Quote Originally Posted by CrazyGuy
If you don't of course, you suddenly discover that all of your nobles get their kicks from eating babies...

Is there a way around this?
Yeah.... make more babies

I generally find that by the time the empire is too big to micromanage, it's also big enough to cope with the odd screaming cissy, embezzler and sheep-botherer in positions of power. If the vices get so bad as to make a guy useless I'll find someone better and strip titles (or maybe use a more ... entertaining.... agent than the emissary), but if I'm in a hurry I just disband the hapless dimwit.

I have never, ever used auto-tax, and never will. Tax is always screwed up as high as loyalty will allow (sometimes it allows only "very low" of course...), until such time as cashflow is no longer a major concern in which case I turn it down to "normal" everywhere but the top five provinces. My first "state of the empire" check each turn is to press "shift" - a good green map is what's called for, and any yellow or red spots get immediate attention, as trouble will be brewing. Stamp on the peasants before they stamp on you

If I have to keep it tight, I'll be sure to only train in valour-bonus provinces, or with the best upgrades, but if I can keep building and training in every province permanently, then I will. It means the economy is good, and you can get some serious infrastructure down