<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/me.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

" border="0" alt="me.gif" />
As far as I remember my history you have all a very good approach in respect to the stages of historic development in the game.
So I can only back you up in your statements regarding the succession/transformations on the political chart of the game as the era evolves.
My considerations were purely pragmatic in terms of the fact that we have to start somewhere.
From this point of view, and with an intention to also accomodate an international gaming comunity with no particular alegiancies there are some choices that seem more reasonable to me then others.
1. Why my thoughts turned towards Eleuthera for the commencing of the American presence in the game is because this is how it acctually happened, this island in the Bahamas being close to the mainland US, Americans settled down there. Then in the (decades) turmoils previous to, during and finally in the aftermath of the American revolution colonists came to this island by the thousands, thus bringing the mainland American spirit into the Caribbeans. What we have there historically - which doesn't even have to be that accurate - is the first actual community emerging from a geografical area no longer subject to Britain.
And the beauty of it all: intrigues and conflict in the area, which is pure gold for the game in terms of quest potential.
There is a Spanish war close nearby that actually culminates with the Spaniards WINNING and occupying the nearby British colony of New Providence.
So without any farfetched arguments for the sake of the game you have a start with an independent American community with robust simpathy for Britain and a natural adversity for Spain, thus with plenty of challenge for the player wanting to start American, even in the early stages of game development.
Starting in the stable mods, where storyline requires the player not to be repulsive to the English will even be historically correct, offering a playline where the game wouldn't have to slougther the French either, since the imminent enemy would be the Spanish.
2. Any historian will be able to challenge the Portuguese presence in the Carribean ever since the Pope drew the line and stated that everything above Brasil is going to be Spanish... but the game needs the Portuguese so badly that I would be willing to overlook the charts... or distances... in this case, rather then being purely mean and state that we are not playing pirates of the Atlantic Ocean here.
I'd keep the Portuguese in the achipelago even at high argumentative costs, because the game at the current stage benefits a lot from offering the choice of game play with a LoM from a robust neutral nation. And for a certain audience, starting as Portuguese and avoiding the pirates would actually offer the entire "exploring" gameplay experience as in the AoP on a silver plate even when Mom isn't there to help out with explaining the verbiage.
3. There has to be an environment for the neutral Danish traders, which are not strict in observing the restrictions imposed by official governors, but do not emerge as cold bloded pirates either. As a start the very definition af a lair makes sense. In terms of the existing codes having such a settlement on Conceicao would even give a headstart, since we already have random missions going there. Portugal being a trading nation itself makes a credible neighbour. Lineant if not protective, although least of all with an intention to assume ownership and responsability.
The name "Smugglers Lair" would in this respect still be very appropriate for Conceicao.
For the settlement on Turks I would suggest the name "New Tranquebar"
Tranquebar was from 1620 - 1845 a Danish trading colony on the southern coast of India, and the name "New Tranquebar" would suggest the thoughts of the trading captain wanting to do the same business with the "opposite Indies", at a historic point were the political presence does not exist.
The leader of New Tranquebar should be able to give the player a Danish ship, and hereby Danish colours in exchange for the the ship the player already has but no LoM. The leader of "Smugglers Lair" should be able to tutor the player as to how to become a member of their community of free traders, and point the player towards "New Tranquebar".
The player will then enter a gameplay where the relation system should be determined by the deeds performed towards the individual colonies where the Governors at some point can even hunt the player with a coastal group of several ships as in the "smugling codes" while the nation itself will still be neutral.
Forgiveness would then only be given by the governors of the speciffic colonies, as the dialogue line is already in there, and the respective nation as a whole being neutral the "Diplomat" in the taverns won't work.
The "Danish" line will then become at start, the best choice of a challenging game without the player actually becoming a pirate.
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/doff.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

" border="0" alt="doff.gif" />