oasis map eh, anyone can give a detail description of what that map is like?
this page gives information about most of the map types in the game, and what to expect from them.
when first playing one of the "resources and exact layout varies, but basic setup remains the same" maptypes, like oasis and great plains, i do research before actually playing. it involves ummm cheating *giggle*. start a game without LMA (and thus not eligible for HoF) that you do not intend to actually play. random leaders to save time, but use the map size you'll play with. then ctrl-w on your first turn, and look around the map to get a feel for it. you can go out of WB and regen and then back into WB to look around again as desired.
your actual game will not look just like that, but it should give you a sense of whether it's a real dry map, whether you can count on lots of rivers to give you network connections or whether your workers will be spending ages roading to meet your future pals, that sort of thing. on oasis, certain resources can appear only in certain sections of the map.
i find that it doesn't ruin the suspense of revealing the particular map i get when i do play, but knowing what to expect helps me start out perhaps with better strategy than i might if i was going in blind. some might prefer to be completely surprised and learn 100% by doing and that's cool too, to each his or her own. just a thought.
caution: sometimes this will give you an absolutely beautiful starting location that you wish was one you could actually play. this poster is NOT responsible for any frustration you feel if this occurs, since it is entirely the fault of the RNG. you have been warned.
