While I appreciate all the work done on troops, I think there should be more effort put into expanding diplomacy and communication between player and NPC's. Marriage, at the king level, should tie in with diplomacy. If a king marries a woman from another faction, her entire family should either shift alliance to the king's side or take a serious prestige hit in their current faction.
For example, I'd like to be able to send an emissary to a Lord whom my spy master has identified as a potential recruit rather than track him down in person and offer him a town or castle of my choice rather than him telling me what he wants. I'd like the option to form alliances with other factions and develop trade agreements. I'd like more functionality in building and controlling faction patrols (size, composition, patrol route).
Perhaps it's just not possible and I'm playing the wrong game. I keep playing the game, and enjoying it; but at the same time I keep saying "there is something missing."