Quote Originally Posted by munrock
I don't like to build spies in the early game. On borders fighting units are a deterrent against invasion as well as loyalty-lifters, and all you need is a fort. It might be the way I prioritise my building building, but I start building spies around the same time my trade routes open up, and I can drop my taxes. An Orwellian state usually comes into it when I'm bringing the Holy Land into Christendom.
sure, that's pretty early. But it really depends what faction you're playing; you can afford to ignore loyalty related stuff for a long time if you have a lot of coastal provinces, but no inland ones; but if you own lands in Central Europe, well, distance from your king _will_ be a problem, and so will loyalty.