Help finding the right map type

[Rowie007]

I'm experimenting with different map sizes and settings to try and get a particular type of game going. What I want is to play with around 12 civs, spread across multiple continents where each civ gets enough space for around 6-8 good cities each (assuming an even distribution). I also want a significant amount of land available with no civs to provide an incentive / reward for exploring the oceans quickly.

I'd like some suggestions on the best map settings to use to try and get something like this. Right now I'm trying large Techtonics with 70% water (gotta love those mountain ranges), and sometimes it turns out well, but many times some civs get great starting spots and others are squashed in the corner - almost as if the map would have been fine except I've tried to squash too many civs in.

Perhaps there is a better setting I could try?

I also like the possibility for civs to start close together, but each has space on their other side for expansion.

 

[Mustakrakish]

Sorry, can't help you, had the same problem (except with 18 civs) before I settled with perfect world, which isn't that perfect by the way... It won't suit you anyways, because it's basically two large continents and you want multiple. You would get however more than enough space for 6-8 cities on a large size with 12 civs. And it's much better in terms of those mountain ranges and more realistic landscapes than in tectonics, and no one gets squashed in the corner...

 

[Willem]

You might want to try Hemispheres. In that one you can set how many continents you want to have, with up to 10 possible IIRC. I generally play with just 2 so it comes out much like the Continents script, though much better. I never cared for Tectonics myself. There's alway the chance you might up in terrain that was nothing but Hills. At least the default has some variety that way.