Discuss map settings here, so we can get a fairly balanced map made.

Water %?
Land Form?
AIs?
Difficulty Level (for # of content citizens)?
Map Size (I am leaning towards small or tiny - no bigger than standard)?
Barbarians?
Age?
Climate?
Temperature?

Another key question: do you want SoZ? If so, should it require Ivory? Should it produce Horsemen instead of ACs? Any custom changes?
SGLs? On / off?

Without a doubt, we need a map maker for this. That way we can be sure that the map is fairer than it would be, if the computer makes it.

Water %? 60%
Land Form? Continents
AIs? NO!!!!
Difficulty Level (for # of content citizens)? Emporer
Map Size (I am leaning towards small or tiny - no bigger than standard)? Tiny
Barbarians? Normal
Age? 4 bill
Climate? normal
Temperature? normal
SoZ? Yes, but there must be a reasonable chance for all to get it. Access to Ivory and AC's.

Water %? 60%
Land Form? Pangea
AIs? None
Difficulty Level (for # of content citizens)? Emporer
Map Size (I am leaning towards small or tiny - no bigger than standard)? Slightly bigger then Tiny (70x70)
Barbarians? None
Age? 4
Climate? Normal
Temperature? Temprate

SoZ? Make it so it doesn't take Ivory

Since random effects could significantly help a specific team, I would go for no barbarians and no SGLs.

Lets have a small sized map, no barbs, continents 60%, map made by admins, difficulty monarch

Water 70%
Land Form Continents
AIs None
Difficulty Level Regent/Monarch
Map Size Standard
Barbarians Sedentery
Age 4 billion
Climate Temperate
Temperature Normal

do you want SoZ? Yes If so, should it require Ivory? NO Should it produce Horsemen instead of ACs? NO Any custom changes? NO
SGLs? On

The most common settings I've seen in the threads are:

60% Continents with a possible, safe galley crossing via coast (or 2 tiles of sea), Small Map, Emperor (i.e. 1 free content citizen), no AIs, no SGLs, no barbs, no SoZ, temperate climate, 5 billion years old, normal temperature.

If anyone is strongly against these settings, speak now or forever hold your peace.

SoZ on, but make it much more expensive (eg 400 sheilds) and no ivory needed. this would mean you would need to invest a considerable amount of time to get the sweet sweet ACs.

I want the map size to be the one that is smaller than standard. If that is small, then that it should be.

Should not this be up for discussion between the teams and then each team have a UN representative who votes on their behalf regarding what map size we want as the map?

Each variation of the map should be polled separately so that we can have a clear idea on the map.

I rather not play Emperor. Could we just go with Monarch instead?

Being on emporer will just mean that we have only one content citizen to start with. It make the game more fun.

Ok, I will do that classical_hero. Small is the one smaller than standard.

greekguy - I will put up a poll for this.

Not to complicate things, but since you are using a custom map anyways, why not make corruption level and happy civ's level 2 different options.

AI's and barbs should be in IMHO.