The big map is, what is making this mod interesting for me more than anything else.
It is the only mod where you really got a world. A world with empires, each with a real powerbase (not a pityful bunch of lords that collapses once two towns are lost)
You can play in the southwest for ages and still got several other empires around, move to the northeast and do the same, etc.
I really, really hope it won´t be changed too much, especially the amount of cities the empires got.
If you feel lost choose a place where you want to live/fight and go for it, just ignore the rest.
If you are "done" or bored (or pissed to many people off) after 1-3 ingame years you can travel to a different part of the world and start again, in the same game, with the same char.
THAT is what makes "newer" SoD with this amazing map so very special for me.
NO other mod does this.
Even Brytenwalda is mostly done after a certain amount of time because all the dozenz of "empires" got only a few holdings and get consumed liked flies.
Here you got a dynamic world for many ingame years with quite stable empires where you can really develop your story, grow to a legend or a plaque or everything inbetween.
I try out a m&b mod every few months but i must give in, after so many years i am simply done with it and its 3 towns - 3 castles 6 villages = an empire setting.
SoD is the last one i am interested in, after Pendor IV is buried.