I have been working on something very similar to what you have been discussing and have posted the result in the next thread. I set it in 1275 when the HRE had begun to crumble. I didnt like the way some nations started off with huge amounts of provinces and without much bother conquered eveything in sight.

I had a lot of fun with this "mod". Italy is quite hard (for a change), I managed to get Tuscany, Milan and Venice but abandoned Crete and Corsica to the neutral rebels. France was kicking arse, but after wiping out my ally, Burgandy was excommunicated, my crusade unit was one turn away from being made when the bloody pope died and made it moot. A few years later Burgundy re-emerged got Tolouse and the killed the last French heir in battle wiping out the French, who had gone from world leader to nothing in about 20 years, an English crusade had managed to re-take Aquitane. Nice under-dog comback for Burgundy who I had been trying to assist all along. Give it a try and tell me what you think.

Tom.