I still think we are making this way more complicated than it should be. We should pick the time period before we give our nation picks, not the other way around. With an exception of a few nations, most game relevant nations are still present in all the timelines.
I'd be cool with us just picking a time, too. Most of the big players are around in all of the possible times.
Gaebrael, make the call. In what year will the RP begin?