How can we make Meso-Civs balanced?

There are multiple possible ways how to design Native Americans.

Giving all civilisations from the old world very similar stats on generic units isn’t that realistic either. European weapons and armour were designed to counter each other and they were not designed around Chines weapons and armour and the other way round. Native Americans aren’t fundamentally different.

Foot soldiers

  • same as Eurasian units
  • cheaper but weaker
  • mix of both

0 voters

same as Eurasian units

  • Spearman, Man at Arms and Bowman have the same stats for them
  • Crossbows or Hand Cannons are replaced by an alternative

cheaper but weaker

  • Every generic unit gets replaced by a cheaper but weaker unit
  • Might have half population cost or higher population limit
  • Elite units like Jaguar of Eagle Warriors can be as good as Eurasian units though

mix of both

  • Some generic units stay the same (Spearman, Man at Arms or Bowman)
  • Some units get replaced by cheaper and weaker alternatives

Siege weapons

  • the same siege weapons as Eurasians
  • captured Eurasian cannons
  • (some) foot soldiers are just a lot better at siege
  • small siege units
  • something else

0 voters

the same siege weapons as Eurasians

  • They just have the same siege units besides cannons
  • unrealistic but easiest to balance
  • like AoE2

captured Eurasian cannons

  • Similar to first option but with a historic explanation

(some) foot soldiers are just a lot better at siege

  • Making some foot solders strong at siege like Arrow Knights
  • The AoE3 solution for the Aztecs

small siege units

  • Small siege units like rams and mantlets
  • The AoE3 solution for the Haudenosaunee

something else

  • I don’t really like any of those solutions, do you have a better one?

Navy

  • same as Eurasians
  • unrealistically strong small boats
  • they are just bad on water

0 voters

same as Eurasians

  • Just reskinning the ships to kinda look American

unrealistically strong small boats

  • Smaller boats or canoes that are very strong
  • AoE3 solution

they are just bad on water

  • Maybe not every civilisation has to be good on water
  • Kinda like in AoE2 but more extreme

General opinion on Eurasian technology

  • they should only have their own technologies
  • they should copy some Eurasian units or technologies

0 voters

Should they have any “captured” Eurasian units like captured cannons, or units that are based on weapons they bought of the Eurasians like the Haudenosaunee using guns or iron tomahawks they bought from Europeans but for the Aztecs, Inca or Maya.
This didn’t happen historically because they lost to quickly but if history just went a little different and the first war against the Aztecs was lost than they’d likely start buying European weapons.
This would of course be limited to late Imperial Age.