Hey David!
Thanks for the comments, I'll go through them one by one.
1) I agree there's far too many non-SC provinces. This is largely due to the fact that I threw the map together real fast a while ago and never really finished it per se. I fully intend on adding significantly more SCs, as I want this map to be unit-heavy due to the special rules and units that will be in it.
2) Thanks for the feedback. Wasn't sure if they were different enough or not. I could see how that could be an issue, especially if someone is somewhat color-blind in the red spectrum.
3) Let me come back to this one at the end.
4) Yes, the idea is navigable rivers, although that's not something I'm wedded to, as it doesn't really fit that well with the theme. It's likely that in the end, they will be taken out.
5) You know, I *had* a reason for it a long time ago, but I'm not really sure what that was anymore! I'm trying to start fresh somewhat, so I'll have to reconsider this, as I'm not sure it makes sense.
6) The islands are going to be grouped into chains, so there won't be a ton of individual islands as shown on the map. That was going to be delineated with sea provinces when those get drawn in.
So, going back to special rules and what not. The two biggest ones are going to be "Shards", and "Oathgates".
First, Shards: In the Stormlight Archive universe, "Shards" come in two varieties (I won't get into the Knights Radiant yet) - Shardplate, and Shardblades. Either makes the bearer into a force that can kill virtually anyone in single combat, but both combined turns the bearer into a virtual army unto themselves. These "Shards" will be represented on the map, and will be able to be wielded by the players. There will be special units representing a unit with Shardplate, Shardblade, or both. These units can move independently of other armies or fleets. Similar to in-universe, the presence of these units in battle will give the bearer significant advantage, and will be critical to battles. They however, can also be lost in battle, and captured by the enemy. Hence, protecting your shards will be a crucial part of the game. This is one reason I want the game to be SC heavy, as it will prevent the Shards from being the only important part of the game in deciding who wins battles.
Second, Oathgates. The Oathgates were immense platforms capable of transporting people to the fabled city of Urithiru. There were 10 in total, one in each of the Kingdoms. Each had a corresponding Oathgate in Urithiru. Therefore, one could travel from your Oathgate, to Urithiru, and then from Urithiru to any other Oathgate. In-universe, they had to be activated by "Knight Radiant", however, I will likely simplify that to simply needing a Shardbearer to activate it. Also up in the air is whether one needs to "unlock" the Oathgate before using it, or if they are automatically unlocked at the start of the game. Allowing them to be "locked" from the non-Urithiru side would allow people to prevent an enemy from simply invading them at home via Urithiru, thus requiring units at home virtually all the time. So specifics are up in the air, but allowing for instantaneous travel via Urithiru is definitely going to be in the game.
Ok, so that probably wasn't the clearest, so, please, ask questions! I appreciate everyone taking the time to respond!