Seeking opinions/assistance on another idea I've had.
It's called Dreamland-- set in an alternate ~1915, with the POD in the First Opium War. Under pressure from the British, as well as a different relations minister, the Emperor decided to legalize but heavily tax opium, naturally changing the course of events. The Emperor gradually opened ports to Europeans, and the Qing economy was assisted, as well as no political power being seized by any European nations. Modernization still eluded the Qing, and they still declined, but the European situation in China was different and much more nationalized, competitive, and influential in Western politics.
Embryonic so far but as to rules I figure I'd want a province-based map with each province providing some amount of resources, thinking manpower and (?) capital. More complex rather than less, though this is obviously the area I need most help
The general geopolitical landscape would see great powers in Britain, Russia, Germany, Portugal, France, the Dutch, and America. The Portuguese and Dutch are much more powerful because they engaged in the Chinese economic competition heavily, with Macau becoming one of the most important ports of the world. Spain also was more powerful, but the Spanish-American war actually came sooner and still saw the Americans take the Philippines, Spain's most important colony. Austria, Italy, and the Ottomans are less favored in this timeline because none of them were particularly participant in the more competitive scramble for China. Japan is less favored here as well, because the Meiji Restoration would be less motivated and the Chinese would still be considered the regional power. In Africa, Ethiopia is much more powerful and European imperialism in general is less intense, though similar borders were drawn and certain powers did attempt to colonize here.
Overall the top 15 or so powers of the world would be America, Mexico, Brazil, Britain, Netherlands, France, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Italy, Russia, the Ottomans, Ethiopia, Qing China, and Japan. Other countries like Argentina, Belgium, Spain, Iran, the Nordics, and Bolivia could also be open to players, of course, but not as powerful as the others.
Anyway yeah I'm pretty set on what the map and stats would look like, I'd just need help with the actual game. That's why I came to the Development thread