On this page:

7.8.1 Introduction
7.8.2 Strategy overview

7.8.1 Introduction

Skip preformatted map

                                      N
                                . '' .
                            . '        ' .
                        . '                ' .
                    . '                 .---.  ' .
                . '       .-.__          'a-'      ' .
            . '          ._b .-'                       ' .
        . '                ''                        _     ' .
    . '             __                            .-d )        ' .
. '___             (c_)                            '-'         __  ' .
. '   (_e_)        _                                           .--'f '-.   ' .
.                 (g)                                          '-') _.-'     .
' .                               @                              '     . '
    ' .                    __                          .--''.      . '
        ' .               (i_)                         ''h-'   . '
            ' .                               _            . '
                ' .                          (j)       . '
                    ' .                            . '
                        ' .                    . '
                            ' .            . '
                                ' .    . '
                                    ''

7.8.2 Strategy overview

The map is characterised, as the scenario title suggests, by many small islands. In any other game you would not wish to settle a city on any of these islands. This leads to houses being clustered in smaller groups than normal, or with mountains or coastal areas filling gaps where houses might otherwise be placed. So, the same facilities can serve fewer people, which makes the economy harder to balance.

There are many different strategies to completing this scenario, ranging from 125 Pioneer houses spread across many islands, to 24 Merchant houses crammed onto one island (your Merchants will always ask for Lamp Oil, which cannot be made on this map, but can be sustained without it). The Pioneer option sounds bizarre, but is quite easy to do because so few goods and facilities need to be provided - throw away almost everything you have learnt about colony development, and cover three or four islands in Pioneer housing, supported only by basic stalls, Hunting Lodges, Tanneries and Forester's Huts.