AI factions and rebel settlements

[mabinight]

Just wondering, how long does it take you guys in your Early Era campaigns for the AI factions to take over rebel settlements? I tried giving my enemies a head start by sitting around doing nothing but got tired of it around turn 20. I was playing as Genoa, and started marching spies/armies up French lands. Then I watched for another 15 turns as French and HRE armies kept besieging one of the rebel castle settlements between them, and failing to take it, over and over. And no one had expanded to the rebel settlements adjacent to my starting position, either.

I also sailed boats out to the Black Sea, and saw that around turn 35 there were still a few rebel provinces bordering the waters.

[Nyarla]

takes em forever and as soon as they enter a war, rebel settlements are secondary targets that tend to be ignored.

[Losthief]

takes em forever and as soon as they enter a war, rebel settlements are secondary targets that tend to be ignored.

---changed my mind about my idea....lol----feel free to delete