Are the starting positions balanced

[Delta66]

I wonder if the starting positions are balanced between each players, AI included?
I don't mean whether they are balanced from game to game, just within any single game?

Does experienced player think it is a good idea to wait a few turns to find a goos spot for your first city?
Ususally it is a big disadvantage in this kind of game, to start research and prod a few turns later.

[Kordanor]

I think that the tiles themselves are too imbalanced as such.

Most of the Area is generic. The only really good types are mountains (3 minerals if there is a mine) and flatlands (3 food if there is a farm) everything else is just "random stuff" which doesn't really matter.
Then there are a few "special tiles" which are like +X minerals or +X food. They are nice, but there aren't enough tiles from these types imho.
And then there are observatories with +50% science and the stuff with +50% production which are extremely strong.
So...is it balanced? I think it doesn't really matter much except if you got these +50% buffs. These make cities pretty much OP.
I think running around a little bit makes sense and it worth the time if you get a second resource tile into your city range.

[Canute0]

No starting positions are not balanced. The world is to much random and when you start at one dry or cold area without any +2 food and at last 1-2 mountain tiles around you will struggle soon.

An observatory at your starting city definitif help you alot, at last you should have one at your 2. city.

[Delta66]

No starting positions are not balanced. The world is to much random and when you start at one dry or cold area without any +2 food and at last 1-2 mountain tiles around you will struggle soon.

That's precisely why I asked, after a game where I started in a frozen area, I felt I literally struggled compared to previous games were I started in a temperate grassland area.

I clearly understand that from one game to another staring positions are not equal.
But my question was: if I start in a difficult area would other factions start in similarly difficult area, within the same game. Making it more difficult but for everyone.

[SephiRok]

Yes, starting positions are being balanced, but it needs improvement. Resources, hives, distance to other players is all taken into account.

What needs improvement is that tiles are valued differently, an arctic hill (0/2 with mine) is better than an arctic plain with forests (1/1); currently I believe it's guaranteed that you have 3 minerals around your starting zone, but obviously one tile with 2 is much better than 2 with 1.

In general it's okayish, but I've gotten absurd things like 3 tundra plains with forests, 1 tundra plain with observatory and 3 water tiles vs someone else with plenty of hills and bonus minerals. If they rush you, you're dead.

[Delta66]

Thanks for the clarifications,

For experienced players I like the possibilities to start in difficult positions (or at least various difficulties), for example frozen archipelagos, it would add some replayability, as far as the starting difficulty is similar for all factions.