I really think we should consider Broken Crescent for the next run. It does not have a true titles system like SS 4.1, although there are some titles from cities, but that is it's sole disadvantage. The Broken Crescent map is a complete break from Europe, and full of it's own unique strategic and tactical implications. The factions and gameplay are very much different from vanilla, especially the movement rate changes, and the Mongols on the battlefield are everything you could hope for. If we're nearby when they arrive, we will lose settlements to them without having to contrive success for the AI.

I haven't played SS since it moved to Kingdoms for it's current version, so I can't speak authoritatively on it, but what I recall from trying it out is that the game on the strategy map moves more slowly. That might be what we want, to allow for more interesting political developments, or it might not if power is more difficult to accumulate.

Anyway, I encourage everyone to try out BC. Right now there are clearly still some minor bugs (Some AI citadels eventually build cannon towers for example, which were supposed to be removed from the game) but the mod is extremely stable and quite enjoyable.