My NES,
TLKNES: Bella Époque has a lot of openings.
Firstly, several notable colonial powers are available: Portugal, the Netherlands, the Commonwealth of New England and Spain
The Ottoman Empire, still a very potent force, though suffering through a war with Greece and the Mahdists is free.
Regional powers, such as Persia, Bolivia, Chile, Bulgaria, Sweden, Mexico and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies are open, and have the potential to be key players immediately.
And finally, smaller more customize-able nations such as California, Texas, Paraguay, Padania and the Duchy of Warsaw have a lot of potential, and could use some love.
The game itself is fairly simple to learn and play, and the world is still wide-open. I'm also trying to encourage some more role-playing, (as after all it's a Never Ending
Story) so if you enjoy that element of the NES, please know I enjoy and reward it.
Any questions, message me!