How does small Islands map affect the game?

[GGitchell]

So does any play on the map type small islands? I was wondering how it affect your game and the AI's? Is research slower on these types to having less workable land tiles which would mean less opportunity to set up trade posts for income and having less viable food tiles to support a big city? Also how much more important does a navy become for attacking cites do the limited room to land units because attacking from the water is less viable?

 

[GWashington]

Navy is more superior on these types of maps. I don't think research is too much slower at all. Large populations are still as easy to get on islands as on continents. You can send caravans/cargo ships to your cities for food, there is still enough land tiles usually to work to get good production and science, as well as sea resources. One costal tile supports one population (if you have a lighthouse).


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[zyx]

Haven't played tiny islands for long time, but AI used to have problems expanding and built too much land units, which a human player can use to collect experience. Defending cities is difficult if your movement for units in water is improved. AI doesn't know how crucial range improved vessels are. Getting Frigates first is allmost autowin, as AI sucks in naval warfare, which is more complex as the units can move farther.
On deity the possibility that the AI cannot use the second settler early is huge, so the human player cannot fall back behind that far.

To make it short: tiny islands makes the game a lot easier for human players.