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Logical Landscapes
Remember, you're designing a new planet with each map. While an all-land map might have its interesting moments, most players will desire to venture out into a sea and construct sea bases and vessels. If you do create an all-sea or all-land map, warn the players beforehand. A player who begins researching technologies to obtain a sea advantage, only to learn there is no sea, might be very annoyed.

Take your time planning elevations and waterways. Elevation becomes important when players begin constructing solar collectors; provide each player with an elevation near his starting position to give him the option of constructing these energy-producing structures. Waterways are important, too. Give your planet character by mixing up the landscape, but keep the terrain logical and realistic.

Conservative Bonuses
Supply pods add a random element to most Alpha Centauri games. Almost anything can be found in a supply pod, from extra energy reserves and bonus technologies to alien artifacts and mind worms. Since they can quickly turn the tide in any game, be extremely careful where you place supply pods. Placing too many in one area can give one player a huge advantage as the game progresses.

Monoliths are quite similar. As you know, a monolith square will upgrade and heal units as well as providing nutrients, minerals, and energy to any nearby base. These are extremely powerful bonuses and you should take great care when placing Monoliths on your map. Make them rewards for exploration or aggressive play instead of just throwing them around haphazardly.

Assigning Starting Positions
A player's starting position could mean the difference between an engaging middle game or an early defeat. As mentioned previously, be careful when placing and providing resources and be equally careful when placing your players' starting positions. You don't want to overly restrict player movement by shoving starting positions against rivers, lakes, or huge fungus patches. However, giving each player too much room to expand could be equally destructive. The chief objective is to stand each player on equal footing, providing similar movement, resources, and bonuses.

Along with balanced starting positions, try to give each player several territory expansion options. Make sure there are a variety of alleys in or out of a player's area, so you don't create a single choke point that can be easily defended or attacked. To keep a map interesting from game to game, there should be numerous directions in which a player can expand and construct new bases.

Next - Integrating Custom Rules and Factions, Tests, and Designing Scenarios
 
 

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