AndyDufresne wrote:Regarding game play, since Edbeard mentioned it, the Indicus Ocean may be more of a 5 than 6. If your using the Classic as a standard, the Indicus is a North America...3 borders with 10 territories (1 more than NA), but then if you knock it down it seems odd to have both it and Pacificus being a 5...so perhaps stick with 6...
The advantage that North America has is its proximity to a smaller, easier to hold territory (S. America). I'd argue that Indian is significantly more difficult to hold because it doesn't have a neaighboring source of easy income, and thus worth an extra army.
AndyDufresne wrote:(I'm more thinking outloud than anything.)
I suppose one could also make an argument for Aethiopicus and Mar to be perhaps a 3, but that might be under valuing them...
I would like one of these areas to be a +3, which in either case would require eliminating one border. We had only one northern border in Ethopicus, but it was pointed out that this allowed one to hold Atlantic and Great Seas by holding just two territories. Blah.
Maybe the solution is making the south pacific (Mar Zur) a +3 by isolating Melanesia. Java Sea could easily be extended down to Australia - or I could just extend Australia up, since we've already thrown geography out the window on this one! We may have a winner in this idea.
AndyDufresne wrote:Atlanticus seems like one of the strongest areas, due to the Australia-esque Med. continent opening up into it...as Atlanticus is no Asia.
I would disagree, though I've gone back and forth on this. The Med is clearly the easiest first bonus to nab, but once you have it Altanticus is going to be a bitch.
AndyDufresne wrote:I'd say Arctus is also a nice place to start...
I agree - that's where I'd hope to start. But again, both bordering bonus regions are expansive... the Classic Australia dilemma. You got it, but now what the hell do you do?
AndyDufresne wrote:I realized I accomplished little with this post! Forgive me.
--Andy
Actually, you pushed my thinking on South Pacific... this may be the gameplay breakthrough we needed. I'll work on it later this evening.