Why can't a player choose the ocean that they want to start in? This would be great, friends could start in ths same ocean and members in alliances in other woulds could start near each other.
The only down side I could think of is new players to the world would have to start on or near islands that already have cities. But the safe mode could be extended longer or till that new player gets a second city, which ever comes first.
This is a great game and I enjoy plaing very much.
there is a think called sides
north west, north east, south west, south east and random
when a world begins, north west is O44, north east is O45, south west is O54, and south east is O55
Later there are 3 possible oceans for each side, and then 5, and so on...