Timeline
Finally, I would like to provide a rough outline of the timeline that I expect this to follow (take this with a lot of salt considering my previous timeline estimations):
Finalising and releasing DoC v1.17
Incorporating remaining suggestions into the map, including suggestions that will have been made by then
- Making changes to the existing game mechanics and adapting them to the new map, like mentioned above (we are here)
- Applying my current list of desired changes for civilizations and their victories
- Adding new civilizations
- Balancing, balancing, balancing
As you know, the new map is currently only available in a protected branch that I need to allow access to on an individual basis. This will not change in the near future. But once development begins, that concern is mostly practical: once I am starting on step (3), the game will become unplayable even more so than it currently is on the new map, until I have put everything back together. It will not be much fun to play on such a state, nor will doing so provide me much useful feedback. Likewise, because of past experience with people running away with my half-finished work to publish their own modmods, I will not immediately make the mod available when I am in steps 4-5 (which will probably overlap and go back and forth on it) but probably at some point while I am in the finishing stages of them.