Report of my game till 1200AD:
After one funny and one serious invasion pack, Al Iskandaryah fell at 987 AD. First UHV completed. Didn't do much expansion, only built Al-Qahira seaside (From what I know, it is the Arabic name for Cairo, and Cairo is not seaside). At some years, I will prepare a stack to capture Cyrene. Anyway, around 1100 AD, I have suffered a DoW from the Byzantines. Nothing went to plan. My small stacks failed to win a Sword-Archer combo defending, and then they learnt to built Crossbows and Light Cavalries when I came up with a decent stack. Since Antakya was lightly defended, but a stack was at the way, I evacuated it, surrendered it, just to recapture it 12 years later

, and Tarsus after that. Then peace. I also like the barbarian invasion concept-Homs was getting an attack every 3-4 turns (Pikemen are the key) at Viceroy level, so I suppose it is even more challenging at higher levels. They also conquered Cayseri, but Bulgarians (knights

???) beat me to it.Some other questions, since I am kinda dumb

:
1) Does spreading islam to 25% for once, and for example making it 22% at 1700 AD, since counts as victory?
2) Is capturing every city east of Alger and Alger itself enough for the third UHV, (EDIT

or do I have to capture every thing until Tangiers?(END EDIT)
Generic observations:
1) No bug yet what means either the last version is well-worked or I am very careless (and I don't have such opinion for myself)
2) It is strange that the top 5 consists of: Me (normal) Byzantines (the same) Venice (???-maybe we increased tech rate too much??) Frankia (hmmmm, not so odd, since they collapsed Burgundy) and Kievan Rus

eek

.
3) Spanish powers seem declined. I remember in older versions one or both of them made it to the top 5.
4) I agree that Portuguese spawn area should be extended- Spanish built Lagos and kept it!!!
5) Norse keep expanding more at Scandinavia than Denmark.
6) I am happy that the Hungarians don't smallpox anymore-but on the other hand only two cities???
7) Aggressive Genoan AI: Have five cities: Genova, Nizza, Milan, Firenze and Roma.
8) I also agree that we should extend Austrian spawn area-moving Prag northwest put it out of their spawn area.
Don't worry guys. 1440 AD is not a bug-Satan comes to Europe and ends history