The info posted helps you get your finished product up and running here, and if that is your question, then have at it!
But if the question is more generic, as in how does one START from the very inkling of thought, how do you go about making THAT happen?
Then it's a different story and you have no real fixed rules. First you have to have a concept, is it a historical time? Is it an alternate reality? Maybe a Lord of the Rings realm? The game concept can be anything you dream up.
But a couple of loose rules and generalities to keep in mind...
*Be flexible! try to stay to your concept but don't let exactness of map and/or reality get in the way of good game design, game balance is far more important than is realism.
*Sketch some VERY basic ideas on paper, then Get yourself a paint program and mess around on it, get used to the program and then start working on your ideas. Get used to saving multiple versions and never get too attached to any one thing, change is important.
*as things start to settle in, look to maximize conflict! Early conflict is easy to design in, having centers that are equidistant from 2 OR MORE players and centers that you can see will be hotly contested are good design but try to look a few turns out and spot the same thing in other centers. Conflict is the key!
*Balance is a must, make certain nobody gets any big advantage, try to avoid "corner" positions as well.
*lastly, run your ideas by people you trust. But while you should listen to their comments, also know they may not understand things as you do, be flexible and listen to comments but do not give in to every single one. Some comments will be awesome stuff you missed while others will be really dumb or ones that show they simply don't "get it". Be nice and listen but it's YOUR idea after all! One thing too, sometimes some of these odd ideas you want no part of, can actually get you to thinking about some completely different things, maybe nothing they had in mind, but it does get you thinking differently so even bad ideas can actually help as well!
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live game: classic map
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