Best possible start?

I've had a farm, a wheat field and 3 fire shards in my starting area exploring revealed 3 arcane lore (2 grouped together on the west of me and 1 to the east of me)

note that this was on ridiculous world setting and ridiculous comps

My best start was only one farm, but three air shards and a fire shard.  I was giving out mana like government cheese.

I started and made a city next to a Hooters, AMC 30 Theatre, and a Gamestop, it was pretty sweet.   Thats' actually a part of the world that exist and is my favorite in the world, also a Joe's crab shack, Target, and there use to be a comic and RP game store there too, but it went out of business. 

 My best start:

• 2 Farms
• 1 Bees
• 3 Fire Shards
• 1 Air Shard
• 2 Libraries
• and a partridge in a pear tree... (no..Hic!... I have not been drinking... much)

 In that same game Porcipeeeen started nearby with 2 Libraries as well. I went on to be a technolgical jugernaught very early on after sieging that city in season 30 when she left to go exploring.

I just started a game last night on normal and had the following all within about 30 turns, kinda insane

3 farms
2 Iron Ore deposits
1 Oasis
1 Wheat
2 Airshards
3 Lost Libraries
1 Arcane Temple

I would say that the resource drought we experienced in 1.1 has been fixed

Play vs 1 AI

Find AI in turn 10

Win in turn 25

Eh. The resource distribution is still totally erratic. My norm is three nodes at start. Max of about 7. It seems to default to less resources far more often though.

is it a coincidence that most people talk about starting with fire/air shards but not other types of shards (i thought there was at least 4 types of shards)

i find that air was been totally nerfed and i restart with air. Although i do find that magic in general has been gutted sigh. I was hoping they would slowly up it with each patch but they've left it alone for the time being. maybe with 1.2 they will change something.

 Idk, maybe... Very rarely do I see the other shards. Seems that fire/air are the most commmon spawns in my games. At least on initial start up.

 Well said.

 After I get over my hangover tomorrow I'm going to pull out that old dusty book I've had for the last 30 years.. find me the ingredients I need... (yes, before you ask 1 of those ingredients is a mind altering substance better left unsaid) & summon me up a demonic entity. After which, should I succeed in not having my soul consumed I'll send it over SD's way to show them what magic is. Of course it will ahve orders to be very polite & all that.^^

                                                                            ...Hic!

I love how random my start location can be in relation to other resources, though it would be nice if there was an option specifically alter how good spawns points are for everybody, occasionally i like to start sweet.

I think crystal distribution is kinda random... at least it has been for me.  The first 3 games I played, I had mostly water and earth, but the last 2 games I have played have had a ton of fire and air in it.  Maybe they tend to be grouped together more in that way?