For me,
Medieval Total War 1; including the Viking expansion not as much for what it bring, but for what it doesn't break. It adds a few twists and a new map which is less interesting then the original maps IMO, yet, it doesn't break the game in anyway.
Why is it better for me? On a GBT (Game Base Turn) strategic point of view, the game is CLEARER and less micro-management. Each state can work on 1building/improvement and on 1 unit at the time, and you have provinces divisions. The result is, that you follow a lot more easily on what is happening everywhere. I can load any old save, and I will be able to kick in and play. If I load an old save of Medieval 2, there is no way I would kick in fast, I would have to study the map and waste time, as it isn't clear and would need to figure out what is happening.
Again, simple (not stupid) is good. Maybe they could explore a mix of both, provincial divisions and hex by hex squares for a future sequel...or revert back to whole provinces simply...the mix could be that old provinces, they lose all complex divisions and are just handled with a provincial square...while conquest areas might be square by square until they have been pacified or something, at which point a unit anywhere in it is stationned as overall province rather then just an hex. Exceptionnally, for some invasions, they may revert back from provincials to hex, but it should be exceptionnal rather then the norm, once you simplified, you keep it simple unless it is critical.
Medieval Total War 1 is the game which puts them on the map, and no other game they release achieve a similar progression in "notoriety" for the compagny as this game did.
Newer titles, they always have better rules, if you take each rule seperatedly. But the overall game is heavy, complex, tedious. It is less a game, more a simulation...and even if challenges and deephness are welcome, complexity for the sake of complexity alone isn't what I want ina game.
Maybe they could explore provinces merging, either at key history dates, or when you conquer all the requested province. For example, maybe conquering Bordeaux, Provence and Marseilles could create Languedoc (or whatever the correct name for southern France), and merge the province. By merging it, all the other provinces nearby merge as well and the map expand. So you still have about 50 provinces on the maps, but instead of just been western Europe, it is all Europe now...and/or maybe new building/units could be produce, units/building you really want bad...and you keep each and every building from each of the 3 old states, any duplicate could give some form of bonus either in raw $, in revenues or whatever. So France, instead of been 8-12 provinces, is now 3-4. Eventually you may even go further and merge them all to get France...and maybe even later get the EU if we play modern. Upon merging you would have to consider what happen if more then 1 faction is on many provinces, you could have a simple clashtillvictory setting, or have special rules if you deem them worthy, at any rate, it give you a direct goal...if you play with province merging, it has to be SIMPLE...so maybe you have 2 type of borders, normal and highlight...where the highlight show clearly which provinces are connected with each other for later...unless you want to allow the merging options to the player, so when he has 3 provinces he can merge them, but such an option would require quite some work from the devs so I would recommend and prefer the simple highlight, yet, if you want something superior, it is there, but just finding the names for all possible combinations is a lot...the rules, and what to do if 2 small provinces are lock away and unable to merge because of players choices and so on...highlighting pre-define merging would be my preferrence and by far, as it is clear, simple, and the devs could put work on other aspects...they could always explore leaving more options to the players in ulterior sequels as to how provinces are merged.
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