Yes, most corner positions are as advantageous as Darka's, which I think is a shame. It's a nice surprise to see situations where the powerful realms are located in the centre of the map, because I know that in the future those realms will probably be torn apart.
If I were a map maker, I would locate the richest and most traversable lands in the centre of the map, while restricting the corners to relative poverty and long travel times. This would balance out the inherent benefits of corner realms with the inherent disabilities of central realms.
No harsh feelings towards Darka, either. It's not that the players or rulers of corner realms are bad, it's just the maps themselves that bother me.
History does not agree with you. See: Perdan, Caligus, CE, Tara and Enweil as prominent examples of centrally located realms that have been strong for many years and have not yet been torn apart going back to when I started playing five years ago. On the other end of things, see Abington, Ibladesh, Soliferum, Arcachon, etc. as "corner" realms that ate dirt. I won't deny that geography confers advantages, but it is not as determinative as you are making it out to be. Darka could be destroyed if CE was willing to allow Lyonesse to start TOing Darkan regions (and Lyonesse was willing to take them). Also if Talerium stopped protecting them.
