I don't want to be the chosen one

[Ekaton]

Starting a new game feels like I'm the chosen one, or at least one of several. Since every regime starts the same way, it feels like this is the "day zero" - nothing happened for at least years and then, suddenly, several regimes emerge and conquer the world, without any real explanation. I have several suggestions to amend that and make the game more realistic:

1. Have something like a "fallen empire". Make one or two major regimes start with more cities and territories than others, but something else makes them either fall completely or fall behind, like a civil war, famine, plague, anything. As it retreated, it left more room for raiders, mutants and various regimes, which is where you and others come in. This can be tied to the world generation to explain the ascendancy of that faction and its collapse.
2. Have more variety with majors. If you start with one city, have another one start with two, but again it should have some serious problems that slow it down. Perhaps have one of that cities owned by rebels. Another way to do it would be to create majors with more cities but make them impotent for a few turns.
3. Remnants of the majors that collapsed just prior to the game's start would also be great - just rename some of the marauders or nomads "remnants".

These seem relatively easy to implement but would completely rid the game of the "chosen one" complex, making it more realistic.

[Malevolence]

Indeed.

However, I've had the unenviable experience to turtle for 100 turns and letting the world shake out like you suggest.

It made the game easier, not more difficult. It reduces the problem set for the player. Only a few adversaries with clearly observable attributes (via spies) become important.

It would require a redo of the game's victory conditions.

Asymmetrical starts produce many more games that are either too easy or impossible to win--the flattening of the distribution due to PRNG. Balance becomes much more difficult for this kind of design.

This is the reason almost all board games begin with a symmetrical starting position for players (given pvp).

The best exception is the Dune board game, perhaps one of the best asymmetrical board games. See GMT's COIN series as well for more examples of asymmetrical play. Player's capabilities, goals, etc. are not equal, however.

Shadow Empire is not designed with human and non-human players with different capabilities, goals, etc. Far from it.

[GodwinW]

Don't worry, you're not the chosen one. You're a useful puppet controlled by a fragment of the great Anubis. When the tool (you) dies, another will take its place. It's why you can resign and yet the player behind the computer can play on

[zgrssd]

It is not random. It is not even you. It is The Shadow!

I mean the game is literally called Shadow Empires. Did you never wonder why?

[JWW]

The Shadow

[Vic]

Will move a bit in direction of request with the next beta6.

[Smidlee]

I would like the option of giving major factions a head start that way for example I can play on normal difficult and try to catch up with the AI hopefully by mid-game.

[Ekaton]

ORIGINAL: Vic

Will move a bit in direction of request with the next beta6.

I really love the new variety, customising your planet this way improved the worldgen massively.