* Mod broke all game starts, so for custom gamestarts we need patches. This one caused by Meditation Gate (Meditation). Remember example with research, that I send you before? It works well, when it researched during normal game. Tech automatically researches, if all items/buildings/etc unlocked. BUT if it researched from game start, via gamestart.research(like _Default Start do) - then it not unlock additional research.

* So for simple patch that remove this hardlock you need to add "Meditation Gate (Meditation)" into gamestart.research for all new gamestarts. That all that needed for simple patch.

* Add Meditation Gate (Meditation) to gamestart.research.

* Preffer to add researches to gamestart.research, insted of some dummy tech(like Default Start), to simulate that it was researched naturally. Use it only to give some partially researched tech(like Freedom Seekers do)

* Look into _Default Start, _Low Start and _EvenLowerStart
If any new items added, think is this items really should be knowed by this group of people?
If no - move it all into some tech and add this tech as a starting to gamestart. Maybe, other gamestart should know it too.
If yes - leave it as is.
Example: some mod adds holy nation flags and armor to _Default Start. So I'm going to create blueprint for this stuff, that can be buyed from vendors in HN. Remove it from _Default Start. Add that as a starting research for new gamestart. Maybe, add it to Holy Nation Citizen start, depends is it should be knowed by ordinary citizen.

* Then you need to define, to which GC new starts belong. Add needed additional starting research and additional starting items. Or come up with your own GC. Look into IWK+ "The Tech Hunter" to see how you can expand standart GC.