I make maps 256w x 208h.
This makes each space 1.40625 degrees (1°24'22.5") across the diagonal (360/256), or 185 km. The manual says the equatorial radius of Chiron is 7540 km.
The 208 height becomes 146.25°, leaving 16.875° for each polar cap. The furthest navigable space north or south from the equator is then 73.125°, entirely believable given Chiron's strange climate and ecology. No human can explore beyond that because of the severe conditions. No aircraft can fly there because the winds are constantly changing speed and direction.
This makes the edge of each space about 131 km and the area of each space about 17,123 km². (On a globe you would see this get smaller away from the equator.) That's really not a lot of ground: about 1.7 km² for each citizen's food, clothing, shelter, recreation, etc. Plenty of elbow-room.
No overcrowding on
my planets!
I like to think of the base as the urban center, with the citizens spread throughout the base's production area in suburbs, villages, farms, mining camps, etc.
Take all of that and decide: How much ocean coverage? How large are the continents? If there are no huge continents, how many smaller ones are there, and how big are they? Is the planet eroded heavily, or in the throes of tectonic activity? Highland plateaus? Vast lowlands? Mountains in ranges that meander for several thousand kilometers, or are they in clusters?
As far as game-speed, that's tough for me to judge. I always have Tech Stagnation on, along with some tweaks I've made in alpha.txt. I like long games anyway - always have since the days of tabletop war games that went on for weeks. It's a matter of personal taste. One player might love it that way, another hate it.
