About the map selling...I only do it with the very hard factions like Spain, Scythia, etc. where I have no money even though I start out building econ stuff, not armies. I don't game it by asking incredible sums for the map, I take the first offer, and I don't try to sell again. With "early" maps on hard or very hard campaign I'm getting about 600 to 1000 denari--enough to build a structure. Poor factions have given me as little as 400 and split it into two turns. Not unreasonable. So I see it as something to do when you have no money or are in the hole. I don't use it with an already robust economy, that would be gaming it for sure.