The world isn't completely free of powerful monsters. Rather, the world is free of powerful monsters right outside your starting  base.

No.

You know what would be funny? Frogboy makes it so that your sovereign spawns in a dragons lair every time... than the coastalskat will be relatively weak compare to that hungry dragon 2 squares away from you. 

just sayin... 

Out of curiosity, did the Skath actually attack you?

I had a coastal skath near me in a 0.802 game, and I was able to wander around it's area without incident, it didn't even seem particularly interested in persuing me at all.

I have seen them around in 0.803 and the odd powerful spider as well; but the balance now seems MUCH better. There are a lot more mobs that I actually can combat around the place, and just a few that I avoid just incase I DO appear to be a rather tasty appetiser to them.

This kind of thing seem to happen a lot in the last build. But now in 2A I guess I got unlucky cause my first again I again started near a strong monster. To further test I started several games and revealed the whole map. It seems most of the monsters start in the same place each time just like the terrain layout. So I'm guessing some of the start locations are a little closer to the powerful monsters then other.

Personally I don't mind have some powerful monsters especially late game. But it would be nice if there were more weak monsters around like in Beta 1Z. There seems to be very few weak monsters and they don't spawn so you kill them and then there is nothing else around and not much to do other then build up your cities. Unless you send your SOV really far away to explore the far corners of the map.

I think there is a good mix of monsters now. Why would all the monsters be weak enough to tackle at the start of a game. There are many weaker monsters about this version to go take on. I'm liking the mix much more my self.

Can't speak for the original poster, but yes, a coastal skath attacked my sovereign.  Quick trip back to my town.

Most of my maps have a level 16-18 golem wandering about. Those are completely handle-able. The level 90 monster guarding a cave i stay away from at the beginning but I'm very happy to see the challenge when I have an appropriate level.

I am personally all for having tons of weak, medium, strong and "this-will-rape-a-small-army" monsters around. 

My problem was two skath (the aforementioned CR 83 and 23 ones) on a circular patrol blocking off what looked like the only way to get out of the starting area I was in. (Which wasn't a particularly good starting point, so I hadn't created a city yet.)

"I think there is a good mix of monsters now. Why would all the monsters be weak enough to tackle at the start of a game. There are many weaker monsters about this version to go take on. I'm liking the mix much more my self."

Please don't exaggerate what we are saying.  I don't think any here is asking for "all the monsters be weak enough to tackle at the start of a game".  What I and some others have said is that there should be more weak ones available at the start.  That is not even close to the same thing.

I like the idea of having crazy strong monsters on the map as it gives you something to strive for.  I imagine it will be very enjoyable to watch my soverign go toe to toe with a stone golem that has been tormenting me the whole game (not that I,ve had a game last that long yet).

But I think there should be some really weak monsters as well.  The early game map should imo be littered with cr 5 rats or what have you.  From a mythology standpoint it makes sense as more monsters of all shapes and sizes would be filling the void left by civilization (though obviously their spawn rates should decline steeply as the game goes on), and from a game play perspective it gives some of the middling combat classes a chance to solo or party up to gain ranks before settling down and defending a specific territory.  My cr12 adventurer shouldn't have to worry about whether or not he will come back alive when confronting a cr 8 spider (fyi he didn't).  I mean I know he shouldn't start out the game as a sauron, but he should at least be a frodo.  Maybe this is already in the game and i just haven't played enough to find it (just started this rpg play style with 2b) or maybe it is in the pipeline, but if not I just thought I would suggest it.