I don't like the graphics of New World/Mayflower AT ALL. It's trying to be too realistic but just comes across as confusing. Everything is dark and there isn't enough distinction between features, especially the farms or whatever they are. I liked the concept of the scoreboard as one long start tile but I didn't like how it only climbed in multiples of 5, as you said. The surveyors are my favorite feature, too, and I used the concept of the scoreboard and the surveyors as elements of my "Invasion of the Moors" expansion a few years ago. It should still be in the expansions section somewhere, although I haven't touched it in quite a while. I redid the scoreboard into just a large start tile that sits on top, wrapped around the New World board. The surveyors got repurposed as the trailing end of the Gallic army, thereby allowing the area behind them to be settled à la the normal game. Those going ahead are scouting and fighting the Moors.
For the record, you can built above and below the line of the scoreboard, just not backwards around it.
I love Ark of the Covenant but my major complaint is the graphics...I think they are super boring. It makes Israel look like a land of deserts, which it is not. I also like the Castle, but my partner does not like it much so it never gets played. I dislike The City the most of all tile-based spin-offs. It just doesn't do anything for me and the wall race element is very...constricting.