Please try out this 2v2 template and post your thoughts. http://warlight.net/MultiPlayer.aspx?TemplateID=244701

This is similar to the one used in the live tournament last weekend, but it's received some modifications since then and will likely continue to receive modifications in the future. The number of starting locations was increased and the number of wastelands was reduced.

Sze and I played a few games on the map to find a good template. Thoughts:

1. 2 territories is too few (coverage issues, big map = less intel, countering/combos not big part of strategy).
2. 4+ territories makes picking annoying (lots to think about, discuss) and places too much emphasis on pick order and pick order luck.
3. Sze thinks more territories would be better. I think more territories would only be better with autodistribution (to avoid the irritations related to picking strategies and cooperative picking).
4. It seems the map was made to make game play more important and picking less and to give people space to grow and fight. I think 3 territories best fits these goals. A reinforcement card
5. Reinforcement card of +5: relative to the bonus values, the +5 is too much. +3 is better I think. We played every game with +3. It worked well: more about game play/ability, less about other factors.
6. Bonus colors: Canada, US could have more contrast to make things clearer.
7. Antarctica: southern territories' connections are unclear without clicking on them.
8. 15 Efficient Bonuses (82/154 territories):
- ten 3 bonuses, half in/next to Africa. A bit out of balance (50 territories)
- two 4 bonuses, Canada easier to hold/defend (12 territories)
- one(1) 6 bonus: W China. Too efficient. Should be worth 5 (7 territories)
- two 5 bonuses: Greenland, good value relative the rest of the map and location; Caucasus, too efficient, should be worth 4 like Canada and Mid East (13 territories)
9. Picking Issues/Strategies:
- Mid East, Caucasus, Greenland less likely to be picked
- so: 14 most pickable efficient bonuses (63/154 territories)
- 7 wastelands (the 14 most pickable efficient bonuses are over 1/3 the board, high likelihood that at least 2 of the wastelands will be in those bonuses --> let's assume 12 pickable bonuses will be available on average)
- Scramble for Africa: it is the location of 5 of the 14 pickable efficient bonuses (and covers 25 of 154 territories, or 1/6, of the board)
- 3 territories per player, 4 players = 12 picks. fighting for the efficient locations might be troublesome, settling for less efficient 2 bonuses might be a good way to avoid pick order luck, but leads to conceding the richest lands

^^ good comments imho

I really like having 3 starting spots for the same reasons mentioned.

The Reinforcement card could be +3, but then keep it in the same amount of pieces.

Overall I would prefer +1 on all bonus values (except a few like W China). 2 for 4 is a poor ratio compared to 3 for 5. However, 3 for 4 and 4 for 5 are much closer. So there will be more good choices to start in.

It's an innovative map, but cahos, if you do that, then it becomes medium Earth, but with a combo of Scan's and Antartica's, making those combos take 6 neutrals (after picks) get 6 armies = 2 turn 6 armies. A bit too high imo.