This is from another discussion, explaining our opinion:
Fighting at C3 level 3 several times is complex.
instead, we have added 5 new war levels between c3 at war level 3 and C3 at war level 9.
These war levels are all quite simple.
This gives you the possibility to win 8 wars and create an empire with 9 countries without being involved in huge fights.
The rewards are not large but the aim was to be able to conquer countries for strategic reasons, sometimes far away from your current countries.
This aim is achieved.
This is no solution for countries at a very high war level.
for them, such wars can be very costly, rewards are also much larger but may not be the solution they aimed for.
There are only a few who have this problem and they have the option to purchase a country, wherever they want it for 30 gold coins.
Strategic reasons are not reasons that require you to conquer 20 countries.