Nice map. A few comments:
NP-4 is screwed. All other bases have at least one area they can expand to where they are not immediately in conflict with another player. AS-6 could do nothing but take out any land area NP-4 tries to expand to. Further, NP-4 only has 2 land expansion routes; all other bases have 3 or 4. Also, it seems a bit harder for the humans to get to all the DNA labs than for the aliens to get to all the nuke silos. One possible fix:
* Rotate AS-6, PA-3, and NA-3. That is, make PA-3 a human base, NA-3 a DNA lab, and AS-6 a nuke silo. Disconnect AS-3 and AS-5 (Himalayas border) if you don't want 2 nuke silos connected that closely.
* Have PA-2 and SA-3 connect.
* Have PA-1 connect to PA-2 and PA-4.
* Have AU-1 be able to assault PA-4, and (more importantly) SP-1 be able to assault SP-4 (to guard SP-3 vs. AU-1) and NP-4 be able to assault PA-2.
Also, AT-1 and AT-2 might be confused with Alien Tech. Possibly you could rename this to Alien Science, or...
MarshalNey wrote:(2) I'm assuming that the names for the research will have to be limited to about 4 or 5 characters. Given that...
How about dividing up each 'column' of research into a certain type listed at the very top, then each subsequent region as you go down the line describes an improvement/development.
So for the Alien research, for example, you could have four columns (types) such as:
(TECH 1.1) VIRAL BOTS RAYS PROBES
(TECH 1.2) H1N1 DOOM STUN DEEP
(TECH 2.1) STD T-1000 DEATH MIND
(TECH 2.2) .... etc.
For Human research maybe use some inspiration from Men in Black or X-com (the old computer game series)....
Note that there's the place designator on the map - 4-5 characters - and then the actual place name in the XML. So long as it's clear from the latter which of the former is meat, you can get away with abbreviations. Also, the tier 1 techs are not directly connected to the tier 2-3 techs, leaving 8 trees. So:
Alien 1.1: Cloning basics (CLON)
Alien 1.5: Cloning tanks (VATS)
Alien 1.2: Alien weaponsmithing (RAYS)
Alien 1.6: Metaphysical ammunition (DOOM)
Alien 1.3: Starship piloting (PILOT)
Alien 1.7: Starship construction (UFOS)
Alien 1.4: Alien sensors (PROBE)
Alien 1.8: Alien data compilation (DEEP)
Alien 2.1: Terran biology (TBIO)
Alien 2.5: Terran viruses (VIRUS)
Alien 3.1: Advanced viral transmission tactics (STD)
Alien 3.5: Extinction-inducing plagues (PLAG)
Alien 2.2: Terran geology (GEO)
Alien 2.6: Tectonic disruptors (QUAKE)
Alien 3.2: Volcano inducers (VOLC)
Alien 3.6: Earth-shattering kabooms (KABO)
Alien 2.3: Terran construction (CONS)
Alien 2.7: Rock eating organisms (ROCK)
Alien 3.3: Large-scale terran infrastructure demolition (DEMO)
Alien 3.7: Erasing human civilization (ERAS)
Alien 2.4: Terran sociology (TSOC)
Alien 2.8: Propaganda (PROP)
Alien 3.4: Brainwashing (BRAIN)
Alien 3.8: Human soldiers (SLAVE)
Human 1.1: Medical databanks (MEDIC)
Human 1.5: Hospitals (HOSP)
Human 1.2: Projectile weapon caches (GUNS)
Human 1.6: Ammunition factories (AMMO)
Human 1.3: Armored vehicle stockpiles (TANK)
Human 1.7: Fossil fuel depots (GAS)
Human 1.4: Farms (FARM)
Human 1.8: Produce distribution networks (FOOD)
Human 2.1: Alien biology (ABIO)
Human 2.5: Alien cellular structure (CELL)
Human 3.1: Poisons effective against aliens (POIS)
Human 3.5: Global fumigation (FUME)
Human 2.2: Robot servants (BOT)
Human 2.6: Cybernetics (CYBER)
Human 3.2: Artificial intelligence (AI)
Human 3.6: Immortality via backups (LIFE)
Human 2.3: Energy weapons (LASER)
Human 2.7: Fusion power (FUSE)
Human 3.3: Antimatter production (ANTI)
Human 3.7: Anti-starship weaponry (BYE)
Human 2.4: Alien sociology (ASOC)
Human 2.8: Alien mental structure (MIND)
Human 3.4: Psionics (PSI)
Human 3.8: Hive mind disruption (HIVE)
If "Anti-starship" is too vague, 3.7 could also be "Anti-mothership weaponry" (or "Anti-UFO weaponry" - but by then, the objects would no longer unidentified).