nice city names lol

7, 9, 11, and 12 don't seem like simple details. They're substantial design problems, and it's good to see an 'old hand' listing them (as well as the real details that are out of sorts).

You know I'm irrationally hung up about the way the magic's been working so far, but the lack of a random map generator that can build out some real gaming space is a close second in my top frustrations with the game so far. Probably tied with my impression that the dynasty system is a vestigial organ and nothing like the major game element I'd hoped to see early on.

* as: content Stardockian by default?

Where the cities level 3? I though that was a bug too, until I realised you need a level 3 city

It's a rock and a hard place. Computers will never dynamically build content that is as interesting, varied or complex as what one person could sit down and create.

Elemental is the kind of game that demands mass amounts of content be generated to keep players happy though. It would also demand a full-time mapper, and most people would STILL be driven into the arms of some randomization app.

Luckily you get some control over the randomness. I re-start games until I get a GOOD distribution of resources at start. From there, I let the randomness dictate the strategies and character of the game, and Elemental has never disappointed in that regard. The combination of resource clustering, distances, terrain and other stuff makes each game force you to stop and make tactical considerations. You wouldn't get that kind of replayability relying on just hand crafted maps. You'd play one Kingdom game, one Empire game, and basically have seen everything the game can do.

I thought that too, Wintersong, and then I realized Library is now a tech that you have to unlock.

As to the issue of maps, you are right. You will have seen all parts of Prirod after one playthrough, but the type of resources changes. This, to me adds a sufficeint level of variety without having the need to abort a game because the computer-god left you on an island while the empire gets a whole continent. The issues with this specific game is that the map creator is funcitoning but not very functional. I would rather have a map that can give me stable results: choke points, resources in areas that ensure that area will be an important piece in the larger game, varied and equal distribution, enemies far away enough to build up and a few close enough to pressure me to succeed, a wide variety of heroes in every corner of the map, areas that are not just worth exploring for the quests and goodies I put there, but meaningfull long after for various strategic reasons, enough resources that are not randomized so that you know you can find a few of every type by the late game, EVERY SHARD, elementium guarded by things most foul, a world that has character and feels like it has been inhabited and destroyed, beaches every so often to allow sea to be usefull in a game, island treasures, minor factiions that can defend themselves, love.

All of this is garranteed and yet every game seems totally different because the randomness of types of resources and the distribution of tech based resources make the map anew each time.

I have yet to get more than two of the mentioned features in any random game. (It was really wierd to just get enemies that were close enough and love ) 

I will and thank you/merry christmas. I wonder if Stardock would update using his code?