I dunno if it will be that cramped for anyone this year, based on the size of the tables versus the amount of space each player gets.
Basically doing the math I found that each player would get around 27", a little more but I rounded down, of a deployment width. Not entirely sure what no man's land will be, but assuming its 24" that leaves each player with a 27"wx24"d deployment zone. Of course that does not account for any much needed spilling with horde armies.
I personally like the idea of coming in other players deployment zones, it helps promote a team feeling that the game should have. The realistic side of me worries that while some players can handle the diversification of forces abroad, other players get lost in the crowd. This has caused, is going to cause, and will always cause the game to come to a halt as people hunt down players to resolve the game phases. This would be better suited if players left their forces in the hands of players already set up in the general area, but that is a pipe dream
And following the common theme you have to be consistant so I leave it to those far more learned than me to make a decision.
