I take back what I said about Aragon!!!!

[Emerald Wolf]

I would have to agree with you in that I am a very conservative, plan-every-step out kind of player. I think half (or maybe more) of the fun is playing the game like I really was the leader of that nation and what happens really does matter. You knid of have to get into it, and any great leader has to be willing to fail. I don't see the point of building some aggregiously big military just so I can bitchslap all of my neighbors into submission. If that was the case I'd still be playing C&C. This is much more in depth and much more stimulating that the digital equivalen of a hack and slash kind of game. There are several hundred truns for a reason, not just see who can beat up the most factions the fasteset. I don't personally care if I dominate the whole world jsut so long as I can survive long enough to enjoy seeing how it all plays out on the last turn.
Thoug controlling the enntire Western Med does help things a bit.

[Martok]

I don't see the point of building some aggregiously big military just so I can bitchslap all of my neighbors into submission. If that was the case I'd still be playing C&C. This is much more in depth and much more stimulating that the digital equivalen of a hack and slash kind of game. There are several hundred truns for a reason, not just see who can beat up the most factions the fasteset. I don't personally care if I dominate the whole world jsut so long as I can survive long enough to enjoy seeing how it all plays out on the last turn.

Here here! [applauds] That exactly how I feel. I often don't even play to win; I just get my empire to where I want it to be at, and then I simply do my best to behave as an actual nation would. I don't have any particular desire to conquer the whole map. Usually once I reach a certain size, I stop expanding and just develop my lands and build up my trade income. I generally only attack if provoked, and/or if another faction is in danger of becoming too big. I don't like anyone being a superpower, unless it's maybe myself--and even then I try to avoid becoming huge.

Though controlling the entire Western Med does help things a bit.

Yet another reason why I like playing as the Spanish a lot.