Good Maps For 7-8 Players

[Coleman]

Well, with 8 players around it might be good to know which maps would be particularly good or bad to play with 8 players.

This is all just my opinion (well mostly, some of it is fact) so don't crucify me to badly.

First, the bad:
In the following it is very realistic that you could be dead before your turn happens: Doodle Earth, Duck & Cover, Circus Maximus, Indochina.

Others that just plain suck for 8 players:

8 Thoughts: The bonus structure pretty much guarantees that only 4 people are going to have good bonuses. In fact this map sucks for anything over 4 players.

Conquer Man: You'd think 151 territories would be good for 8 players, but the lack of useful continents can really lead to one player dominating. Conquer Man actually works better as a 2 or 3 player map. Still, try it if you really want.

Chinese Checkers: Only 6 continents and lots of dead space. 2 players would be very unhappy for sure.

Now, the good:
Siege!: Lots of continents and plenty of territories.

Age of Merchants: Actually best for 7 players, enough action for everyone then, but in 8 someone will get left in the dust but it still turns out quite balanced.

North America: Lots of continents and plenty of territories.

Cairns Coral Coast: Lots of continents and plenty of territories.

Pearl Harbor: If you can handle the rules lots of continents and plenty of territories.

U.S. Senate: Fair amount of continents and plenty of territories. More of a 7 player map again.

Battle For Australia: Plenty of territories and continents.

Solar System: Pretty awesome for it on all counts.

D-Day: Omaha Beach!: If you can handle the rules a pretty good one for it as well, 72 territories is a great number. Lots of continents. I'd recommend 4v4 here.

Bamboo Jack: If the camps don't confuse you too bad this is great for it as well. Lost of continents and territories.

Battle Of Actium: 96 territories and lots of continents, pretty darn good.

World 2.1: The ultimate, although it will end up being a long game.

[AndyDufresne]

I agree with most of your post...though I think Chinese Checkers may have just found an audience with 7 and 8 player games. Consider how many people hated the "Stalemate" that happened...perhaps the addition of one or two players would tip the balance a little more...more fighting and less building? I don't really know, it's all conjecture at the moment.


--Andy

[Fircoal]

Coleman as some of you may not think, doodle earth is actually a really fun 8 player game for the very same reasons. Same thing for 6 players. They may be more random, they are very fun. I like playing in them, they have an addicting rush. (I admit, so far that's all I read. I'll read the rest and comment. Maybe, it'd be a good idea to gather opinions on all setups for maps and put in a sticky. )

[Coleman]

It may be fun but it is unbalanced as all hell.

[Fircoal]

It may be fun but it is unbalanced as all hell.

in a way it is, but this is good games for 8 players. Some consider it such. Even if it is really unbalanced.

[lord voldemort]

wat happens with age of realms 7 and 8 player...cause not every1 will get a castle

[Fircoal]

wat happens with age of realms 7 and 8 player...cause not every1 will get a castle

it's impossible, I had the same though.

[benjikat]

In my opinion the fairest number of territories to start with is 14.

14x8=112, making World 2.1 with it's 113 territories just about ideal.

[Coleman]

That's why I called it the ultimate, but I think 7 or more starting territories is reasonable with what we have available right now.

[billy07]

Well, with 8 players around it might be good to know which maps would be particularly good or bad to play with 8 players.

This is all just my opinion (well mostly, some of it is fact) so don't crucify me to badly.

First, the bad:
In the following it is very realistic that you could be dead before your turn happens: Doodle Earth, Duck & Cover, Circus Maximus, Indochina.

Others that just plain suck for 8 players:

8 Thoughts: The bonus structure pretty much guarantees that only 4 people are going to have good bonuses. In fact this map sucks for anything over 4 players.

Conquer Man: You'd think 151 territories would be good for 8 players, but the lack of useful continents can really lead to one player dominating. Conquer Man actually works better as a 2 or 3 player map. Still, try it if you really want.

Chinese Checkers: Only 6 continents and lots of dead space. 2 players would be very unhappy for sure.

Now, the good:
Siege!: Lots of continents and plenty of territories.

Age of Merchants: Actually best for 7 players, enough action for everyone then, but in 8 someone will get left in the dust but it still turns out quite balanced.

North America: Lots of continents and plenty of territories.

Cairns Coral Coast: Lots of continents and plenty of territories.

Pearl Harbor: If you can handle the rules lots of continents and plenty of territories.

U.S. Senate: Fair amount of continents and plenty of territories. More of a 7 player map again.

Battle For Australia: Plenty of territories and continents.

Solar System: Pretty awesome for it on all counts.

D-Day: Omaha Beach!: If you can handle the rules a pretty good one for it as well, 72 territories is a great number. Lots of continents. I'd recommend 4v4 here.

Bamboo Jack: If the camps don't confuse you too bad this is great for it as well. Lost of continents and territories.

Battle Of Actium: 96 territories and lots of continents, pretty darn good.

World 2.1: The ultimate, although it will end up being a long game.

Reading this leads me to believe that you don`t know how to play risk. And have you ever smiled?

[Coleman]

You'd be wrong, I play a bit. This list was complied with the interest of statistical fairness in mind. Nothing else.

[billy07]

You'd be wrong, I play a bit. This list was complied with the interest of statistical fairness in mind. Nothing else.

statistics don`t mean shite man. It`s reading the board that counts.

[graeme89]

Coleman, have you played and completed 8 player on all these maps ?
I sadly followed your strat advice on Age of Realms and was soundly beaten. What are you basing these claims on?.
I hold judgement until i've played at least a few 8 player games.

[oVo]

On the World 2.1 map you only get 4 armies to deploy when starting out an eight player game. I'm a glutton for punishment and enjoy a good long war, so I'm hoping an even bigger map is already spinning around in the "map maker minds" here.

The player colors could use a little work too. I started an eight player game thinking being red might make my guys easy to distinguish from the opposition, but nooo. I thought momentarily that I had a great drop only to discover that red, pink, orange and violet can be very hard to tell apart on that map.

[Qwert]

WWII EUROPE will be good for 8 player

[AndyDufresne]

I'm going to test the Chinese Checkers Map...and see if the game still devolves into a stalemate...even with the addition of 2 players.


--Andy

[Snorri1234]

World 2.1 with 8 players sounds pretty cool.

[oaktown]

I'm going to test the Chinese Checkers Map...and see if the game still devolves into a stalemate...even with the addition of 2 players.

As perhaps one the site's few die-hard fans of Chinese Checkers (as the creator I kinda have to be!), I want to point out that aduring developmet it became clear that it would be a better doubles map than singles; it was big for the time, and it was thought that the idea of collected bonuses for holding opposite regions might encourage players to support the expansion of a partner over their own expansion.

Anyway, in a six player game everybody grabs their own region and sits tight. An eight player game may actually lead to some early nastiness. Plus, a player who doesn't nab an early bonus might actually be in better shape than in other maps because they can hide, unmolested, in territory that nobody wants.

Or maybe two players will get eliminated early and we'll just see a lot more sitting around.

[AndyDufresne]

Or maybe two players will get eliminated early and we'll just see a lot more sitting around.

This could indeed happen...lets see what happens!


--Andy

[BaldAdonis]

I want to point out that during development it became clear that it would be a better doubles map than singles;

I've got a hunch that 8 player doubles would be great on this map.

Also, any 8 player game on Great Lakes.

[Blitzaholic]

Well, with 8 players around it might be good to know which maps would be particularly good or bad to play with 8 players.

This is all just my opinion (well mostly, some of it is fact) so don't crucify me to badly.

First, the bad:
In the following it is very realistic that you could be dead before your turn happens: Doodle Earth, Duck & Cover, Circus Maximus, Indochina, Austrilia

Others that just plain suck for 8 players:

8 Thoughts: The bonus structure pretty much guarantees that only 4 people are going to have good bonuses. In fact this map sucks for anything over 4 players.

Conquer Man: You'd think 151 territories would be good for 8 players, but the lack of useful continents can really lead to one player dominating. Conquer Man actually works better as a 2 or 3 player map. Still, try it if you really want.

Chinese Checkers: Only 6 continents and lots of dead space. 2 players would be very unhappy for sure.

Now, the good:
Siege!: Lots of continents and plenty of territories.

Age of Merchants: Actually best for 7 players, enough action for everyone then, but in 8 someone will get left in the dust but it still turns out quite balanced.

North America: Lots of continents and plenty of territories.

Cairns Coral Coast: Lots of continents and plenty of territories.

Pearl Harbor: If you can handle the rules lots of continents and plenty of territories.

U.S. Senate: Fair amount of continents and plenty of territories. More of a 7 player map again.

Battle For Australia: Plenty of territories and continents.

Solar System: Pretty awesome for it on all counts.

D-Day: Omaha Beach!: If you can handle the rules a pretty good one for it as well, 72 territories is a great number. Lots of continents. I'd recommend 4v4 here.

Bamboo Jack: If the camps don't confuse you too bad this is great for it as well. Lost of continents and territories.

Battle Of Actium: 96 territories and lots of continents, pretty darn good.

Montreal

Conquer Man

Chinese Checkers

Great Lakes

Europe

World 2.1: The ultimate, although it will end up being a long game.

I agree with you on most Coleman, the additions I made are highlighted in blue just my thoughts, I think checkers and conquer man can be good for 7 to 8 players. Great lakes, and europe has a lot of bonus's and lands and montreal map has a ton of lands and bonus's, how you forgot that one, I have no idea. and aussie map way to small, belongs up there with indochina as not good for 7 and 8 players, the rest I agree with you.

[friendjonny]

I think 11 territories is the best to start a game with, 10 is ok as well

[DeyTa]

so doodle earth is bad because it's the smallest map? means it's unfair at who starts

I think playing 8-player doodle earth is just gambling...which is why i like it

[MeDeFe]

As soon as a slot frees up I'll go look for 8-player 8 thoughts games.

[Russianfire8371]

so doodle earth is bad because it's the smallest map? means it's unfair at who starts

I think playing 8-player doodle earth is just gambling...which is why i like it

8 player freestyle assassin no card speed on doodle earth is the most addicting thing ever. 8 players with 2 countries each trying to take their target without killing themselves or anyone else.

Not to mention that you get 120+ for winning