@Warhawk77 Yeah, it’s definitely not TOO bad. It’s much better than a crowded AA1940 map in Europe is. But when you get the game going you realize some spots are still hard. Some of this thins out of course. Western Europe is a nightmare until Germany takes out France and any other minors. Eastern Europe can be a bit of pain too until war breaks out. Won’t always happen in games, but southeast Asia can get messy too if the Chinese, FEC, and Japan are all down there.
I’m with you too, I have used actual bases. There’s a guy on Shapeways who sells awesome naval bases, airbases, factories, etc. EBard also has a great set of capitals to use for aesthetics too. Happy to send you any links to those things if you’re at all interested. HBG and others also have other pieces too, bunkers, shore guns, etc. It’s not cheap, but if you have the funds to add to your games over time I think it’s worth it. I end up playing most games with my dad and brother, and my dad (62 years old) has a hard time seeing the printed on or card board bases beneath all the units. The 3D printed things make it much easier. Yes, more crowded for sure, but it definitely enhances our game play.