generated on my site every day. Alot of conversation about them has occurred. Talking about it as "provinces per player" made it easier for people to consider. As I remember it the favorite categories tended to be 5, 7, and 10. As in 5/provinces per player before war looks likely (5*17=85).

Some felt 7 worked better to allow for some choices to be made in taking a province. 5 tended to force all provinces being taken.
(7*17=119)

Having 10 provinces for each player allowed for games when tended to go further into magic research. And playing with fewer nations allowed for 25 per player which seemed the highest anyone considered reasonable.

But then Ive never been reasonable. My favorite maps were those that were trying to achieve 25 per player. Unfotunately the old DomMap generator tended to give error statements saying the goal failed and it could only place xxx provinces. Close, but rarely hitting the mark.(25*17=425)

I used the large maps to randomly scatter problems all over the map forcing strategy decisions of having to go AROUND alot of provinces. The games tended toward having to go out and FIND the other nations rather than getting pushed up against them.

The problem now is that with the need to assign terrain, and assign all the neighbors, I dont think alot of really big maps will be manually created. If you do then Im sure it will sit comfortably in a niche that people will try. Not alot, but some.

[ January 09, 2004, 17:33: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]