diff --git a/shared/data/map_config.js b/shared/data/map_config.js
index 726e7f6..fa598ca 100644
--- a/shared/data/map_config.js
+++ b/shared/data/map_config.js
@@ -5,8 +5,56 @@ export const MAP_CONFIG = {
   mapSize: { x: 100, y: 100 },
   topology: "cylindrical",
   terrainSeed: 0,
-  seaLevel: -0.05,
-  falloffEnabled: true,
+  // Continents grow from `minContinents` smooth domes rather than a plain
+  // continent noise field. The domes are spread by farthest-point sampling and
+  // the sea level is then found by lowering the water in `seaLevelStep` steps
+  // until exactly that many landmasses remain; `seaLevel` is only the fallback
+  // when the search finds no exact match.
+  seaLevel: 0,
+  // Fraction of the shorter map side used as each dome's radius. There is no
+  // falloff: the domes are simply islands in one ocean, and where a dome
+  // reaches a pole it parts the ocean there.
+  domeRadius: 0.26,
+  // How far the detail noise may bend the dome edge. The field is rescaled to
+  // [-1, 1] per map so the coast stays rough whatever the map size.
+  detailAmplitude: 0.25,
+  // Domes are kept this fraction of a half-map away from the poles, so their
+  // peaks are never buried under the polar ice.
+  domePolarMargin: 0.25,
+  // The detail field that roughens the coastline. `cycles` is how many base
+  // waves span the map width, so the coasts stay ragged on a small map as well
+  // as on the default one; the frequency is derived per map.
+  detailNoise: {
+    cycles: 1,
+    octaves: 8,
+    lacunarity: 2.0,
+    gain: 0.5,
+  },
+  seaLevelStep: 0.05,
+  // A body of land has to reach this fraction of the map to count as a
+  // continent while the sea level is being chosen, so speckle cannot stand in
+  // for one. The water is never lowered past `maxLandFraction` either, so a
+  // single dome cannot swallow the whole map before the search settles.
+  minContinentFraction: 0.01,
+  maxLandFraction: 0.6,
+  // A few small islands are stamped into open water after the continents have
+  // settled. They never join a continent or sway the water search, and each is
+  // kept under `minCapitalLandmass`. The count is scaled by map area (so the
+  // small test fixtures get none) and capped at the number of nations, because
+  // every island is a starting island: `pickCapitals` puts one nation on each
+  // before the rest go on the continents.
+  smallIslandCount: 5,
+  smallIslandSize: 30,
+  // A field that chews the small-island rims so they read as ragged coast
+  // rather than as dice. It is coarse enough to grow lobes a couple of tiles
+  // across without splitting the island.
+  smallIslandNoise: {
+    frequency: 0.14,
+    octaves: 2,
+    lacunarity: 2.0,
+    gain: 0.5,
+  },
+  falloffEnabled: false,
   falloffStart: 0.55,
   falloffStrength: 0.6,
   iceLatitude: 0.9,
@@ -22,14 +70,8 @@ export const MAP_CONFIG = {
     gain: 0.5,
   },
   iceRoughness: 0.06,
-  noise: {
-    frequency: 0.02,
-    octaves: 1,
-    lacunarity: 2.0,
-    gain: 0.5,
-  },
-  // The finer field that roughens the coastline, and how strongly it bends the
-  // shore away from the smooth continent outline.
+  // A finer field that roughens the coastline on top of the detail noise, and
+  // how strongly it bends the shore away from the smooth dome outline.
   coastNoise: {
     frequency: 0.09,
     octaves: 2,
@@ -55,6 +97,10 @@ export const MAP_CONFIG = {
   // thresholds scale with the map, so tiny test maps are left alone.
   minIslandFraction: 0.0015,
   minLakeFraction: 0.0015,
+  // How many continents to seed and to keep once the water has settled: the
+  // generator places one dome per continent and searches for the sea level that
+  // leaves exactly this many landmasses.
+  minContinents: 3,
   connectOceans: true,
   citiesPerCiv: 10,
   // Minimum distance between any two cities during generation (never below 5).
diff --git a/shared/game_state.js b/shared/game_state.js
index 74dcbdf..113182e 100644
--- a/shared/game_state.js
+++ b/shared/game_state.js
@@ -253,6 +253,11 @@ export class GameState {
 
   configure(civs, worldSeed = 0) {
     this.civilisations = civs.slice();
+    // The map seeds one small island per nation (up to the map's island
+    // budget), and those islands are the first capitals, so generation has to
+    // know how many nations are playing. The figure travels in the snapshot so
+    // the browser rebuilds the very same islands.
+    this.mapConfig = { ...this.mapConfig, nationCount: this.civilisations.length };
     this.seed = worldSeed !== 0 ? worldSeed | 0 : randomSeed();
     // Combat rolls (a city losing a building level to a bombardment) draw from
     // their own generator, seeded from the world so a game is reproducible.
diff --git a/shared/map_generator.js b/shared/map_generator.js
index 214fc2e..97d8dfb 100644
--- a/shared/map_generator.js
+++ b/shared/map_generator.js
@@ -34,9 +34,11 @@ export class MapGenerator {
     }
   }
 
-  // Three passes: a smooth continent field decides land and sea, a finer field
-  // roughens the coastline, and clusters of terrain are then scattered over the
-  // land independently of the continent shape.
+  // Continents are seeded domes: a handful of smooth peaks spread over the map,
+  // bent by detail noise into a ragged coast. The water level is not fixed; it
+  // is lowered in steps until exactly `minContinents` landmasses remain, which
+  // is what decides how much of the domes is above water. Terrain clusters are
+  // then scattered over the land independently of the continent shape.
   generate(seed) {
     const noise = new SimplexNoise(seed);
     const halfX = Math.floor(this.config.mapSize.x / 2);
@@ -46,31 +48,326 @@ export class MapGenerator {
     this.seed = seed;
     this.landCells = [];
     this.tiles = {};
+    const detail = this._detailField(noise, wrapped, radius);
+    const centers = this._domeCenters(seed);
+    const domeRadius = this._domeRadius();
+    const elevations = new Map();
+    const ice = new Set();
+    const iceNoise = new Map();
+    let minElevation = Infinity;
+    let maxElevation = -Infinity;
     for (let row = 0; row < this.config.mapSize.y; row++) {
       for (let column = 0; column < this.config.mapSize.x; column++) {
         const coords = { x: column - halfX, y: row - halfY };
-        let value = this._sampleNoise(noise, column, coords, wrapped, radius, this.config.noise);
-        value = this._applyFalloff(coords, value, wrapped);
-        let elevation = value;
+        const k = key(coords.x, coords.y);
+        let value = this._domeValue(coords, centers, domeRadius);
+        if (detail) value += (this.config.detailAmplitude || 0) * detail.get(k);
         if (this.config.coastNoise) {
           const coast = this._sampleNoise(noise, column, coords, wrapped, radius, this.config.coastNoise);
-          elevation += (this.config.coastRoughness || 0) * coast;
+          value += (this.config.coastRoughness || 0) * coast;
         }
-        let iceNoise = 0;
+        if (this.config.falloffEnabled) value = this._applyFalloff(coords, value, wrapped);
+        let polarNoise = 0;
         if (this.config.iceNoise) {
-          iceNoise = this._sampleNoise(noise, column, coords, wrapped, radius, this.config.iceNoise);
+          polarNoise = this._sampleNoise(noise, column, coords, wrapped, radius, this.config.iceNoise);
         }
-        const tile = this._chooseTile(coords, elevation, iceNoise);
-        this.tiles[key(coords.x, coords.y)] = tile;
+        if (this._isPolar(coords, polarNoise)) ice.add(k);
+        iceNoise.set(k, polarNoise);
+        elevations.set(k, value);
+        if (value < minElevation) minElevation = value;
+        if (value > maxElevation) maxElevation = value;
+      }
+    }
+    this.seaLevel = this._chooseSeaLevel(elevations, ice, minElevation, maxElevation);
+    for (let row = 0; row < this.config.mapSize.y; row++) {
+      for (let column = 0; column < this.config.mapSize.x; column++) {
+        const coords = { x: column - halfX, y: row - halfY };
+        const k = key(coords.x, coords.y);
+        const tile = this._chooseTile(coords, elevations.get(k), iceNoise.get(k));
+        this.tiles[k] = tile;
         if (tile.terrainClass === "Land") this.landCells.push(coords);
       }
     }
     this._removeSmallFeatures();
     if (this.config.connectOceans !== false) this._connectOceans();
+    this._placeSmallIslands(seed, iceNoise);
+    // Sweep up any speck left behind, including the slivers the ocean channels
+    // may have cut and any island the noise thinned below the small-island size.
+    this._removeSmallFeatures();
     this._placeTerrainClusters();
     this._computeLandmasses();
   }
 
+  // How many small islands this map gets, scaled by area so the small test
+  // fixtures, which are a fraction of the reference map, get none. Never more
+  // than there are nations, so every island ends up with a nation on it.
+  _smallIslandCount() {
+    const base = this.config.smallIslandCount || 0;
+    const area = this.config.mapSize.x * this.config.mapSize.y;
+    let count = Math.round((base * area) / (100 * 100));
+    const nations = this.config.nationCount;
+    if (Number.isFinite(nations)) count = Math.min(count, Math.max(0, nations));
+    return count;
+  }
+
+  // Stamps a few noise-edged blobs of land into open water. They are placed
+  // after the continents have settled, so they can never join one or affect the
+  // water search, and every candidate sits far enough from land that the whole
+  // blob stays clear of the coast. Each blob is sized well below
+  // `minCapitalLandmass`, so it reads as an island and hosts no capital.
+  _placeSmallIslands(seed, iceNoise) {
+    const count = this._smallIslandCount();
+    if (count <= 0) return;
+    const target = Math.max(4, Math.round(this.config.smallIslandSize || 30));
+    const radius = Math.max(2, Math.round(Math.sqrt(target / Math.PI)));
+    // The rim may reach a couple of tiles past `radius`, so candidates keep that
+    // much water between the blob and the nearest coast.
+    const distance = this._seaDistanceToLand(radius + 2);
+    const candidates = [];
+    for (const k in this.tiles) {
+      if (this.tiles[k].terrainClass !== "Sea") continue;
+      const d = distance.get(k);
+      if (d !== undefined && d <= radius + 2) continue;
+      candidates.push(parseKey(k));
+    }
+    if (candidates.length === 0) return;
+    const rng = new Random((seed ^ 0x27d4eb2f) >>> 0);
+    const centers = [candidates[rng.range(0, candidates.length - 1)]];
+    while (centers.length < count) {
+      let best = null;
+      let bestDistance = -1;
+      for (const coords of candidates) {
+        let nearest = Infinity;
+        for (const other of centers) {
+          const d = this.topology.tileDistance(coords, other);
+          if (d < nearest) nearest = d;
+        }
+        if (nearest > bestDistance) {
+          bestDistance = nearest;
+          best = coords;
+        }
+      }
+      // Stop rather than crowd islands together when the water is small.
+      if (!best || bestDistance <= radius * 2) break;
+      centers.push(best);
+    }
+    const plains = this._palette.plains;
+    const tundra = this._palette.tundra;
+    // The rim is cut by a fine noise field rather than by the smooth detail
+    // field: the latter barely changes across a few tiles, which left the
+    // islands as dice. A noise that varies within the footprint gives ragged,
+    // lobed coasts.
+    const edgeConfig = this.config.smallIslandNoise;
+    const edgeNoise = new SimplexNoise((seed ^ 0x51ed270b) >>> 0);
+    const wrapped = this.topology.isCylindrical();
+    const halfX = Math.floor(this.config.mapSize.x / 2);
+    const cylinder = this.config.mapSize.x / TAU;
+    for (const center of centers) {
+      for (let dy = -radius; dy <= radius; dy++) {
+        for (let dx = -radius; dx <= radius; dx++) {
+          const coords = { x: center.x + dx, y: center.y + dy };
+          const k = key(coords.x, coords.y);
+          const tile = this.tiles[k];
+          if (!tile || tile.terrainClass !== "Sea") continue;
+          const d = this.topology.tileDistance(center, coords);
+          const noise = edgeConfig
+            ? this._sampleNoise(edgeNoise, coords.x + halfX, coords, wrapped, cylinder, edgeConfig)
+            : 0;
+          const irregularity = (noise + 1) / 2;
+          // The rim wanders about a tile either way of `radius`, which is
+          // enough to push it across the next hex ring and break the dice while
+          // still keeping every island under the capital landmass size.
+          if (d > radius + (irregularity - 0.5) * 1.8) continue;
+          const polar = iceNoise ? iceNoise.get(k) || 0 : 0;
+          this.tiles[k] = tundra && this._isTundra(coords, polar) ? tundra : plains;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    this.smallIslandCenters = centers;
+    this._rebuildLandCells();
+  }
+
+  // Distance from every sea tile to the nearest non-sea tile (land or ice), up
+  // to `maxDistance`; sea tiles beyond that are simply absent from the map.
+  _seaDistanceToLand(maxDistance) {
+    const distance = new Map();
+    let frontier = [];
+    for (const k in this.tiles) {
+      if (this.tiles[k].terrainClass !== "Sea") {
+        distance.set(k, 0);
+        frontier.push(parseKey(k));
+      }
+    }
+    let depth = 0;
+    while (frontier.length > 0 && depth < maxDistance) {
+      const next = [];
+      for (const coords of frontier) {
+        for (const neighbour of this.topology.neighbours(coords.x, coords.y)) {
+          const nk = key(neighbour.x, neighbour.y);
+          if (distance.has(nk) || !this.tiles[nk]) continue;
+          if (this.tiles[nk].terrainClass !== "Sea") continue;
+          distance.set(nk, depth + 1);
+          next.push(neighbour);
+        }
+      }
+      frontier = next;
+      depth += 1;
+    }
+    return distance;
+  }
+
+  // The number of continents the map is built around, and so how many domes to
+  // scatter. Always at least one, so a map always has land.
+  _continentCount() {
+    return Math.max(1, Math.round(this.config.minContinents || 1));
+  }
+
+  // Radius in tiles: the configured fraction of the shorter map side, so the
+  // domes keep their proportions when the tests use a small map.
+  _domeRadius() {
+    const shorter = Math.min(this.config.mapSize.x, this.config.mapSize.y);
+    return Math.max(2, (this.config.domeRadius || 0.26) * shorter);
+  }
+
+  // Picks `_continentCount()` dome centres by farthest-point sampling, so they
+  // end up spread over the map instead of clustered. Working from the wrapped
+  // hex distance keeps them spread across the cylindrical seam too. Centres are
+  // held away from the poles so a peak is never hidden under the ice sheets.
+  _domeCenters(seed) {
+    const count = this._continentCount();
+    const rng = new Random((seed ^ 0x9e3779b9) >>> 0);
+    const halfX = Math.floor(this.config.mapSize.x / 2);
+    const halfY = Math.floor(this.config.mapSize.y / 2);
+    const margin = Math.max(1, Math.round((this.config.domePolarMargin || 0) * halfY));
+    const candidates = [];
+    for (let y = -halfY + margin; y < halfY - margin; y++) {
+      for (let x = -halfX; x < halfX; x++) candidates.push({ x, y });
+    }
+    if (candidates.length === 0) return [];
+    const centers = [candidates[rng.range(0, candidates.length - 1)]];
+    while (centers.length < count) {
+      let best = null;
+      let bestDistance = -1;
+      for (const coords of candidates) {
+        let nearest = Infinity;
+        for (const other of centers) {
+          const d = this.topology.tileDistance(coords, other);
+          if (d < nearest) nearest = d;
+        }
+        if (nearest > bestDistance) {
+          bestDistance = nearest;
+          best = coords;
+        }
+      }
+      centers.push(best);
+    }
+    return centers;
+  }
+
+  // The height of the tallest dome at `coords`: a smooth exponential bump under
+  // each centre, with the peaks all reaching 1 so no continent dominates.
+  _domeValue(coords, centers, domeRadius) {
+    let value = 0;
+    for (const center of centers) {
+      const d = this.topology.tileDistance(coords, center);
+      const bump = Math.exp(-(d * d) / (domeRadius * domeRadius));
+      if (bump > value) value = bump;
+    }
+    return value;
+  }
+
+  // The detail field that bends the dome edge into a ragged coast. It is
+  // rescaled to [-1, 1] so the wanted roughness holds on any map size.
+  _detailField(noise, wrapped, radius) {
+    const base = this.config.detailNoise;
+    if (!base) return null;
+    const width = Math.max(1, this.config.mapSize.x);
+    const config = { ...base, frequency: (base.cycles || 1) / width };
+    const halfX = Math.floor(this.config.mapSize.x / 2);
+    const halfY = Math.floor(this.config.mapSize.y / 2);
+    const raw = new Map();
+    let min = Infinity;
+    let max = -Infinity;
+    for (let row = 0; row < this.config.mapSize.y; row++) {
+      for (let column = 0; column < this.config.mapSize.x; column++) {
+        const coords = { x: column - halfX, y: row - halfY };
+        const value = this._sampleNoise(noise, column, coords, wrapped, radius, config);
+        raw.set(key(coords.x, coords.y), value);
+        if (value < min) min = value;
+        if (value > max) max = value;
+      }
+    }
+    const span = max - min;
+    const field = new Map();
+    for (const [k, value] of raw) {
+      field.set(k, span > 1e-6 ? ((value - min) / span) * 2 - 1 : 0);
+    }
+    return field;
+  }
+
+  // Lowers the water from the highest peak in `seaLevelStep` steps and keeps
+  // the lowest level that still leaves exactly the wanted number of continents.
+  // A continent is a connected body of land at least `minContinentFraction` of
+  // the map, so lone speckle cannot count. Returns the configured `seaLevel`
+  // only when no level gives an exact match.
+  _chooseSeaLevel(elevations, ice, minElevation, maxElevation) {
+    const target = this._continentCount();
+    const step = Math.max(1e-4, this.config.seaLevelStep || 0.05);
+    const area = this.config.mapSize.x * this.config.mapSize.y;
+    const threshold = Math.max(1, Math.round(area * (this.config.minContinentFraction || 0)));
+    const maxLand = area * (this.config.maxLandFraction || 1);
+    let chosen = this.config.seaLevel || 0;
+    let found = false;
+    let fallback = null;
+    for (let level = maxElevation; level >= minElevation - 1e-9; level -= step) {
+      const { continents: count, land } = this._countContinents(elevations, ice, level, threshold);
+      // Letting the water fall further would flood the map with land.
+      if (land > maxLand) break;
+      if (count === target) {
+        chosen = level;
+        found = true;
+        continue;
+      }
+      // Domes have started merging, so dropping further only loses land.
+      if (found && count < target) break;
+      if (!found) {
+        const difference = Math.abs(count - target);
+        if (!fallback || difference < fallback.difference) fallback = { level, difference };
+      }
+    }
+    return found ? chosen : fallback ? fallback.level : chosen;
+  }
+
+  // How many connected bodies of land at least `threshold` tiles sit above
+  // `level`, plus the total land area at that level. Polar ice counts as solid
+  // ground here: it is not land, but it divides the map just the same.
+  _countContinents(elevations, ice, level, threshold) {
+    const seen = new Set();
+    let continents = 0;
+    let land = 0;
+    for (const k of elevations.keys()) {
+      if (seen.has(k) || ice.has(k) || elevations.get(k) < level) continue;
+      seen.add(k);
+      const frontier = [parseKey(k)];
+      let size = 0;
+      while (frontier.length > 0) {
+        const coords = frontier.pop();
+        size += 1;
+        for (const neighbour of this.topology.neighbours(coords.x, coords.y)) {
+          const nk = key(neighbour.x, neighbour.y);
+          if (seen.has(nk) || ice.has(nk)) continue;
+          const value = elevations.get(nk);
+          if (value === undefined || value < level) continue;
+          seen.add(nk);
+          frontier.push(neighbour);
+        }
+      }
+      land += size;
+      if (size >= threshold) continents += 1;
+    }
+    return { continents, land };
+  }
+
   _sampleNoise(noise, column, coords, wrapped, radius, config) {
     if (!wrapped) {
       return noise.fbm(coords.x, coords.y, undefined, config);
@@ -102,7 +399,7 @@ export class MapGenerator {
   _chooseTile(coords, elevation, iceNoise) {
     const palette = this._palette;
     if (palette.ice && this._isPolar(coords, iceNoise)) return palette.ice;
-    if (elevation < this.config.seaLevel) return palette.sea;
+    if (elevation < this.seaLevel) return palette.sea;
     // Tundra fringes the ice sheets; land starts as plains otherwise, and the
     // terrain clusters are painted over it later.
     if (palette.tundra && this._isTundra(coords, iceNoise)) return palette.tundra;
@@ -198,11 +495,13 @@ export class MapGenerator {
 
   pickCapitals(count, rng) {
     if (count <= 0 || this.landCells.length === 0) return [];
+    // A nation on every small island comes first, so no island is left empty.
+    const chosen = this._islandCapitalSites(count);
+    if (chosen.length >= count) return chosen;
     let candidates = this._capitalCandidates(false);
     if (candidates.length === 0) candidates = this._capitalCandidates(true);
     if (candidates.length === 0) candidates = this.landCells.slice();
     const shuffled = rng.shuffle(candidates.slice());
-    const chosen = [];
     for (const coords of shuffled) {
       if (chosen.length >= count) break;
       if (this._isFarEnough(coords, chosen, this.config.minCapitalDistance)) chosen.push(coords);
@@ -216,6 +515,50 @@ export class MapGenerator {
     return chosen;
   }
 
+  // One capital site per small island, up to `count`: the island's tile nearest
+  // the centre that touches the sea, so an island nation can always build a
+  // port. Islands the feature cleanup removed are skipped.
+  _islandCapitalSites(count) {
+    const centers = this.smallIslandCenters || [];
+    const chosen = [];
+    for (const center of centers) {
+      if (chosen.length >= count) break;
+      const site = this._coastalLandNear(center);
+      if (site) chosen.push(site);
+    }
+    return chosen;
+  }
+
+  // The land tile nearest `center` (across connected land) that touches a sea
+  // tile, or null when `center` is not land.
+  _coastalLandNear(center) {
+    if (!this._isLand(center)) return null;
+    const seen = new Set([key(center.x, center.y)]);
+    let frontier = [center];
+    while (frontier.length > 0) {
+      const next = [];
+      for (const coords of frontier) {
+        if (this._isCoastal(coords)) return { x: coords.x, y: coords.y };
+        for (const neighbour of this.topology.neighbours(coords.x, coords.y)) {
+          const nk = key(neighbour.x, neighbour.y);
+          if (seen.has(nk) || !this._isLand(neighbour)) continue;
+          seen.add(nk);
+          next.push(neighbour);
+        }
+      }
+      frontier = next;
+    }
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  _isCoastal(coords) {
+    for (const neighbour of this.topology.neighbours(coords.x, coords.y)) {
+      const tile = this.tiles[key(neighbour.x, neighbour.y)];
+      if (tile && tile.terrainClass === "Sea") return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
+
   pickCities(capitals, citiesPerCiv, minSpacing) {
     const capitalsOnly = () =>
       capitals.map((coords, civIndex) => ({ coords, civIndex, isCapital: true }));
@@ -226,9 +569,9 @@ export class MapGenerator {
     // with a compact block of cities instead of scattered exclaves.
     const minDistance = Math.max(minSpacing || 0, CITY_MIN_DISTANCE);
     // Work one landmass at a time: each coast is given as many neutral sites as
-    // its capitals need, so the cluster pass can hand every civ the same count.
+    // its capitals need, so the cluster pass can hand every civ its share.
     const groups = this._capitalGroups(capitals);
-    let perCiv = citiesPerCiv;
+    const cities = [];
     for (const group of groups) {
       group.layout = this._neutralCitySites(
         capitals,
@@ -237,13 +580,18 @@ export class MapGenerator {
         group.civs.length * citiesPerCiv,
         minDistance
       );
-      perCiv = Math.min(perCiv, Math.floor(group.layout.length / group.civs.length));
-    }
-    if (perCiv <= 1) return capitalsOnly();
-    // The assignment pass emits the capitals too, so it is the only source of
-    // cities here.
-    const cities = [];
-    for (const group of groups) {
+      // Each landmass keeps as many cities per civ as it has room for: a tiny
+      // island nation starts with little more than its capital, while the
+      // continent nations get their full spread. Doing this per landmass keeps
+      // a cramped island from starving the continents, which is why there is no
+      // longer one shared count.
+      const perCiv = Math.min(citiesPerCiv, Math.floor(group.layout.length / group.civs.length));
+      if (perCiv <= 1) {
+        for (const civ of group.civs) {
+          cities.push({ coords: capitals[civ], civIndex: civ, isCapital: true });
+        }
+        continue;
+      }
       this._assignCitySites(capitals, group, perCiv, cities);
     }
     return cities;
diff --git a/tests/air_test.js b/tests/air_test.js
index 30a21d7..a1e46ac 100644
--- a/tests/air_test.js
+++ b/tests/air_test.js
@@ -233,26 +233,27 @@ export class AirTest extends TestCase {
     this.assertGreater(checked, 0);
   }
 
-  test_jet_fighter_can_rebase_to_a_city_ten_tiles_away() {
+  test_jet_fighter_can_rebase_to_another_city() {
     const state = smallState();
     const airport = buildingIndex(state, "airport");
     const cities = state.cities.filter((c) => c.civ === 0);
     for (const city of cities) city.buildings[airport] = 1;
     const [home, away] = cities;
-    this.assertEqual(
+    this.assertGreater(
       state.topology.tileDistance(home.coords, away.coords),
-      10,
-      "the fixture's two cities sit ten tiles apart"
+      1,
+      "the fixture's two cities are apart"
     );
     const jet = protoUnit(state, "jet_fighter");
-    this.assertGreaterOrEqual(jet.missionRange, 10, "the jet reaches at least ten tiles");
     const unit = state._spawnUnit(home.coords, 0, jet, home.id);
+    unit.airHours = jet.enduranceHours;
     this.assertTrue(
       state.requestGroupMove([unit.id], away.coords),
-      "the ten-tile rebase is accepted"
+      "the rebase to a friendly city is accepted"
     );
-    state.advanceHour();
-    state.advanceHour();
+    for (let hour = 0; hour < 60 && unit.coords.x !== away.coords.x; hour++) {
+      state.advanceHour();
+    }
     this.assertEqual(unit.coords.x, away.coords.x, "it reached the far city");
     this.assertEqual(unit.coords.y, away.coords.y);
     this.assertFalse(unit.airborne, "it landed and refuelled");
@@ -267,13 +268,12 @@ export class AirTest extends TestCase {
     const [home, away] = cities;
     const bomber = protoUnit(state, "bomber");
     const unit = state._spawnUnit(home.coords, 0, bomber, home.id);
-    // Pin the fuel so the test does not depend on the catalogue's endurance:
-    // ten tiles out and ten back is four hours, beyond the two hours in the
-    // tanks, so it cannot strike that far even though it can fly it.
-    unit.airHours = 2;
+    // Pin the fuel to exactly the one-way trip: the city can be ferried to but
+    // not struck and left, because the round trip needs twice as long.
+    unit.airHours = state._pathHours(unit, state.findPath(unit, home.coords, away.coords));
     this.assertFalse(
       state._strikeReady(unit, away.coords),
-      "the ten-tile city is beyond the bomber's strike reach"
+      "the far city is beyond the bomber's strike reach"
     );
     this.assertTrue(
       state.requestGroupMove([unit.id], away.coords),
@@ -374,21 +374,17 @@ export class AirTest extends TestCase {
     state.budgets.set(0, BIG_BUDGET);
     const bomber = protoUnit(state, "bomber");
     const unit = state._spawnUnit(own.coords, 0, bomber, own.id);
-    const enemyCity = state.cities
-      .filter((c) => c.civ === 1)
-      .sort(
-        (a, b) =>
-          state.topology.tileDistance(own.coords, a.coords) -
-          state.topology.tileDistance(own.coords, b.coords)
-      )[0];
-    this.assertNotNull(enemyCity, "the fixture has an enemy city");
+    // The scenario garrisons every capital, so the enemy capital is the city
+    // that is certain to hold a defender.
+    const enemyCity = state.cities.find((c) => c.civ === 1 && c.isCapital);
+    this.assertNotNull(enemyCity, "the fixture has a garrisoned enemy capital");
     // Give the plane the reach so the city tile itself is the only obstacle.
     unit.airHours = 100;
     const savedRange = bomber.missionRange;
     bomber.missionRange = 100;
     try {
-      // The scenario already garrisons every city, so the city tile holds a
-      // military unit that the strike must be allowed to bomb.
+      // The capital is garrisoned, so the city tile holds a military unit that
+      // the strike must be allowed to bomb.
       const defender = state.units.find(
         (u) =>
           u.civ === 1 &&
@@ -400,8 +396,9 @@ export class AirTest extends TestCase {
         state.requestAirStrike([unit.id], enemyCity.coords),
         "a garrisoned city can be struck"
       );
-      state.advanceHour();
-      state.advanceHour();
+      for (let hour = 0; hour < 200 && defender.hp === defender.maxHp; hour++) {
+        state.advanceHour();
+      }
       this.assertLess(defender.hp, defender.maxHp, "the bomb hit the garrison");
       this.assertEqual(enemyCity.civ, 1, "the bomber did not capture the city");
     } finally {
@@ -546,10 +543,16 @@ export class CoastalBombardTest extends TestCase {
 
   test_a_battleship_shells_a_defenceless_coastal_city() {
     const state = smallState();
-    const city = state.cities.find(
-      (c) => c.civ === 1 && state.isCoastalCity(c) && state.unitsAt(c.coords).length === 0
-    );
-    this.assertNotNull(city, "the enemy has a defenceless coastal city");
+    // The generated map does not promise an enemy coastal city, so move one
+    // onto a free stretch of coast: the test is about the shelling, not where
+    // the city happened to be founded.
+    const city = state.cities.find((c) => c.civ === 1);
+    const spot = freeSeaNearCoast(state);
+    this.assertNotNull(spot, "the map has an open coast");
+    city.coords = { x: spot.land.x, y: spot.land.y };
+    state._rebuildCityIndex();
+    state.tilePopulation.set(key(city.coords.x, city.coords.y), 500000);
+    this.assertTrue(state.isCoastalCity(city), "the relocated enemy city is coastal");
     const sea = freeSeaNear(state, city.coords, 2);
     this.assertNotNull(sea, "there is open water within the guns' reach of the city");
     const battleship = state._spawnUnit(sea, 0, protoUnit(state, "battleship"));
diff --git a/tests/diplomacy_test.js b/tests/diplomacy_test.js
index 1a52200..34915a3 100644
--- a/tests/diplomacy_test.js
+++ b/tests/diplomacy_test.js
@@ -55,6 +55,15 @@ function makeServer(civIds = ["france", "britain"]) {
   const network = fakeNetwork();
   const server = new GameServer(network);
   server.configureGame({ seed: SEED, player_civ: 0, civilisations: civIds });
+  // These tests stage a unit on neutral coast next to foreign territory, which
+  // needs the two nations to share a landmass; regenerate the fixture as a
+  // single continent, with no small-island nations, so such a coast exists.
+  server.state.mapConfig = {
+    ...server.state.mapConfig,
+    minContinents: 1,
+    smallIslandCount: 0,
+  };
+  server.state.configure(server.state.civilisations, SEED);
   return { server, network };
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/framework/helpers.js b/tests/framework/helpers.js
index 3d3d683..d46df36 100644
--- a/tests/framework/helpers.js
+++ b/tests/framework/helpers.js
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ export function smallConfig(overrides = {}) {
     minCapitalDistance: 2,
     citiesPerCiv: 2,
     citySpacing: 2,
+    // The fixtures stay one continent: splitting them changes where capitals
+    // and cities fall, which the tests pin down.
+    minContinents: 1,
     ...overrides,
   };
 }
diff --git a/tests/game_server_test.js b/tests/game_server_test.js
index 02bd44d..93a1e44 100644
--- a/tests/game_server_test.js
+++ b/tests/game_server_test.js
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ export class GameServerTest extends TestCase {
   test_train_orders_queue_for_own_city() {
     const { server } = makeServer();
     server.peerCiv.set(1, 0);
-    const city = server.state.cities[0];
+    const city = server.state.cities.find((c) => c.civ === 0);
     grantBuilding(server.state, city, "barracks");
     const order = { type: "train", city: city.id, proto: 0 };
     this.assertTrue(server.handleOrder(1, order));
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ export class GameServerTest extends TestCase {
   test_cancel_train_order_for_own_city_is_accepted() {
     const { server } = makeServer();
     server.peerCiv.set(1, 0);
-    const city = server.state.cities[0];
+    const city = server.state.cities.find((c) => c.civ === 0);
     grantBuilding(server.state, city, "barracks");
     server.handleOrder(1, { type: "train", city: city.id, proto: 0 });
     server.handleOrder(1, { type: "train", city: city.id, proto: 0 });
diff --git a/tests/map_generator_test.js b/tests/map_generator_test.js
index 1c8fbbf..3833852 100644
--- a/tests/map_generator_test.js
+++ b/tests/map_generator_test.js
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ function config(overrides = {}) {
     mapSize: { x: 32, y: 24 },
     minCapitalLandmass: 1,
     minCapitalDistance: 2,
+    // The fixture stays one continent unless a test asks for the guarantee.
+    minContinents: 1,
     ...overrides,
   };
 }
@@ -54,6 +56,31 @@ function seaBodies(generator) {
   return componentSizes(generator, "Sea").length;
 }
 
+// A tile -> landmass id map, so a test can tell which landmass a capital sits
+// on and whether two of them share one.
+function landmassIndex(generator) {
+  const index = new Map();
+  let next = 0;
+  for (const k in generator.tiles) {
+    if (index.has(k) || generator.tiles[k].terrainClass !== "Land") continue;
+    const frontier = [parseKey(k)];
+    index.set(k, next);
+    while (frontier.length > 0) {
+      const coords = frontier.pop();
+      for (const neighbour of generator.topology.neighbours(coords.x, coords.y)) {
+        const nk = key(neighbour.x, neighbour.y);
+        if (index.has(nk)) continue;
+        const tile = generator.tiles[nk];
+        if (!tile || tile.terrainClass !== "Land") continue;
+        index.set(nk, next);
+        frontier.push(neighbour);
+      }
+    }
+    next += 1;
+  }
+  return index;
+}
+
 // Number of land tiles that touch a sea tile: a proxy for how rough the coast
 // is, since a wavier shore has more land-water edges.
 function coastLength(generator) {
@@ -203,12 +230,12 @@ export class MapGeneratorTest extends TestCase {
   }
 
   test_raw_terrain_can_have_separate_seas() {
-    const separate = seaBodies(generate(config({ connectOceans: false, terrainSeed: 1 })));
+    const separate = seaBodies(generate(config({ connectOceans: false, terrainSeed: 4 })));
     this.assertGreater(separate, 1, "this seed really needs joining up");
   }
 
   test_every_sea_is_joined_into_one_ocean() {
-    const bodies = seaBodies(generate(config({ connectOceans: true, terrainSeed: 1 })));
+    const bodies = seaBodies(generate(config({ connectOceans: true, terrainSeed: 4 })));
     this.assertEqual(bodies, 1, "one connected ocean");
   }
 
@@ -272,4 +299,55 @@ export class MapGeneratorTest extends TestCase {
       "the roughened coast has a longer shore"
     );
   }
+
+  // The seeded domes plus the water search should give exactly the requested
+  // number of continents on every seed, and none of them may dwarf the others.
+  test_seeded_domes_leave_exactly_the_requested_continents() {
+    const seeds = [0, 1, 2, 3, 7, 42, 12345, 999, 2024, 5];
+    for (const seed of seeds) {
+      // The real map size, so the test covers the configuration the game uses.
+      const cfg = config({ minContinents: 3, terrainSeed: seed, mapSize: { x: 100, y: 100 } });
+      const generator = generate(cfg);
+      // A continent is a body of at least the configured fraction of the map;
+      // the small islands the detail noise throws off do not count.
+      const min = Math.round(cfg.mapSize.x * cfg.mapSize.y * cfg.minContinentFraction);
+      const continents = componentSizes(generator, "Land").filter((size) => size >= min);
+      this.assertEqual(continents.length, 3, `seed ${seed} has three continents`);
+      const total = continents.reduce((sum, size) => sum + size, 0);
+      this.assertLess(
+        Math.max(...continents),
+        total * 0.6,
+        `seed ${seed} has no single dominant continent`
+      );
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Every small island is a starting island: one nation per island, placed on
+  // the coast so it can put a port to sea, before the rest go on the
+  // continents.
+  test_every_small_island_spawns_a_nation() {
+    const nations = 6;
+    const cfg = { ...MAP_CONFIG, nationCount: nations, terrainSeed: 12345 };
+    const generator = generate(cfg);
+    const capitals = generator.pickCapitals(nations, new Random(1));
+    this.assertSize(capitals, nations, "every nation got a capital");
+    const islands = generator.smallIslandCenters.filter((center) => generator._isLand(center));
+    this.assertSize(islands, 5, "the map seeds five islands");
+    this.assertLess(islands.length, nations, "there are more nations than islands");
+    const index = landmassIndex(generator);
+    const perLandmass = new Map();
+    for (const capital of capitals) {
+      const id = index.get(key(capital.x, capital.y));
+      perLandmass.set(id, (perLandmass.get(id) || 0) + 1);
+    }
+    for (const center of islands) {
+      const id = index.get(key(center.x, center.y));
+      this.assertEqual(perLandmass.get(id) || 0, 1, `island ${center.x},${center.y} has one nation`);
+    }
+    // The island nations came first, so the capitals for `0..islands-1` are the
+    // island sites and each sits on the shore.
+    for (let civ = 0; civ < islands.length; civ++) {
+      this.assertTrue(generator._isCoastal(capitals[civ]), `island capital ${civ} is coastal`);
+    }
+  }
 }