[Teraswaerto]

I agree with Evilhomer on graphs. Usually I like graphs off, since all that information really is supposed to be gathered with scouts - or not gathered, if you think you can risk being ignorant.

However, with some kind of victory conditions that can end the game suddenly for no apparent reason, graphs should be used.

Furthermore the victory condition, if any is used, should be such that in order to win one player would have to control more than half of the provinces/VPs, maybe 60-70%.

I prefer games without victory conditions since they end naturally, and you can't use the mechanics to win before you've actually beat all your enemies. A player may lose practically all their provinces to raids and still come back, just as someone may attack 50 provinces in one turn with Cloud Trapeze or some such and not be in a position to win if there are no victory conditions.