Generally you focus on just one tech at a time. One advantage of this technique is that it maximise your returns from neighbour bonuses. As well as granting you your return sooner. The only time when it is not a good idea to focus on just one tech is when you are running into ahead of time penalties on every tech.
Yeah, I mean focus 100% in one tech at a time and only move between e.g. Production/Trade/Land, letting Naval and Government get a major boost from neighbours.
And perhaps catching up in Gov once you can reach a new National Idea!
Have a new question about the Papacy and the HRE.
In DW it seems very random who gets the papacy, can you do anything more than getting lots of catholic provinces (only European provinces counts right?) and stacking +Papal influence bonuses?
Same with HRE, what decides who is an elector there? Bribing and marrying the Electors is straightforward enough.
Since you need to wait for the current leader to die it's age is interesting, how do you see the age of countries leaders (including your own)?
I only see an age on the heir...
Another HRE question, is it only occupation of HRE non-cores that give you infamy? If I manage to remove the cores from the province, will the Infamy be removed? In other words, do I get the infamy because it's a province without my core, or because it's a province with someone elses core? And does Vassilizing a fellow HRE memeber give you any infamy debuff?