Phased conquest... How do you do it?

[Outlawstar15a2]

Usually when I play Stainless Steel or any other mod I will start the game and grow to a certain, mentally pre-determined point and then stop unless before doing so I have to adjust my plan though I usually don't. After this I then consolidate my hold on what I have, tech up, and then go out and conquer more making sure to keep pace with the campaign time limit so I don't run out of time. Then I rinse and repeat this task till the whole map is mine or I decide to end it early after meeting the requirements. So, is this something you guys do to or no?

Currently I've completed phase one of my Venetian Empire. I have all of Italy including Rome, I kicked the Papacy to Ikraklion and Rhodes, and I took Corsica, Sardinia, maintained Ragusa, all of Sicily, and I am currently teching up, fixing my economy, and rebuilding my army and navy. I feel powerful.

[Alpha Zeke]

My plans are much simpler. I outline what rebel territories I want, which wars may be inevitable and choose some allies for my flanks, and then strike when I get more powerful. Generally speaking, people tend to dislike me as I murder millions in my exterminations, so after exterminating an entire people, my new neighbors tend to start a war via blockade in a port on the other side of the world. Eventually after 3 or so past civilizations falling, my allies turn on me and I crush them under my thumb. Then I bribe the pope and make him my puppet by putting him in between me an a nation I want destroyed. They go to war (Because the Pope and tons of cash and an empire of his own in russia go GREAt together muahaha) and I crusade them into oblivion.

[hpsauce13]

Thats actually what i find myself doing all the time, though its not usually decided upon beforehand. I usually start off by rushing all the nearby rebels (although cant do this so well in 6.3) and soon get pulled into several wars which allow me to grow, then when my enemies are controllable i consolidate upgrade my economy which is usually pretty neglected about then, and then finish my enemies off. then follows a regular process of building up armies, preconverting my next target nations lands, (if needed) declaring war and besieging all their settlements all in one turn, then consolidating and voila huge empire, although i tend to get bored of this pretty quick so unlike you i dont conquer the whole map, unless it stays challenging

[Fenrisulfrinn]

Thats actually what i find myself doing all the time, though its not usually decided upon beforehand. I usually start off by rushing all the nearby rebels (although cant do this so well in 6.3) and soon get pulled into several wars which allow me to grow, then when my enemies are controllable i consolidate upgrade my economy which is usually pretty neglected about then, and then finish my enemies off. then follows a regular process of building up armies, preconverting my next target nations lands, (if needed) declaring war and besieging all their settlements all in one turn, then consolidating and voila huge empire, although i tend to get bored of this pretty quick so unlike you i dont conquer the whole map, unless it stays challenging

I used to do it this way when I was younger, not just in M2TW, mind you.

Usually when I play Stainless Steel or any other mod I will start the game and grow to a certain, mentally pre-determined point and then stop unless before doing so I have to adjust my plan though I usually don't. After this I then consolidate my hold on what I have, tech up, and then go out and conquer more making sure to keep pace with the campaign time limit so I don't run out of time. Then I rinse and repeat this task till the whole map is mine or I decide to end it early after meeting the requirements. So, is this something you guys do to or no?

Until I realized this way offered more gameplay opportunity than being constantly at war at the direction of the AI attacking. So now I play like this.

EDIT: Also a problem I have with being in constant war is you fight constant battles, which gets really tedious; planning and making strategic decisions on the campaign map is engaging and interesting.