One thing that I like about minetown is that it is a welcoming community with many different peoples and cultures. Recently, I have been entertaining myself with minecraft survival servers that have their map as a pre-set earth map, with oceans, countries, and mountains in positions similar to the real world. Personally, I think this would be awesome to have an overworld map as this.

Lets compare and contrast-

Downsides to having an earth map as the next survival:
Downloading an earth map will occupy alot of space(files) and will take time
Pre-determined chunks will cause lag
Biomes will not be as diverse as they are on a normal SMP

Good things about having an earth map as the next survival:
Players who are interested in geography can explore regions and have fun with it
In addition to random groups/clans, groups/clans can be based off of regions/countries, making the game more interesting
Players who arent interested in the earth map but who play on it can pick any place to settle down and start their own adventure!

To summarize, my idea is to have the seed set as an earth map so that those who would like to explore it or set up their own nation can do as they please. Players who arent interested in this will not suffer anything bad, because they are free to start and play the game as if it was a normal minecraft seed.

Add to the Pros that geography feels a lot more relevant and less random with how it is structured after actual continents and oceans are well, actual oceans. Not just oversized blotches of water sorrounded by land (They are by no means small, but you won't find such a thing as proper continents). Different continents would also weigh differently in biomes.

Overall, an earth map has similar benefits to most specifically tailored maps, in that there is a clear cohesion of "Place". That's my personal biggest pro.

...also lots of water and you know how I feel about water <object class="emojione" data="https://resources.enjin.com/1489581540/themes/core/images/emojione/svg/1f61b.svg?0" type="image/svg+xml" standby=":p">:p</object>

I'd like to point out a few things that would be a problem here, if you don't mind.

1. Limited Area to Work
If there was an earth map, there would be a limited space. We can't expand the borders, since that would be outside of the map and wouldn't work/be possible, so once we run out of space, we all get too crowded and can't do anything, forcing a reset to the map.

2. Game Updates
Minecraft is still getting updates & new content. With a pre-generated world, we could not find new chunks with all the new blocks and such, or see the new biomes that may be added. That will make us miss out on a ton of stuff.

3. Becoming political or involve religion(s)
I've seen servers already try this, and it's a fun idea and all, but we specifically stay away from politics and religion, and I feel like a map of the earth to play on is going to get into that really fast.

4. Brazil
Everyone would want Brazil. It would be no fair to let someone have Brazil therefore no earth allowed.

And the solution to (some of) my own problems:

Resource world. Sounds good, sounds like it would fix the problem, right? Nah. Too confusing for new players and very resource heavy from the server to host a second world connected to do that, just to get materials. I'd rather what we have now.

I personally rather a normal world like what we have now, it just wouldn't be the same if it wasn't honestly.

I feel obligated to say this is just my opinion and not speaking from the entire staff team, lmao.

I definitely agree with Matthew on the politics being involved. Disputed country borders or country's existence is gonna cause a lot of arguments and drama. As for Brazil, I think it is a place where we contain Everrius and keep him there until he stops parking his gigantic space ship into the ocean and destroying the dock around it.

Its all fun and games until Pryzm detonates a nuclear warhead in arizona

Bold of you to assume someone would let him.

I suppose I can agree with all those flaws.

TBH My own point is, really any custom handmade map will have this special "Cohesion" with landmarks and very recognisable enviroments that regular minecraft worlds lack. Which is actually a common problem in game design using procedurally generated worlds.

The one geological landmark that I personally think of when trying to think of geology in Minetown is the mountainrange north(?) of spawn that stretches on for about 1k blocks. It would be cool if that place had some special name? Regardless, go too far and even that sorta all blurrs together with the landmarks being more manmade locations rather than the geology..

I believe Rodney and Gizer worked on a custom painted map before, looked pretty neat even if simple as a proof of concept.

I think you're underestimating the amount of empty and unmanaged space that 'custom map' had. Game design takes a lot of effort and energy, and custom designing entire biomes from scratch multiplies that already difficult labor and skill barrier by the kilometers of landmass being redesigned. Add on the technical hurdle of interfering with terrain generation in a way that can't be rolled back by normal means, and the real-estate demand that these custom zones would have from players, and you're looking at a huge amount of work that will be destroyed incredibly quickly, OR will require special laws and zoning to limit how much of a zone a player can take.

For instance, take our prototype custom zone: Skyfall Island. It was claimed by one player who subdivided it and almost immediately tried to tax the hell out of it until everyone left. Lifting the taxes wasn't enough to bring anyone back, and the land was never developed so there's no reason to be there. Even the original owner doesn't go there anymore.

I love the idea of custom landmarks and special zones, hell I've argued for them myself. Unfortunately, with the way the tests we've done have gone, I can tell you that they're not in our build schedule as it is right now.