-I'll do some experimenting with the city icons. I'm kind of sick of dots too, but I haven't come up with any convincing alternatives that don't take up too much room.
-I like the thicker, smoother look of the stroke on the interior of the landmasses; when I set it to the outside, it ends up looking too rough. If I had Inkscape it wouldn't be an issue, but I haven't advanced that far yet.