The original Cascade Range was bugged for Japan (the shrines wouldn't place). The patched version fixes all native settlement placements and ensures the central river is crossable only via shallows. It is the gold standard for competitive treaty play.
To ensure your custom maps appear in the game, follow these specific steps for The Asian Dynasties Locate the Folder : Do not use the installation folder in Program Files . Instead, navigate to: Documents\My Games\Age of Empires 3\RM3 : If you are playing the base game or The WarChiefs folders respectively. Move the Files