Very interesting map indeed.
Glad the monthlies turned my head towards it.
I like the extreme complexity and the very delicate balancing. - The way you can go after a good (auto) deploy but then have rather a lot of trouble bringing them into play and risk losing it all if you are attacked sneakily before you are ready. - And that it amounts to a number of almost random possibilities where you have to juggle security, availability of troops and a number of specially available routes through the map if you can manage to navigate cleverly and especially also manage not to get in your own way.
I think the balancing of deploy is an important factor and wouldnt change that. - I do get the same feeling of dropping a very limited amount compared to how much Ive clawed under my greasy fingernails, but upping the bonus values would deduct from the importance of the treasury and I feel that would be a shame.
Monthly challenge requires something I dont like about the map, but Im pressed to find one. Lets see, it wouldnt work so well with unlimited reinforcements as that would sort of work against one of the main balances in the map, but beyond that, this could well be one of my go to maps.
Very nicely done.
PM me for an invite to Ikariam, a balanced strategy MMORPG centered on a city-based empire. Help and extra resources from me and an extra tradships and a small science bonus to both of us if you do :-)
, so delete that extra XML line fast 
