perrin, an auto-distribute system that is most fair and balanced requires (a) more starting territories and (b) full or cities distribution. the fewer the territories as well as (c) a smaller map (maybe less than 100 total territories) and (d) enough players to fill space on the given map.

(a) more starting territories: the more likely one person's allotted territories is better than the other's. for instance, 2 starting spots in europe: i get iceland (small) and east balkans (big), you get baltics (small, worst 3 bonus) and italy (too big). the more starting spots, the more likely the game will be balanced.

(b) full/cites: more likely to contend important bonuses (assuming a, c and d).

(c) smaller map: easier to cover as many bonuses as possible.

(d) more players: more bonuses are covered.

these basic ideas (from my experience of playing 2000 risk games at pogo and 2000+ games here) are also the logic behind Risk's rules (from wikipedia):

*The number of starting armies depends on the number of players. If two are playing, then each player counts out 40 infantry...If three are playing, each player counts out 35 infantry; four players, 30 infantry; five players, 25 infantry; six players, 20 infantry. Players then take turns claiming territories by placing an infantry on an unoccupied territory until all the territories are occupied.*

thus: Risk uses the small earth map (c), is full distribution (b) with many starting spots (a), and adjusts the number of starting spots as a function of the number of players (d).

an algorithm can help make settings on warlight more balanced, but if the creator of the game doesnt understand the logic behind game creation (ie, fitting the settings to the map and the number of players), the algorithm cant help him.

I wasn't protesting the potency of an input algorithm, as opposed to the current methods.. just stating that there is still possibilities in which the originating thread would still be created, by people like the original thread poster..
and my list of Europe's bonuses was meant to counter your algorithm, but at a quick glance, I couldn't find an adequately imbalanced scenario to make with the information I acquired, so instead just posted it to be seen by the public.

i know. and i was just delineating a simple idea.