Yeah, all those factors are connected. Smaller maps favor fewer cities and therefore Tradition and therefore all sorts of different approaches to the policy tracks.
I just don't feel interested in abusing the AI. Like, if you're going to do that, don't make it into the farce of a science victory, just go conquer them and be done with it. Also that would make me have to be even more picky and rerolly about what starts to play out, that's another factor where I'd have to get it right or restart.
And I spent some time trying out templates a while ago and couldn't find anything I liked nearly as much as Inland Sea. It just does everything so well. Particularly rivers - Inland Sea has huge amounts of river coverage, nothing spawns big swaths of flood plains like that does.
I just don't feel interested in abusing the AI. Like, if you're going to do that, don't make it into the farce of a science victory, just go conquer them and be done with it. Also that would make me have to be even more picky and rerolly about what starts to play out, that's another factor where I'd have to get it right or restart.
And I spent some time trying out templates a while ago and couldn't find anything I liked nearly as much as Inland Sea. It just does everything so well. Particularly rivers - Inland Sea has huge amounts of river coverage, nothing spawns big swaths of flood plains like that does.