I was wondering where I found those ideas so familiar from, halfway reading the post. I must admit, I was bumping the concept around in my head...
I'm a little RP skittish as of late, but a total war base, being a veteran of the series for well over a decade, does have its effect.
The various expansions seem most plausible to me, I don't think we would be able to fill enough slots and keep them active for something based off the grand campaign - though for other contexts I'd suggest Italy, Spain, Scandinavia/Russia(Novgorod)/Germans/Poland area, city states of Russia with mongols looming, (hoping this one wouldn't be too touchy, it isn't for me, but eh) crusades/middle east (again, assuming we would be able to work past political garbage related to today), French/English war with surrounding nations, and the region around and including the Byzantine empire, all concepts I've mentally bounced around in the past.
I'm a little RP skittish as of late, but a total war base, being a veteran of the series for well over a decade, does have its effect.
The various expansions seem most plausible to me, I don't think we would be able to fill enough slots and keep them active for something based off the grand campaign - though for other contexts I'd suggest Italy, Spain, Scandinavia/Russia(Novgorod)/Germans/Poland area, city states of Russia with mongols looming, (hoping this one wouldn't be too touchy, it isn't for me, but eh) crusades/middle east (again, assuming we would be able to work past political garbage related to today), French/English war with surrounding nations, and the region around and including the Byzantine empire, all concepts I've mentally bounced around in the past.