What exactly do you mean by a "more balanced map"? The map is the same as the original, just twisted inside out.

Let us test it out, then.
gameID=574

I'm already in a game on this map, but I was just wondering if there was anything I was missing. I don't get how it can be more balanced if the territories are just renamed.

The map is completely different.

No, the map is the same just flipped inside out. The center black area is the outside of the normal map and the outside of Alacavre is Switzerland. For example the Seca Desert is the same as Tyrolia and borders Kepuct (Munich) which is next to Thuimp(Bohemia) which is next to Vaarle(Vienna) which is next to Nuit (Trieste) which is next to Kreiasth (Venice) which is next to the Arenos Desert (Piedmont). For the powers, Oz is Britain, Ithsomn is Austria, Namaq is France, Maroe is Turkey, Payashk is Germany, Quiom is Italy, and Shinto is Russia. All of the territories, borders, and SCs match up perfectly to the original game.

:-) Took quite a while for someone to recognize this...

Oh, I thought that it was kinda the point of the variant to be the same setup but different map...
Anyway, I'm not asking for it to be removed, I was just curious.

Wow. I was actually thinking of remaking the map with everything flipped around and try to pass it off as a new variant. Apparently I was beaten to it!

I think the way it looks makes people see things in a different way. shapes sizes and layouts all affect perception.

I played a game on the old site without knowing this. I am pretty sure I did some stuff I would never have done or considered if it was the classic map. Now i will play it with traditional strategies in mind.

I never knew that, I will also play this map like the classic map, now.

Ah great, I ruined the fun of the variant.

No you didn't, you actually made it more interesting, since we now have the advantage. ;)

what would be really interesting, is to play through a game on this site using classical and this map giving the EXACT same orders. Be kinda cool to see how it looks on this map.

I am hoping that the new perspective gives me new ideas on the classic map.

I converted the first 3 years of a classic game into this variant using Paint, and psychologically the map looked different.

For example, as Quiom I would never invade Seca desert, however as Italy I would more then likely invade Tyrolia in the opening moves.

Also the Kife-Asu (St Pets-Syria) convoy wouldn't look as epic on this map.

If we get Oli to close this thread down and delete all the posts, then we will have be able to use 'experience' to defeat others in games.

There are a few people who discovered this late last year, you're not the first sorry.

As you have noticed it is indeed equivalent to the classic map.
It was created because Ghost & I were interested in how the visual look of the map distorted play - like Russia looking huge despite having [relatively] few SCs.
We've got a few games out of it - the key thing I noticed was the number of people who move to 'tyrolia', which is quite an interesting one.

But yes, you have rather (/completely?) ruined the point of the map by making this thread. If you had thought to read the variant description before trying to show off you would have noticed that it says,
"A balanced 7-player variant. Well worth a game. If you have any questions, interests, things you want changed on the map etc, then please let us know directly rather than bringing it up on any of the forums"

Ah well, my mistake for being too curious I suppose.

Or not curious enough to investigate before speaking out?

Actually I still would play differently.
One of my goals while playing is to make a cool looking empire, if my empire looks distorted, I will attack accordingly, however given the change in map, how distorted an empire looks is entirely based on how the map looks.

For example, as Italy I would never move to Tyrolia in this game, but do it whenever I plan to attack Italy.

The reason for this is the territory is to large and the border between Venice and it is to small.

I have noticed that Igma does not seem to have a continuous coast, at least visually.