Hi,

Have you tried this?

For example playing as a good king. Never have higher than normal taxes. Always let prisoners go. And always try to have peace with everyone. And no sacking of cities.

I found that it makes the game more challenging and fun. Without high taxes you don't have so much money and it really limits what you can do. I am currently playing with this style on France. Milan was a real trouble at start. Now, after a bloody war ( they got Ajaccio from me ) they got only Bern and Ajaccio thou and they are peaceful so I can't take those provinces. As I can only attack them if they declare war on me From time to time they want to now make alliance and demand some provinces for it. Brothels are also not allowed and thieves guilds must be burned if you "free" cities from tyrannical bad kings.

Another game that I have going is playing as heretic / pagan Denmark. Demolish all the churches. Pope loves it And protect all the witches and heretics. You can do this with assassinating enemy priests and assassins. I am trying to turn Europe into Bastion Of Heresy The witches do nasty things to your generals, but you just have to accept it. As it is the new way to go. The people are not too happy on the forced conversion. If they revolt I might have to exterminate the problematic cities. I have even some fortresses that have unhappy people due to religious unrest, which I have never seen before