the interesting thing about portugal is that at least half of the time England or France is clinging to it as their last supply center for many many turns. it is a fairly unique center in that regard. i think this scenario would also cause an early France/Italy clash much more likely.

Yeah I forgot to state that point initially: I hate that Portugal is a unique supply center in that it is only bordered by 2 other spaces - so it is extremely difficult to dig someone out of it. Not only that, but because it sits on the stalemate line, it gives England and France an unmatched advantage over other powers in sneaking into a draw by clinging to life in Portugal. It causes weird, bad gameplay (in my opinion) when England or France suicides the rest of their centers to sneak into Portugal, hoping for that exact scenario.

On another note, without Portugal as a supply center, France will need Warsaw, Moscow, or an Italian home center in order to solo win (in addition to Tunis and the other usual centers France takes). So not only is France's early game reduced (France cannot get the usual 2 free builds that no other power besides Germany can usually get), but also France's endgame is made much more difficult. I think this would be an improvement because France solo wins far more easily than the other powers (not necessarily more OFTEN, because the players self-balance by fearing France - but it is easier to accomplish in my opinion).

3) is a solid idea, but weakens Italy's Western and Northern influence too much. I prefer the idea of creating a new territory that borders Tyrolia, Piedmont, VEN, and TUS that is Italy's new Supply center.
1) is too radical of a change. France is strong, but it is not so strong as to deserve losing essentially a free supply center, which this does.

4 seems fine.
2 is Crazy as it enables someone to hold StP from the South. It completely changes the stalemate line, and frankly I think gives too much power to the Southern nations.

Regarding (2) - I should say that it greatly increases the ability to hold StP from the south, but it is still possible to take it by overwhelming force. If Livonia were poked by Baltic Sea, then a supported attack using Gulf of Bothnia, Finland, Norway, and Barents sea would still work.

I think the western nations are generally stronger than the southern ones because southern centers like Tunis, Warsaw, and Moscow are much easier to take and hold from the north than northern centers like St. Petersburg, Munich, Berlin and Marseilles from the south.

What did poor Italy ever do to you? :'(

Merge Piedmont and Tuscany. That puts Italy and France into more immediate conflict.

Give me 18 centers to start, regardless of which power I play

I don't advocate for any of these, but I must admit that I suicide into Portugal.

I think the classic map in all of it's strangeness is perfect in that the game is naturally balanced by skill and diplomacy.

Now are there some interesting variants... hell yea.

I would love to see a passable neutral switzerland, italy with a F in rome, Turkey with all navies and many more.

If we're talking about changing the classic game slightly, how about chaos?

If Portugal becomes not a supply center, shouldn't the winning condition change to 17 SC's? That would not make it harder for France to win, but it would make it easier for the other powers.