Europe is basically barbaric states until the Islamic Caliphate defeats the Greeks in the late 600s, and Islam dominates europe through opression. Due to internal struggles the calphate collapses after the Mongol invaisions in the 1200s, and Independent European states emerge. A few islamic states are constantly warring the larger Catholic empires. Greek learnings were all pilliaged by the Mongols so Europe is in a dark age with the absence of arabic learnings. France is a constant struggle between Franks and Gauls, England and Norway are warring constantly. Rome is a major city, but the Roman army isn't powerful. An empire bordering Greece is created in the Balkans bordering New Greece. New Greece holds byzantium, and is a very rich nation. New Greece discovers gunpowder, and from there rapidly learns industrialization within 200 years. The secrets are spread to all of Europe through the traders/sailors.
By industrial europe things are as follows: Carthage is a highly religious theocracy attempting to root out the Muslim believers in spain. The region of france is 2 nations: France and Celtic republic. England is almost unified but constant Norse intrusions have weakened it to a point of no return. Norway is a highly warrior kingdom, a successful monarchy which isn't rich but has good armies. A german King has finally unified all of germany, switzerland, and parts of poland into the Germanic empire. The empire in the balkans has solidified into [insert name here] The New Greeks hold on to their massive belongings stretching from Greece to Afghanistan, and their empire is very intelligent. Islam stretches from India to almost palestine, in two separate empires. The jews of Jeruselem have created their own 1-city empire that Islam just can't seem to reach.
Greece and Carthage have both colonised the americas partially, each believeing that they were the first to colonise and thus have the rights to the new world.
Elsewhere, Russia is a weak collection of cities that pledge allegiance to the same tsar. China is more andvanced than any european state, but their nation has split in a governmental dispute. Japan and Korea have been since annexed by China. A state in indonesia exists which is composed of Buddhist "colonies"
who are geverned by a common theocracy.
Anyway, I'll stop now. That has nothing to do with the original intent of this thread. However, please give your feedback if you think it could work. If you are even willing to work on this we could do it together.