Just thinking here, how hard would it be to implement a Civil War mod.
Star the game in the year 1850, and have the goal be to be a southern state and declear independance by 1861. The current system would work for this just fine. Include in the rules somewhere that once the south declares independance a new unit is unlocked as Confederate Regular. The long term goal isnt conquest but to simply hold out past the year 1865, with the game ending in 1866.
Leaving trade in europe would make sense and wouldnt require a massive change.
For the south replace indutured servant with slaves.
Combat Units to add maybe or as an upgarde
Sniper (increased sight range and damage due to higher accuracy)
Officer (increases the strength of all units)
Union Calvary same setup as the Emperial dragoons
Union Army same setup as Regulars
Confederate Calvary comes with Vetran II
Confederate Army comes with Vetran II
Remove the Gallon and Caravel as these ships had fallen out of use by this time, also remove man-o-war and Privateer
Keep Frigate and Ship of the Line
Add Iron Clad
Brig
Blockade Runner (for confederates only, can evade frigates, brigs, and ships of the line)
Trade allowed during The War with Europe but with a 50% reduced rate in goods value to simulate the confederate forces trading with mexico and south america instead of Europe at this time, also the north AI would need a tweak to setup blockades.
Blackade Runner should only care 2 goods
Replace Wagon Train with Steam Engine, and add a road upgrade to rail once a road has been built, or possibly allow road and raid to be built together. Rail should carry 6 goods but require a rail line if possible to implement
just some basic ideas, id do this myself, but the last game i modded was Civ2 and wasnt that good
*edit added an image lol
Ok been giving it some thought on resources ect here
Food
Gold Ore
Iron Ore
Cotton
Tabacco
Sugar
Timber
Furs
Cattle
Coal
Horse
These would be made into
Gold -> Gold Bars
Iron -> Refined Iron -> Tools
\
-> Muskets -> Sniper Rifles
/
Cattle
\
-> Salt Peter
/
Coal
cotton -> Clothes
tabacco -> Cigars
Sugar -> Refined Sugar
Timber -> Lumber
Furs -> Leather
Breakdown of course is the North would have most of the ores meaning the south would have to import or conquer a northern mining town to keep up supplies
A sniper rifle would be used to create snipers ill explain my concept on that later
The South would control cotton, sugar, and and Tabacoo meaning if the north wanted these they have to take those towns
Lumber would be in both along with cattle
Saltpeter is made from manure according to wikipedia so your harvesting poop for the nitrates lol
Building Ideas would be these to handle these
Blacksmith House processes only iron and only 1
Blacksmith's Shop processes only iron and only 2
Forge process's 12Iron + 1Gold
Pasture ect work the same except
Ranch creates 12 horses + 3 Salt Peter
Armory ect remain the same except
Arsonel creats 12Muskets + 1 Sniper Rifle
the rest remains unchanged building wise
Add Telegraph after printing press net bonus +12% Liberty Bells
Units
Sniper takes 75 rifles (an arsonel can make 3 with 3 gunsmiths so you cant make alot of snipers)
Movement takes 3 turns per tile, 2 over road, 1 over rail
Can not evade
0 Defense when attacked, 4 defense when attacking (if possible but defense should be low
attack able to 1 shot any ground unit
Special unit for picking off units
2 turns between attack
Simply an elite unit but slow like any sniper