(from his last spoiler, but I'm just going to quote it)
Why do you say that?
Well, many before me assumed that in prior reads.
Second, fractals can create maps favoring one or two AI's at the expense of others (mountains ridges, chokepoints, lots of lands behind capital that can become chokepoint along two-three cities, etc. )
Indeed, those mentioned sneaky pangaea-like maps you mention may lead to such unbalances.
While pure pangaea (solid single continent option) will lead with few peninsulae and ferocious battle for lands.
I know pangaea is preferred for deity because it somehow ensures the player won't get through the assle to end up "cheated" by a hyper-empire (master and lots of vassals). Theoritically, the lands distribution is better than fractal.
The best up to date is Inland Sea as another form of pangaea map.
As for hemisphere avoiding abuses, indeed, diplo is trickier but not unfair (isolation or semi-iso). And taking out civs may lead to semi-iso situations, which is not favorable.
Running away civs civ may happen on other continents, but less likely I think.
Anyways, why this commentary when the purpose of this serie is well (for some regularly involved in deity I guess) fun. Fractal leads to something unexpected. And unexpected is fun. And by playing the map prior to the thread, I verify if it is winnable.
...
Any more shadowings? Yes, I'm a jackal for more shadowing...
Oh btw, I'm not deity player, but aspirant one. So I don't know every aspect of the subject.