[Micah]

I'd suggest a unit that can summon allies that starts in each player's cap instead, that way it wouldn't be able to be captured. You could then also make it summon appropriate researchers for the nation so that national research differences are still in play, unless someone thinks that Vanheim and Bogarus should have the same level of research potential. Since their troops are so evenly matched it would be unfair otherwise. =)

Pretenders should also not get a malus so that rainbow/researcher types are still a viable choice to kickstart research.

I think using a cap-start unit you could also make this into a mod, as opposed to having it be a specific map, but I'm not familiar with such things so I could be mistaken.