New Vic3 Patch is pretty nice also you can go Turtle Island with the Russian American Company (New Country in Alaska).
This run was honestly really fun you start out fairly weak but unlike other weak starting nations you aren’t boxed in and can actually do some plays as well as build up your own economy. I’d encourage others to try a run, it’s hard but not unfair.
Tell me more about your flag/country state of your game. I havent played Vicky 3 in a while. I dont have time for it but might give it ago during the Holidays.
The racism and famine update did quite a few things in general getting off bad laws is easier but agricultural nations got hit hard. Migration is back in a big way so any nation in the Americas will have a much smoother experience.
As for russian american company you start out in a pretty shitty position but you can gobble on mexico a bit and then stall out USA with Russia before going independent, if you do that you get an event like all other colonial nations when they go free, but you can also become Athabaska which would allow you to go for a turtle island run.