Vicky II is probably the hardest "current" (i.e. sequel is not out, but will or might be someday) Paradox game to get into. But once you do, it really does lead to excessive gameplay.
My EU4 game continues to be interesting in the 1700s. How rare that is!
In the mid-late 1600s, we fought two wars with the Commonwealth. They won the first; we won the second. Both were draining all-around, but we were much better-prepared for the second one. After that one, for about 40 years, all the big powers avoided fighting each other. The Commonwealth expanded into northern Germany; the Ottomans into southern Germany; QQ into India, and Chagatai into Mongolia and China.
A couple years ago, the HRE decided it had had enough of Ottoman expansionism, as had France, and an Ottoman war on Nuremburg resulted in facing almost the entire HRE, plus France (whom I believe tried to enforce peace). That war is ongoing.
Meanwhile, the efforts of Chagatai diplomats to separate QQ and the Ottomans had been successful; instead QQ allied with the Commonwealth. The Ottomans had beat up on the Commonwealth once before that, at the end of the 1600s, and perhaps due to the Ottomans now facing a rather formidable alliance, the Commonwealth decided this was the right time for another war with us.
It will be difficult. QQ and the Commonwealth have 630,000 troops between them, and the latter has decent manpower reserves; we have 140,000 troops and our allies another 100,000 or so. Although the map shows Siam as our ally, that is due to the forever war with Bengal that they started; they betrayed us when this war started, as did the Shogunate. Vijayanagar is an ally in the big war, but is at peace with Bengal and Gujarat. Credit where's credit's due, we thought Siam was a trustworthy ally, but our newest ally of all turned out to be the one we could trust.
All stops will be pulled out in this one. Our secondary line of forts is being upgraded. A defensive expert advisor has been hired. We're going to promote his culture ASAP so we can promote him and increase our military tech more quickly. Defensive edicts on the front, extra recruitment edicts everywhere else. Right after this screenshot, 70,000 men - enough to hit the forcelimit - started being recruited. Both sides have already slackened their recruiting standards as much as possible in previous wars, so there isn't much left in that stop... but there will likely be mercs all around sooner or later.
At least they were foolish enough to choose Imperialism as the
casus belli. By the time they get to Central Asia, they'll have endured several winters on the front... they might win, but if they do we hope to make their victory Pyrrhic.