Teams are separated by the mighty Amazon River. Trade Routes and Natives may be separated... or maybe not. Tupi, Carib, and Inca live deep in the rain forests. Build a navy to control the river, and control the map -- but keep an eye out for enemy Outposts and cannon on the shores.
A vast swamp where dry land is at a premium. You can only build on solid ground, but armies an travel across the wetlands, so beware of unexpected ambushes.
Cherokee and Seminole villages occupy islands through the middle of the map.
The islands of the Caribbean support only a few animals, but the ocean offers a bounty of fish. Palm trees provide plenty of wood for contructing ships.
You will share an island with your teammates. There will always be an additional island with a Trade Route. Carib settlements are scattered across all the islands.
The southeast coast of North America has plenty of resources and extra crates. The ease of naval transport and lack of cliffs means you are never too far from the enemy. A Trade Route runs along the coast with four sites for Trading Posts.
This is the home of the Cherokee, who will always have two villages on the map. Sometimes you may encounter one or two Seminole villages as well.
Fight around the otuside of a large freshwater lake. Control of the single long Trade Route is crucial. Several Iroquois or Lakota villages ring the lake. Resources, including fish, are plentiful.
Build too close to the shore without controlling the water, and you risk having your town shelled by enemy ships late in the game. Sometimes the lake may be frozen over, presenting a different tactical challenge.
Wide-open spaces, large herds of Bison to hunt, plentiful mines, and as many as six Lakota and Comanche villages offer a wide variety of potential strategies. The Trade Route may have three or five Trading Posts sites.
Control the more dense forests near the edges of the map to supplement your late-game wood gathering, or rely on the scattered clumps of trees out on the plains.
Each team will have an easily-defended Iroquois or Cherokee village; the fight will be for control of the four Trading Post sites along the single central Trade Route.
Lakes and low stone walls provide natural barriers and choke points. Search the isles off the coast for hidden Treasures.
A long plain divided by a river with several crossing points. You and your allies are initially separated by the river, but the exact placement of your starting towns varies widely. There are always four Trading Post sites. Expect to find a number of Inca and Tupi villages.
No Natives, but six Trading Posts. To ensure a steady supply of Wood, stay near the coast.
A central lake offers tactical opportunities, and may restrict movement along the western side of the map. The lake is not present in Free for All games.
Your team occupies one mountain range and your opponents the other. The victors will be the ones that can control the central valley and the choke points. Forests and Treasures are more heavily concentrated in the center of the map.
The Lakota and Comanche have ventured up into the mountains, and may prove to be useful allies.
In this resource-heavy region, you will start with an extra random economic building in addition to your Town Center. Building Outposts near the local Cree and Nootka villages may help control sections of the map.
A twisting Trade Route winds its way through this barren, desolate region. Many cliffs and canyons create choke points. Resources can be difficult to find, though sometimes there are rich ore deposits near the center the map. Search for Aztec and Maya villages on the edge of the map.
Texas is an open plain with scattered low cliffs. Two Trade Routes, each with two Trading Post sites, cut through the center of the map, separating the two teams. There will always be at least two Comanche settlements, and sometimes three. Expect attacks from every side.
The Central America rain forests are home to many Treasures. Each player will start with a nearby Aztec or Maya village. Use your ships to control the land on your side, or try to build a dock on the far shore to control both coasts.
The dense forests mean you will never run short of Wood, and herds of Tapir and Capybara offer unusual hunting opportunities.
Your enemy's towns are close, so be on your guard. Cross the central river and claim the Treasure-rich region to the north. Mines are plentiful on the northern half of the map; expect to struggle until you have a second town.
The Trade Route will be hard to completely control, with each team having access to one Trading Post site. Two Cree or Nootka villages are found north of the river.