I know you had a tendency toward the muted colors. I didn't really have any thoughts for myself on the subject. I usually went for the brighter and higher contrast in my color palette to avoid confusion. But you prove that with a little texture to the image the need is diminished.

To clarify that, I don't have any problems differentiating the grasslands from the forests and the deserts in your maps, despite your color choices running much closer together. I suspect that it's the excellent work you do into adding a texture to those areas.