Note: There has been many examples of a mod, due to the strong community and highly skilled modder, has since evolved into its own game, such as 0 A.D. I personally would encourage you to try this path. No matter you've changed this mod, there's still in-game limitations that you aren't allowed to change. Creating a standalone game is not easy, but it's better for you in a long run. You are in full control of all features and details, yet it can also support you financially. Feel free to message me if we're on the same page because there's a lot of thing that can't be duscussed in public.