Heres a random qustion for you.

[Drag529]

What do you focus most of your time on and why?
-trade
-diplomacy
-expanding
-building up defenses

[Captain Spanky]

I focus on trade and diplomacy initially, then defence, and after that I begin slow, controlled expansion.

[Saibot]

I start by making a plan for my eventual expansion. Then focus on getting trade rights and building an economy. After that I try to get an alliance with factions of whom I know they will get into war with my enemies. Then I start expanding very controlled.

[Shazbot]

Economy, alliances, defenses, expanding.

For the first 15-20 turns, I build all the economic buildings in all my cities. After I'm making a good amount of florins per turn, I then get lots of trade rights and build up a small army mainly for defending or capturing rebel settlements. Then I build all the blacksmiths and military recruitment buildings. Finally building a powerful and strong army to take an enemy settlement or two, and just build on from there.

[Lord Firkraag]

Farms-Expanding-Trade-Defenses-Diplomacy, in that order.

[miserable09]

I've been playing as Turkey lately so my first couple turns are making alliances with Byzantium and Egypt. This usually gives me a nice cushion of safety to work in.

Then I build up my cities/economy with ports, markets, merchants, etc.... While at the same time beefing up the city garrisons for defense. Infantry and archers mainly.

Then I make field armies for conquering. Usually by this time one of my two initial allies (rarely both) will have declared war on me (for no good reason), so, I then begin the long process of wiping them off the map...

[mbchudno]

Training couple diplomats to establish few alliances, while assembling armies and doing recon with spies.
Rush against a faction (depending on who i am playing us) and wiping it out (1-2 turn war usually) to give myself better economic grounds with minimal diplomatic penalties.
Start taking over rebels and build up cities/trade/merchants/diplomacy rating before picking next target according to diplomatic picture in campaign.

[Psamtik]

I'll start with the diplomacy, and the trading, getting alliances with them I want. Then, when I have a good economy, the hell breaks loose for my enemy. End game, it's a lot more to keeping your population happy.

[FuriousSpurius]

While I'm constantly growing my empire, I focus on economy, always. Farms, roads, ports, trading posts: basically anything that will bring in more cash for me. I take the advice of the loading screen maxims where it repeatedly stresses that money wins wars. As long as I have money there's no lack to what kind of domination I can unleash.

With the right amount of money you can force alliance, build armies, and control your population. It really is the most important factor in the game.

[Oploc]

Ha, i know i should use diplomacy more.. I usually start build up my trade and income first, with my main settlement upgrading to highter milita units to start with, to train a cheap army. then just biuld up bases, while taking all the rebal settlements and perhaps another faction. XD

[mbchudno]

your diplomacy rating grows from each alliance/trade treaty you have, per turn from what i noticed. So earlier you get those alliances, less chance that you will have to fight wars with multiple enemies. And if you start war before making an alliances first, you will find it will be very very hard to make them after. So diplomacy first in my books. I always have 1 diplomat/princess run around as i build up my cities and take over rebels. Even if it costs me a general because i had to refuse marriage proposal. Plus 10-15k of money from treaties well worth running for early in the game.

[Empress Meg]

I am focused on different things at different times of the gameplay period.

At the beginning I worry about getting my cash intake. I build alot of cash producing (and happiness producing) buildings so that when the time comes, I can buy-out or wipe out any invasion force.

I also concern myself with diplomancy at the get-go. If I am to build a large infrastructure, I don't want it crushed under the bootheel of a uncivil nation. I send our diplomats and do the buttering up deal with them, trade rights, alliances and so forth. After some time though, I no longer make diplomats (save for bribing purposes) and focus more on military matters.

In the beginning of the game I also create a good deal of merchants and send them either to the Scandia nations (amber, fish) or to North Africa (slaves, gold, and ivory). Again, this is to make cash and to make sure my merchants get a head-start when those other crazy heat-seeking merchants come to call.

I also focus on building up a small army. Not to conquer other nations, but rather for defense and to attack the nearby rebel settlements if there are any. I also create small garrison units.

When the enemy attacks me, I continue to produce buildings that will generate money for me, but I also begin to really pump out the higher level troops. I prefer better troops over mass hordes- this all depends on the faction I play of course.

By the middle of the game I am usually in good standing with money and can focus on the war machine and expanding to the other side of the map.

Devoirs The Empress

[Drag529]

i guess my qustion deoands on the faction and the players playing style

[pwijnands]

I only use one diplomat in my whole game, the one I get in the start. After you've made alliances/trade rights at the start, they lose their purpose. The AI factions that I haven't made trade agreements with end up at my settlements eventually.
But I always make sure I have one when I play a catholic faction. A diplomat near Rome (not next to it) giving a few hundred every turn really helps boost relationships.

[Khassaki]

Initially infrastucture like roads, town halls grain exchanges and land clearance. One or two trategic cities get as many mil upgrades as I can organised to provide a source of better troops. Coastal castles become towns if not too big to start with.

Apart from trade rights I don't worry about diplomacy, though i do try for aliances where wthere is mutual benifit so their is some likelyhood of the AI keeping to it.

[Selifator]

Diplomacy: Make as many allies as possible. Make trade agreements.
Trade: Build markets and roads or ports (depending on location)
Building defences: Create armies, take over nearby rebel settlements and wait for the AI to declare war.
Expand: Send out armies asap at enemy and attack important settlements and the capital first.

[King Oz]

I mostly focus on diplomacy because it interests me and it can change the whole campaign quickly.

Step 1:
I make armies quickly and take the nearby rebel settlements while I pick one of the neighbours to be my ally. After I am allied with one faction I'll wait to see what kind of big alliances will be born after some time played.

Step 2: While I am waiting I slowly recruit more troops to my city and try to make my economy as good as I can.

Step 3: When AI factions finally make alliances between each other I figure out that with which factions I should stick with and possibly declare war on some faction.

Sometimes I mix up my scheme by declaring war a bit earlier, but usually I try to focus on keeping the allies happy so I can rely on them when I need them.

[Drag529]

I mostly focus on diplomacy because it interests me and it can change the whole campaign quickly.

Step 1:
I make armies quickly and take the nearby rebel settlements while I pick one of the neighbours to be my ally. After I am allied with one faction I'll wait to see what kind of big alliances will be born after some time played.

Step 2: While I am waiting I slowly recruit more troops to my city and try to make my economy as good as I can.

Step 3: When AI factions finally make alliances between each other I figure out that with which factions I should stick with and possibly declare war on some faction.

Sometimes I mix up my scheme by declaring war a bit earlier, but usually I try to focus on keeping the allies happy so I can rely on them when I need them.

if i were u i woulnd declare war on other catholic factions....just wait till they attack u first than invade them before the pope forives them...lol

[King Oz]

if i were u i woulnd declare war on other catholic factions....

It's only a matter of time when war begins between catcholic factions and you shouldnt waste time for waiting so that you can take the control in the early game.

[Renco]

I quickly take all the surrounding rebel towns. Then I kill any brigands and set up watchtowers whilst securing diplomacy. Then I just grow my economy untill someone atacks. Bring them to their knees and offer ceasefire for the rest of their towns, leaving only their capital. By then someone else should have attacked. So repeat with them.
Often I let the underdog have all of something, like making Scotland my vassal and giving them all of Britain. It just seems wrong for France to control London or Edinburgh.
So in summary, Rapid Expansion -> Diplomacy -> Economy -> Controlled expansion.