What's good maps for beginners?

[Donald Fung]

that was me Game 5387849

yes it was but OMG, I can't believe you actually appeared lol
wanna play a World 2.1 with me?

[jleonnn]

no thnx. I don 't really like 2.1

[iancanton]

why don't u two try playing an age of realms 2 doubles game together instead, as teammates?

ian.

[Donald Fung]

no thnx. I don 't really like 2.1

Why not? That's my second most favorite map after NYC. And NYC is my favorite just because I know all the places and I could go around without even looking at the map. But it's not an easy map though and its hard to decided what to go for first.

[flexmaster33]

I would say don't worry about the points right off...just try all the different maps and you'll find the ones that you enjoy most. Also, mix up your settings and see what style you like to play best...some maps lend themselves more to certain settings...(Arms Race! is way better with fog, etc).

If you're just looking to figure out the site and how play goes...I'd suggest choosing a mix of different geographical maps...South America, North America, Australia...these all hold the basics of regular Risk...once you get a handle on that then move on to check out the Arms Race, WWIIs, Age of Realms challenges....I've topped 1,000 games and still can't play Age of Realms...

Welcome to the club...have fun, don't get too crazy about points and rank.

After awhile, check out a tourney...but I'd suggest joining a simple tourney to start because once you join you'll want to stick with it until the tourney is over. Deadbeats are frowned upon big-time here.

[Fenrir1307]

I enjoyed Europe 1914 a lot!

[jleonnn]

i'm now ranked #3: for age of realms 2

[Keshane]

One to consider is Alexander's Empire. There is little forethought required, but for it I always recommend having no spoils. Perhaps that's the historian in me protecting one of my favorite parts of history, or not. I can not exactly say. However, it also has the pinnacle moment much sooner than other maps. By that I refer to the moment in which it's almost guaranteed you have either won or lost based upon where you can confidently place your choke holds. In Alexander's Empire, it's right in the middle. Control one half or the other, you've found yourself a good spot to win the rest. But in that, there are several choke points in addition to that pinnacle moment, where you find yourself defending bonuses and yet still foraying into enemy lands. I say it's a good starting point.

[Queen_Herpes]

Any suggestions of good maps for beginners?

HAHAHAHA. Apparently CC isn't doing a good job of teaching new recruits!!!! Apparently they cannot find the maps for beginners!

[nippersean]

QH - ffs be nice - After 1,000 games and making your heady heights perhaps you could help more positively?...

I think society for cooks, and just learning from defeats.

But play a wide range - and ask? Try them and ask in Q&A and really look at the legend and then they are all for beginners really

There's always help - have a go and if you get stuck post in the forum, you'll get loads of good advice.

Best way to learn

[natty dread]

I would recommend small & simple maps with sequential flat rate no fog settings, with no more than 5 people in a game, 3-4 would be best.

Maps such as luxembourg, greenland, classic, brazil... all relatively small & simple.

Escalating games will be ok the moment you comprehend the fact that going for bonuses is not the way to victory...

No spoils will be ok when you understand that it's not always wise to attack, no matter how fun it is.

[ender516]

I would recommend small & simple maps with sequential flat rate no fog settings, with no more than 5 people in a game, 3-4 would be best.

Maps such as luxembourg, greenland, classic, brazil... all relatively small & simple.

Escalating games will be ok the moment you comprehend the fact that going for bonuses is not the way to victory...

No spoils will be ok when you understand that it's not always wise to attack, no matter how fun it is.

I agree with most of what you say, but I have always played escalating games since I joined the site. I fear that flat rate or no spoils games might drag on so long that a new recruit might get sick of waiting for a game to finish one way or the other and just quit. Perhaps this is not a problem on the small simple maps.

[Knight2254]

Madagascar is also pretty straightforward as is doodle earth. Although doodle earth is basically just gambling.

[nippersean]

Here is a list originally posted by Queen Herpes showing the approximate degree of difficulty.
Although not everyone will agree with each map and level I think it's a good guide.

There is another guide... somewhere... with a list of particular features (e.g. bombardments / objectives / unusual bonuses etc.) on any given map, which is also useful. But I can't find it at the mom....anybody.

As pointed out before the settings are as important as the complexity of the map.
So flat rate, sunny, sequential, automatic initial placement, chained forts would be the direction i'd take.
As said before The Society of Cooks to get to grips with escalating cards


Level 0: Classic Shapes, Classic Art, Archipelago, Canada, Caribbean Islands, CCU, Circus Maximus, Conquer 4, Doodle Earth, France, Haiti, High Seas, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indochina, Ireland, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Middle East, Mongol Empire, Netherlands, Oceania, Portugal, Puget Sound, WWII Iwo Jima. (25)

Level 1: Alexander’s Empire, Ancient Greece, Arctic, Australia, Brazil 2, British Isles 2, Cairns Metro, Discworld, Draknor - Level 1, Egypt: Lower, Egypt: Upper, Extreme Global Warming, Iberia, Land and Sea, Midgard, Midkemdil, Montreal, South America, U.S. Senate, USA, USA West, WWII Eastern Front. (22)

Level 2: 8 Thoughts, Africa, Asia, BeNeLux, Chinese Checkers, Dust Bowl, Egypt: Nubia, Egypt: Valley of the Kings, Europe, France 1789, Gilgamesh, Great Lakes, Greenland, Philippines, San Marino, Soviet Union, Sydney Metro, Tamriel, Triple Alliance, USA New England, USA Rockies, USA Southeast, USA Southwest, WWI Ottoman Empire, WWII Australia. (25)

Level 3: American Civil War, Battle of Actium, Berlin 1961, Cairns Coral Coast, Castle Lands, Charleston, Crossword, Duck and Cover, Europa, Greater China, Halloween Hollows, Imperium Romanum, Indian Empire, Italy, King of the Mountains, Malta, North America, San Francisco, Scotland, Space, USA Great Lakes, USApocalypse, Wales, World 2.1, WWI Western Front. (25)

Level 4: Arms Race!, Conquer Man, D-Day: Omaha Beach, Eastern Hemisphere, Europe 1914, Feudal War, Holy Roman Empire, New World, NYC, Oasis, Pearl Harbor, Poker Club, Route 66, Texan Wars, The Citadel, Treasures of Galapagos, WWII Europe. (17)

Level 5: Age of Merchants, Age of Realms 1, Age of Realms 2, Age of Realms 3, Bamboo Jack, Battle for Iraq!, City Mogul, Forbidden City, Madness, Operation Drug War, Poison Rome, Prohibition Chicago, Rail Australia, Rail Europe, Rail USA, Siege!, Solar System, Supermax: Prison Riot!, Waterloo, WWII Ardennes, WWII Gazala. (21)

[ender516]

There is another guide... somewhere... with a list of particular features (e.g. bombardments / objectives / unusual bonuses etc.) on any given map, which is also useful. But I can't find it at the mom....anybody.

You may be thinking of this: chipv's Map Database. A very informative tool.

[Commander9]

Suggested setings : manual, sequential, no spoils, sunny, chained.

As for maps, some people nailed it - small and simple. Maps like France, Madagascar, Australia, Canada or Iberia.

[jleonnn]

those based on luck are: madagascar, luxemburg and doodle earth. If your dice fail u just one time, you could be pushed back and back. A simple mistake and it will cost you the game. however, the bigger maps allow you to repair your mistakes or simply try to abandon it and go on another campaign somewhere not within the reach of your opponents.

The more complicated maps are: age of realms series, age of merchants, fuedal war, arms race, treasures of the galapagos...

However, whatever the map, it still is cc. You just need to spend a bit of time lookin at the legends of the maps

[skeletonboy]

If you want a longer game, try;
World 2.1
Terminator
4-6 players
Sunny
Flat rate
Unlimited

[nippersean]

There is another guide... somewhere... with a list of particular features (e.g. bombardments / objectives / unusual bonuses etc.) on any given map, which is also useful. But I can't find it at the mom....anybody.

You may be thinking of this: chipv's Map Database. A very informative tool.

Cheers Ender - exactly - someone should sticky this with the basic guide and a guide to settings.

A most informative tool indeed. What else could you need?

As per answers to original post, we all have our own opinion. Personally I can't see what doodle or the other little maps can possibly teach you except if you go first, have a good drop and one turn of good dice = you win.
I'd recommend a mix like great lakes but each to their own.

[Coronaholic]

you should get SuperMax prison riot, and Waterloo on your first try, funny enough, waterloo was my first map. But better to try it out on a team match.

[frankiebee]

Try King of the moutains.
It is a simple map, but has nice options with the heli-pads !
Good map to learn developing strategy !

Try all the spoils settings, stick to seq, no fog, automatic, chained first.

[the.killing.44]

you should get SuperMax prison riot, and Waterloo on your first try

Like everybody said, small & simple maps. Test out the waters with some 1v1's or 1v1v1's with any card setting, though No Spoils is recommended (Esc second; Flat Rate last). I urge you not to join large games (5+ players) with high ranks on escalating until you've grasped the strategy.

[nippersean]

.44 - you think escalating is a good way to learn a map -we'll disagree on that. Don't you think escalating is a skill in itself regardless of map?

Edit - you didn't actually say that (it was late here). Still I think flat rate is OK for larger maps / multiplayer games.

[jleonnn]

i agree with nippersean... many times i loose cuz i was winning, then the opponent's spoils will ruin me. That's why i play mostly no spoils, as you can see. And I hate flat rate, i could get a set worth 4 and my opponent will get one worth 10... and then of course, i loose.

[natty dread]

IMO: of all the card settings, flat rate would be ideal for new players. Escalating has a strategy of it's own, where bonuses don't play a part in most maps, and no spoils doesn't allow for mistakes most of the time as there's no card cash coming to save you from trouble.