This map is the direct evolution of Rhye's Civ3 Earth, of the award-winning Civilization IV Earth map, and of its evolution with enlarged Europe, used in RFC.
It is based on the same projection (Robinson's) and the same concepts aiming to optimize detail, speed and playability.
In this case, this Civ5 map has to satisfy the following prerequisites at the same time:
big enough to allow a comfortable 1 unit per tile movement
big enough to have a realistic level of detail
small enough to allow a reasonable loading time.
The result is a 134x74 map that is smaller than the Civ5 standard huge size (128x80) but has room for movement.
Compared to the previous civs, it brings to the extreme the optimization concepts, featuring more enlarged playable areas.
It is nicknamed "fatty" as it makes room for 1UPT comfortable movement, even in narrow areas such as Italy.
The variety of terrains and resources limits the settleable areas and ensures ingame balance.
This map will not be released reparately from Rhye's and Fall for the time being, but it may be when it's in its final version.
big enough to allow a comfortable 1 unit per tile movement
