I just got the repitition on the fourth try, I have no idea how many maps there are. But take a look at the maps folder: There are only 7 seed files for "small" and 6 for "tiny". Only 2 for "large" and 4 for "medium". So I assume that's the number of maps (there are even small pictures of the maps in the folder) available

About "taking out the seeds": I assume that the map script wasn't optimzed in any way regarding coherence of landscapes or starting locations (otherwise why not use it as random map generator?), so this is not really an option. You probably get a lot of basically unplayable maps. I didn't try it yet, though.

Edit: I did try it (deleted the seed files in the maps folder) and it seems to generate random maps. They don't look good, though, and I'm not sure whether they are playable. Can you cross mountains or use ships? If not, they are unplayable due to huge mountain ranges blocking several parts of the map. But even if they are playable, they are evidently not enjoyable. It was the right decision not to use this random map generator, but it was the wrong decision not to improve it until it works.

Todd:

Really?  The wrong decision not to include completely random maps?  I can see the draw of random maps, but unfortunately I've played too many Civilization games (as one example) where you get an hour or two in only to find out you (or the AI, thus killing any real challenge) were royally screwed by the map generator and have to restart.  Or maybe you think its actually EASY to get a random function to generate a usable result every time?  If so, then let me have you address so I can send the nice men in white suits to take you to where you can spend your days in peace and serenity.

I have to say, this is a pretty huge disappointment.

I try not to be a negative person and I'm honestly not trying to be some whinging kid here, but as somebody said, this removes one of the Xs from the 4X genre.

If I had known there was not going to be procedurally generated maps it would have drastically affected my decision to buy the game. To only find out after my purchase that a game touted as a 4X game is missing an important part is very disappointing.

There is a very big psychological (gameplay) difference between playing a map you have played before and exploring a map that has never existed before. Even downloading somebody else's map and exploring that has a significantly different feeling to exploring a map that is unknown to anybody.

@Nessin: No, I don't think game design is easy. That's why game designers get to make a living from it.

Thank you for your constructive feedback.

I'm a long time Civ player (just played my last game this weekend) and I honestly cannot remember what you describe ever happening to me. Sometimes the starting conditions are a bit harsh but even that happens only one game out of 50. Sorry, but the map generator of Civ (4) is very good and I think Stardock are competent enough to be able to implement a reasonably good one. At least give us the option to write map scripts like in Civ 4, then we could build our own scripts from which procedural maps might be created. Hey, actually that might be an idea: An external program that writes a XML seed file for Elemental. I'm surely not going to do this (lack of knowledge and time) but maybe there is a modder out there who will? I'd rather have official random maps, though.

You can cross mountains and bridges, yes. Plus there's also spells for raising and lowering the land so you can even make a mountain disappear if you need to. I think I'll be deleting the "seeds" as well (though I'll save them in another folder).

I'd say Stardock will fix this issue given enough time. If there's one thing they know it's Strategy Games and any Strategy Gamer knows how incredibly important it is to have random maps. At the very least they'll give us a shit ton of maps in a "Map Pack", and if not, there are plenty of "Good" modders out there ready and willing to make Epic Maps *coughMecough* .

Well then you could try deleting the seeds in the map folder. Todd tried it and maps were random. So now it'll be a matter of trying out how playable they are.

I'll try it out too asap.

I'm glad you've never encountered those problems in the past, I have numerous times.  And I'm talking about all the Civ games.  Of course a game (Civilization 4) with over a decade of refinement is going to have a better map generate script that a game with a lot less (Elemental), especially when one game (Civilization 4) has very little concern with adding new content whereas the other (Elemental) has to built from the engine on up.  And somehow, despite that you can still get screw ups with Civilization 4 map generation.

On the other hand, consider this, you specifically spelt out Civilization 4.  You're comparing a game with a development crew (at least partially) who has been working on it for years upon years upon years upon years, with a enormous community following providing feedback over the entire life of it to a game that is just now being released and whose players have had less than 24 hours to see its final form.  Yeah, so about the address for the loony bin crew?

Ok...so compare the map generator/editor of Sins of a Solar Empire(instead of Civ4) vs. Elemental....doh!

I am missing something...why do you keep regenerating the map? Have you finished a game already that you need to start again?

Most of these 4x games take a while to complete, usually days. This looks like a major complaint so stardock will atleast release a bunch of seeded maps and that should be available in the next update. That will keep most people busy until the they get to looking a random map generator. I agree that a random map generator is require as exploration is part of game and a major component to the game.

However, my point is you should still be playing the first map you generated and not regenerating the maps. Try different size maps until there are new seeded maps.

I completely agree with you.

Very well spoken.  If a game doesn't have that innitial "bang" then you have a much smaller pool of people who are willing to actually play the game which means, too, that you have a much smaller pool of people who will mod the flaws out of the game as well.  Unfortunately, as of now, it certainly doesn't have the bang.  That's not to say that it couldn't have, but I think the dev team took a gamble with the hope that they would get what they needed into the game after they made a comitment to that retail spot.   

i second this thread. if civ can do it, so should this. it definately was one of the major purchasing points for me, the promise of essentially unlimited replayability. wont add more to this discussion but my support.

Have they actually announced this? I haven't seen it yet.

Yes, it may take a couple of days before you tried each of the maps, but if I end up seeing the same map a third time before they do it, I may put down the game and just play Civ V as that comes out next month.

Yes, you can delete the seeds, to have it unbalanced - which they say is a bigger issue in this game, than say with Civ, so you don't want to do that.