What makes a good starting island layout?

[Rasp]

I'm considering resetting my island and I'd like to hear opinions about what a good island layout is.
I don't care about fruit or airport color, but would like a good layout for future designing and terraforming. In your experience, what makes an island easy or hard to work with? Is it better to have a side river exit or to have both exits to the south? Resident services close to the beach or farther north, centered or off to one side?

Thanks in advance for your input!

 

[Chris]

You already listed the two things I'd say to take into consideration: river exits and residential services positioning. What is good really depends on what you want to do with it.

e.g. I think my residential services positioning is fine, but I wish my river had a west-facing exit rather than east. But if my residential services was further left then that east-facing river exit wouldn't be an issue!

 

[IndoX]

I can work around the rivers but honestly the most important is the location of resident services. Depending on what type of entrance you want you either want it directly in front of the airport or completely out of the way. I got some weird in between it’s horrible.

 

[moon_child]

It’s hard to recommend because it really depends on your play style. Two south river exits are challenging to design in terms of terraforming but having played one island that has two south exits and one island with one south and one East/West exit, I prefer playing in the two south exit river one. It’s because I don’t like having my beach cut off horizontally especially when farming balloons. When I’m resetting for maps I consider the whole feel of the island. There are some that are technically good in theory but don’t feel like home to me. So it’s really the overall feel, I think. Anyone can make anything work with terraforming as long as the island feels comfortable to play in.

 

[Fey]

Yeah I don’t think there’s one right answer here. Somebody’s perfect map could be my nightmare and vice versa.

I’ve seen most people say that having one South river exit and one off to the East or West is better for landscaping, and I tend to agree. However, all that really means is not wanting narrow land strips on both sides. I could definitely see a map that not only makes due with that layout, but actually takes full advantage of it somehow.

Personally I’d advise thinking about a rough idea of the layout you have in mind, and then choosing a map with geography suitable to that vision. You don’t need to know exactly what you want and where to put it—just focus on the things that can’t be changed, like the plaza location (space on either side, and distance to the airport)