Hi Fritz Stein. I think that what Tyler Boyd is trying to say is that the most important areas to control are in the core, consisting of O44, 45, 54, and 55. The players who joined the world first go into those oceans. Also, late in the game, big alliances generally expand that way. The oceans bordering those: 33, 34, 35, 36, 46, 56, 66, 65, 64, 63, 53, and 43 are know as expansion oceans. Players get seeded into those oceans if they come slightly later. Also, the major but not huge alliances mainly reside there in the endgame. All the other oceans, including 52, are known as the rim. Players only are there when they join late, their last city is taken, or if they expand outward, which is often unadvisable. Usually in those oceans smaller, inactive, and worse players are as a result. If I were you, I'd expand south, and try to find an O53 alliance.