Sea of Nations (C-evo)

==Introduction==
Sea of Nations is one of the predesigned maps available in the free game C-evo.
==Outline==
Fifteen nations (selected from 20 start positions) start very close to a small lake in a big island, with lots of unused sea beyond. Most of the nations start only three steps away from other capitals (possibly as many as five if all the nearest start points are selected for other nations) and are therefore distinctly restricted. The outer parts of the island contain some excellent tiles for eventual colonization.
==Opening skirmishes==
Early casualties may be expected. Rapid building of three or four militia for exploration and concerted attack may be the best opening strategy. Nations that have very little apparent border with you or are a long way off may be the best for friends.
==Playability==
Generally winnable on "hard" difficulty level by an experienced player. Beginners might struggle at "easy" level.
==Design flaws?==
Four of the eight innermost capitals are ports, accessing half a dozen "coast" tiles for full eventual development with harbor and offshore platform and naval unit-launching. However, the other four are not ports, though they can use either one "coast" tile or three; that is a medium-term disadvantage. 
One start point is on a hill with only one "green" tile (plains) in its territory - or two if it is lucky to have no nation on the competing start point. Its population will drop to three quickly and regrow very slowly.
Two start points are on prairie with only three tiles (or a few more if there's an unused start point close) in their territories that are not prairie; they will grow very slowly.
Six start points have a distinct advantage of a fish or fruit or wheat tile immediately available. 
Three start points have the considerable advantage of being on rivers, facilitating exploration and ground unit movement.
Only four capitals can have any initial forest tiles and only three can have any initial hills.
Essential rare minerals are over-generously provided but are all close to mountain chains in the south-east or west of the island, disadvantaging nations with central longitudes.
Almost solid areas of desert or prairie or swamp are larger than generally found on a random map and may be fairly unusable.
There is a very large expanse of unusable ocean. A narrower base map should have been chosen.
==Imitator==
User:Robin Patterson has designed a map called "Popular Lake" with the same theme but a little more space between starting points (and much more even starting terrain) and with rivers between, not through, the crowded cities. Also widely-distributed rare minerals and very few unusable tiles.
Category:Maps (C-evo)