Quoting Sethfc, reply 5I like the variance. Maybe have an option to have a map generator 'equalize' starting locations or to allow it to be random for map generation.
I got a start location yesterday where after 15 minutes the ONLY resource I'd found was a shard. There's variance, and then there's "you're totally crippled this game, sorry". I mean I had almost every spell in Procepinee's staring spellbook researched by then, and I didn't even have a town until 10 minutes into that while I hunted for a non-horrible starting location.
This is something they are working on actively. Right now were getting a rough bastardized version. But it's enough to try out a game.
Though a stated goal is to include a resource near your starting position. (It's just not in this version yet.)