More challenge: Blood relatives only house rule

[BalkanTourist]

I always have them on automanage if I don't have a governor. I never bribe and never ask for alliances. I don't attack unless I am attacked. I only use 1 general to fight 1 foreign faction the rest stay to govern. If the general dies the general with the most stars at that time who is not engaged with another war gets to take over and the army stays put until the new general arrives (try that when the army is in Italy and the general is in Egypt and you have almost no fleet. I lost 3 generals and it took a lot of isle hopping and taking some odd routes to avoid the sharklike fleets of the all 4 Roman factions). I always enslave till my 30th province, after that I kill them all. If I have 5 temple options (Egypt) I build one kind of temple per 10 provinces conquered. I never hire mercenaries. I always fight ALL my battles. I don't marry daughters unles the husband is younger or in the same age group with his bride- 20's, 30's and so on. I play every faction in order. After completing the long campaignes with all 3 Roman factions I moved to Egypt and today I am starting Seulecids. It makes up for a pretty interesting game and it takes about 1 month to complete. That way you really get a feeling for a faction. Can't wait to play Carthage!
P.S. I never auto resolve and never reload. I also get four tries per faction. The first one is usually the testing one when I try some opening moves. Then I go back to the guides and study my new faction.