If anyone wants to join a 1v1 tournament on a new map, [here it is.](http://warlight.net/MultiPlayer.aspx?TournamentID=1762)

About the map:

- I more or less copied a historical map of the "Central Plains States" of ancient China for each state's boundaries/sphere of influence. The Zhou Dynasty (Spring & Autumn Period followed by the Warring States Period) is a foundational period in Chinese history: Confucius, Mengzi, Sunzi, Qin Shihuang, et al lived in this time.
- 8 Bridges, 2 rivers (Yellow & Yangzi), 5 (mainly non-historical) ports, 2 passes (connecting Chinese and barbarians), 2 wall passes, and various Great Walls (this is before Qin Shihuang unified the Central Plains States (or 'China') and connected the states' walls): to make the strategies a bit more realistic.
- Warring States Distribution Mode: Ancient world empires were city-based. This map tries to replicate that.
- Settings are a modified Strategic 1v1: Maritime expansion is a bit slow if you don't pick all or most of the ports or sea territories (non-selected territories have 3 armies). Starting bonus is worth 2, to make picks a bit more city-based (and to offset any early advantage one might have if s/he has 4 city starts (1 bonus per city) and the other player doesn't have a city and both players are next to each other right away).

This is my first map. It is mainly practice for a larger, more complicated project I have in mind: Europe before (1700) or after (1715) the War of Spanish Succession. I study European History, so a map of the era I study interests me far more. But it would be very complicated (imperial cities, duchies, counties, bishoprics, imperial circles, kingdoms, republics, margraves and landgraves, mountain passes, bridges, river systems, territory names, etc.). I would want such a map to be as historical as possible. I hope to better memorize European geography (especially in the Holy Roman Empire) by making and playing such a map, as leisurely preparation for when I return to Europe to study for a PhD in 2013.