I guess being smack dab in the middle of all other European countries, France has the inevitable fate of total war. This gives the game its meaning but after awhile it got frustrating for me. At first I allied with all my neighbors so I could consolidate all of France and take any other rebel settlements bordering my faction. I allied with the Moors as well. The English didn't seem like a threat and I didn't want to reduce my standing with the Pope so they kept Caen but nothing else on the mainland. In the end of my rush for the rebs I even conquered Zaragoza and Valencia to the spite of Spain and Portugal, who were my allies. The HRE made a move for Metz but I pulled a fast one and sieged it before they did. Later with the help of reinforcements I got the settlement. When I saw Bruges and Antwerp I tried to get there before others but the garrison in Bruges proved to be stronger than I thought causing me to be too late for Antwerp.
After having stabilized my empire, the Crusade for Antioch was called by the Pope and having everyone else as allies I decided to send a couple of crusader armies in order to form another empire in the Middle East and finish the game without incurring upon myself the Pope's wrath. On the way I saw and conquered Cagliari and Ajaccio, turning the latter into a city. Two and a half armies were on their way past Crete when the news of Venice's success reached home and they were on the Holy Lands without a cause. I thought I could get Jerusalem but the Egyptians surprisingly beat my sieging army (about half a stack). The other two armies landed, one including my prince Louis, and while one army was running around purposelessly waiting for time to pass so the Pope could commission another crusade, the prince captured Alexandria. My standing with the Pope at this point was high enough to ask for a crusade should the time come but this reduction of forces in mainland France, since I sent most of my troops away trusting my allies, lead to their taking advantage of the situation. The HRE attacked the small garrison in Metz and captured it, Milan came for Marseilles and got it, Spain bribed Zaragoza and conquered the poorly defended Valencia. At this point the annoying Council of Nobles wanted me to annex Caen and my diplomatic endeavors ended my alliance with the English. Just when I thought things were starting to look up as I got Metz back from the HRE, the English came for Paris. My king died defending his capital but to no avail. My army ready for Caen had to make a detour for Paris but got the job done. In the meantime, Portugal got a hold of Bordeaux losing it the next turn. I gave Alexandria to the Egyptians for a ceasefire and my army in the Middle East started to look for rebel settlements. Prince Louis who was governing Alexandria became King and is on his way back to show the Milanese the Marseilles Route. My army that reconquered Metz moved in onto Staufen and the HRE after losing that settlement decided to stay inactive even though we're still at war. Denmark's siege of Bruges and Milan's siege of Toulouse were aptly defended. I killed a Pope who was Milanese and hated my guts to elect a Venetian(my allies) Pope. This new Pope hates me too but I got London and intend to erase the English off the map. I have another army moving into the Iberian peninsula but I am not sure about this one. Spain has not done anything after it got Zaragoza and Valencia and the Portuguese are busy with the Moors, I guess. I am open to your suggestions for my next move since I tend make mistakes when I am excited for conquest.