EPTToday I prototyped a map editor. You can save/load map files and interactively change the terrain.
There is even a feature to make the map symmetric. The map is subdivided from an icosohedron, so it is point symmetric. This makes the notion of "natural" expansion a little strange, and there will always be a 2nd ground path to your opponent (on the opposite side of the world!). I'm still trying to wrap my head around this when I draw maps. I think air or sea units will be very important.
Here's a screenshot of a map. At 1280 faces, it feels crowded.
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![[image loading]](http://mikemp.mit.edu/stuff/game2.png)
Stability is a concern. If you expand and push in one direction, you eventually reach your opponent's back door. I don't want it to just be a base-trade race, so there needs to be a defenders advantage at that back door + an incentive to be aggressive beyond your half of the map.
It's tricky, because if you move your army away from your territory, your opponent can approach you as well, but the armies won't necessarily meet in the center. There is no center! Any thoughts on this?
(I suspect planar symmetry will make better maps.)
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Next time, I plan to have better terrain art (animated water), as well as resources drawn (3d forests) & units drawn (I'm going to do 2d sprites, as in Myth & Populous). Buildings will be 3d. I don't think my netbook can handle shading languages, so things are going to stay low tech for now.
I'm still looking for unit/theme/strategy ideas, so please let me know what you'd like to see.
