by Potjeh » Sun Aug 02, 2009 7:35 pm
That map is the outdated danger level map. The circles represent levels of animals you could run into (ie lvl1 in the centre, lvl 10 on the outside). Nowadays danger levels are connected to civilization, and generally are lower then they were on this map. This map is still used for navigation, though, because it shows cliffs, unlike the civ map.
Anyway, settling in outer regions (you can settle anywhere on the map) gives you better hunting opportunities. However, settling also reduces danger levels in a fairly wide area, which reduces availability of animals. As more and more people settle out in the wilderness hunting gets worse, and it's gotten quite bad lately. So I advise you settle close to existing civilization and take long walks to the hunting grounds, because that preserves the animals for everyone.
As for tree growth, it's not influenced by the danger levels. When I say forest terrain, I mean that darker green terrain with ferns. Note that you can create your own forest by planting firs on grassland, but it's a very slow process. Also, forest terrain is where most animals spawn. Placing a claim on it prevents animals from spawning, so please only place claims on grassland or artificial forests you created.

Bottleneck