Using the map
Click or tap a tile to see its rule. Click or tap a capital to see how its value is made up: the tiles that count are marked on the map, and the panel “Capital value” lists them with an explanation of the outlines. Tap the capital again to close.
Map shapes
Symmetric
The official layout from the rulebook for the player count.
Freeform
A new random shape on every Generate: up to 8 × 8 fields (10 × 10 with 5 players), with about as many fields as the official layout (± 3). Capitals are spread as far apart as possible and each gets fields of its own. Distances follow the paths on the map.
Holes
Freeform only: adds empty spots inside the map. Units have to walk around them. The slider sets how many: Low, Medium or Many (bigger maps get more, e.g. 1 / 2 / 3 holes with 2 players and 1–2 / 3–4 / 5–7 with 5 players).
Modifiers
Turn on Modifiers to change the tile mix. Each slider starts at Standard (0) and goes to less (−) or more (+). One step is about 1 tile per 2 players (2 players 1 tile, 3–4 players 2, 5 players 3).
Resources, Villages, Citadels, Barrens
More or fewer of these tiles. Research tiles fill the rest of the map.
IPs (Research tiles)
Fewer or more Research tiles than a standard map. The other tile types make room for them or fill the gap.
Capital placement
Standard keeps the capitals as far apart as possible (Symmetric: the official spots). − and −− move them closer together on the same map shape.
Crossed-out steps
Steps that cannot work with the other settings (tile pool full, map cannot be filled, every capital needs a Village). Choosing one shows why with the !-icon.
Tile weights
Each tile has a weight. It says how much the tile is worth to a capital that can reach it, and it is used for the number on each capital and for balancing.
How the weight counts: a tile within 2 steps of a capital adds its full weight, a tile 3 steps away adds half. Tiles further away do not count. If several capitals can reach the same tile, its weight is split between them by distance, so a shared tile is worth less to each of them than one they have to themselves.
Example: a Village 2 steps from your capital and out of reach of the others adds +1. A Village 3 steps away adds +0.5. A Village 2 steps from two capitals adds +0.5 to each.
Number on each capital
How good the surroundings of a capital are, compared to the average of all capitals. + means an advantage, − a disadvantage, ±0 average. Balancing aims for every capital within ±0.2; a capital further behind is shown in red.
The capital value is the sum of the weights of all tiles in its reach (see “Tile weights” above).
Map report
Capital values
The numbers on the capitals, in map order (top to bottom), and whether all are within ±0.2.
S1 Fairness spread
How unequal the capitals are, measured on nearby Villages, Research tiles (Tower, Manufactory, Shrine), Citadels, Barrens, victory point tiles and the capital value. 0 means all equal; lower is better.
S4 Victory point placement
Resource tiles (victory points: Forest, Lake, Observatory, Nexus) that are neither far away nor contested, plus the difference in exclusive resource tiles between capitals.
S5 Promo placement
How far Gulag, Dynamo or Academy are from the center, +2 if one lies inside a single capital's own zone. Only shown with these promo tiles.
S6 Research types missing
Research types a capital cannot reach within 3 steps, summed over all capitals: Sorcery (Tower), Science (Manufactory), Religion (Shrine).
S7 Same tiles side by side
Pairs of identical tiles that touch each other. The generator avoids them and only allows a pair when there is no other way to fill the map.
✓ means the rule is fully met.
Hard rules
Every map must meet these. If one cannot be met, the report lists it in red.
H1 Connected
All fields are connected. The Volcano blocks movement.
H2 Tile counts
The number of each tile type is within the allowed range for the player count.
H3 Village
Every capital has its own Village within 2 steps.
H4 Research
Every capital has a Research tile (Tower, Manufactory or Shrine) within 2 steps.
H5 Barrens
No capital touches 4 or more Barrens.
H6 Volcano
The Volcano sits in the center and never next to a capital.
Terms
Exclusive
Within 2 steps of only one capital.
Contested
Within reach of two or more capitals: 2 steps, with 2 players 3 steps.
Far away
At least 3 steps from every capital.