Here's my idea for an Italian civ:
Civ Bonus / Trade off: Every shipment delivers crates of 100 coin, but all crate shipments have 100 res less. So you could send e.g. 3 huss + 100c, but only 600+100 c. Maybe also shipments come a little slower, like Germany but that can be fine-tuned.
Only slow age to age 3, no exiled prince. No schooners shipment or strong water cards.
Game starts with 6 settlers, 1 explorer (with a sick Christopher Columbus skin) and an Architect, a unique Italian unit.
Base European civ buildings: TC, barracks, stable, saloon, art foundry, arsenal, church, capital.
Normal euro villagers: with 3 vill - 5 vill - 8 vill shipments
Basic European units pikemen, muskets, hussar, halberds, and all european artillery. No xbows, skirms, or dragoons.
Special units:
- Architect: An envoy-like unit with a large line of sight, but that can also build all buildings 25% faster than a villager. You start the game with one and theres a build limit is 5, and they can be trained in the TC. Has a small punch attack like an envoy, and can't take treasures. Main use is scouting and saving villager seconds in building.
Genovese Crossbowman. Available in Age 2, a crossbowman with longer range and more ranged resistance than normal xbows but shorter range than lbows. Can be upgraded to vet, guard, and imperial, and takes the place of skirmishers, very similar to longbows for Brits. Has a royal guard upgrade.
Milanese Lancer. Age 3 unit, pretty much just a copy of the Spanish lancer, maybe with slightly different balance of attack + hp + resistance. Royal guard upgrades.
Carabinieri. Age 3 dragoon unit, 1 pop, similar to a Ruyter.
Piccolo Cannone. An age 4 cannon that's an homage to the Lil Bombard. About equivalent to an Ottoman Great Bombard.
Upgrade cards would be cav hp. cav attack and cav combat, and archaic infantry hp, attack, and combat, artillery hp and attack, and a card called Machiavellian Tactics that gives 8% hp and attack to all units in age 4, like western reforms card for China
I feel like its sort of a combo between Spain and India, with an eco bonus on every shipment but a focus on archaic infantry + lancers