Hi Andeask,

My suggestion/solution for this is that you see the entire region within the borders of the area in which you would settle (and not the map or the adjoining regions) and you then select where within it.

It is a tired trope that you are in a region and you have no idea what is around you like you just turned up there via the Star Trek transporter beam.

Not sure that would necessarily make ones decision the first turn quicker. So even with that suggestion implemented I still think I would like the option to except the first turn from the timer settings. That being said a more informed placement of the first city would also be nice. (and make more sense from a narrative perspective as you said)