@coconutcrab1234 it’s cool to hear about your interest, thanks for saying so 
I like your animal suggestions! Of course emus and red kangaroos would be the best for flock animals. I think the idea of hunting predators (like aoe2?) is interesting but wouldn’t it be more consistent to just have them as treasure guardians? Tasmanian tigers and devils, inland taipans, and cassowaries would all make nice treasure guardians 
@HoopThrower I’ve actually never heard of digger being used before WW1. Imo even if it was I’m pretty sure the word is strongly associated with the world wars. It’d be like calling the US regular a doughboy… I get Trooper is pretty vauge but the idea I was going for was like the police troopers in early Australian history e.g. in waltzling matilda.
@jonasnee4671 I agree with your arguments RE the Inca, US and Mexico. My dream would be something like a (south pacific and Australia) map pack, a bunch of new native settlements to go with, and a full revolution option for various euro civs (Brits, French, Dutch, Ports) to go to Australia. Now that we’ve seen how in-depth the French revolution option was made to be, I’m sure we could get a full-on unique Australian civ revolution that would make it a “semi-civ” in a way that fits both the time period and gameplay!
I wrote it in a different thread a while back but here’s my ideas for maps I think would be a good varied representation of the south pacific + Australia:
- Daintree → dense rainforest with coral coast teeming with fish and crocodiles.
- Van Dieman’s Land → A large heavily forested island with a vital coastal trade route at the north. Everyone starts at the South, or even just with settlers in a boat - like a nomad start.
- Auralia → Goldfields and the Nullabor, rocky map with coast along the south and NO TREES but a lot of gold mines. There would have to be some map gimmick to supply wood, like everyone starts with a market or there are crates scattered around.
- Pohnpei → A tiny island where players start really close to each other for a quick, brutal game.
- Fiordland → A cold coast rising to huge snowy mountains with forest inbetween.
- Solomon Islands → Each player gets a small island to start on and there are numerous other small islands scattered around for settling (this was my idea before archipelago was added. Now instead I guess it could be so that every player has their own island and there are no small islands…?)
Additional Australian map ideas...
- Simpson desert → the hot red centre of Australia. Lake Eyre is in the center of the map and is almost always dry, allowing troop movement, but is sometimes full of pinkish water, changing the game completely.
- Outback → scrubby grasslands - like Great Plains, with wild sheep, but no trade route
- Blue Mountains → very rugged mountainous terrain with only patches of flat ground suitable for building on, and a long winding trade route
- Kimberley → rugged coastline with a rocky and cliffy inland. The only mines are diamond mines
- Botany Bay → the location of the first British colony in Australia. A wide open bay with many whales and a gentle and lush shoreline with plenty of resources.
Daintree
The Tropical North of Australia. The dense jungles hide cassowaries and scattered copper and silver mines, as well as plenty of wood to chop. There is a murky river separating the teams that has no crossings - it’s too dangerous to wade in the crocodile-infested waters! The coastal waters teem with tropical fish in the coral reefs.
Van DIeman’s Land
The island at the bottom of the world. Teams start close but unable to reach each other through dense forests of Antarctic beech, mountain ash, and Huon pine. There is a vital trade route at the north, as well as many lost sheep.
Auralia
The Nullarbor plains of Australia. Players will have plenty of gold available to mine, but only scattered emu flocks to hunt - and absolutely NO TREES to chop! The Great Australian Bight loom at the bottom of the map, but the high cliffs and churning sea means there’s no way to build docks.
(p.s. thanks to @M00Z1LLA for his map template! Polynesian Maps - #16 by M00Z1LLA )