Thank you Frogboy for your reply.
My 2cents
As hannahb has mentioned, I believe that the size of the map will roughly give you an idea of how long you wanted your game to be. I wouldnt start up on a tiny map if I wanted an extreme lengthy epic game or a large map which I want a super quick smash/rush game.
From V1.06 to V1.09, I notice that resources are made more scarces, and opponents starting city are usually surrounded by 3 or more resources. This make ME as player rather green-eye to their plot of land, which usually result in their early retirement.
Another thing is that with my opponents starting out so near to each other, they are stunting their own city growth. I have a few games, V1.08, V1.06 where one sovereign has 2 - 3 cities (unfortunate to start out in the centre/or coast) and surrounded by other sovereign which has like 6 - 8 (fortunate to start out at the outer rim) Usually if I started out at the outer rim, I can find mass of unexplored land rich with resources, unsettled by anyone which can supports like 6++ cities. It is a waste that all these lands remain unused.
Honestly I do not see a sovereign city starting too near us as a threat but more of an annoyance which player will remedy quickly. To me I feel that if the opponents sovereign have more cities under their control, they will do better against me and themselves (Coz they are the ones who likely to threaten me) But sometimes I also wonder how the opponent can manage 100+ gold per turn while I am struggling to hit 50+ gold per turn. But opponent who manage to get 100+ gold usually are the sovereign with more cities, those I see with fewer can barely hit 30 gold per turn.
I really do like my opponent sovereigns to have like 6++ cities and doing well and majority of them still around by 600+ turns in Large map.
I have some suggestions to this.
A WORLD BUILDER similar to Civ4 which allows us players to choose placement of opponent sovereign starting point will be helpful.
When a opponent sovereign die in early game, allow the systems to allow random re-spawn of his son/daughter (secret heir) somewhere far away from this conflict so they can restart anew to avenge their father/mother.
