I am going to start as the Venetians for my first campaign. My objectives will be to make myself an economic powerhouse and start hiring tons of mercenaries and bribing everybody, then take over the Mediterranean. I will first take control of all of the Italian Penninsula except for the Papacy, as well as Sicily. Then I'll manuever to take Illyria, the Balearic Islands, and Corsica and Sardinia. After that, I'll try to seize Moorish North Africa and Andalucia. All the while, I will be attempting to gain favor with the Pope so as to secure my position. I'm not planning much further than this, seeing as how anything could happen, but I will still be trying A.) To gain control of the waterways, and B.) Getting as much money as possible.

What are your starting strategies going to be for Medieval 2?