Ok lets say we are playing as Timurds going for Mughals
Go full aristocracy right at the start, for the general shock bonus. Make sure you are narrowminded enough to enact all your religious decisions that grant missionaries. Then Centralise and go inovative to westernise. Then go full centralise to modernise your military to Latin. Move Free subjects if you get the chance in events. That should last you till about 1600...
Generally:
I would say you should avoid going inovative if you dont have to westernise. It is worse tha free subjects for tech, hurts your missionary gain, and hurts you if you are catholic. Don't go narrowminded much just stay near the middle. Inovative -3 is needed to westernise, and also the useful amount to have if you want to go protestant. If you have enough religious decisions/holy places to grant you positive missionary gain and you are not catholic then you should go full inovative.
Aristocracy is better than plutocracy IMO. The shock bonus and cheaper cav are really usefull for the first 200 years, and most nations start aristocratic anyway.
Naval is better than land if you are going colonial. Otherwise leave largely alone. Naval has become even more important as they have raised ship costs.
Free Trade is nearly always better than Mercantalism. Mercantilism is ok if you want the straights trading bonuses, or you are a merchant republic. however unless you are a major trader ignore the slider.
Offensive-Deffensive is pretty meh. Defensive is probably more usefull later on when sieges become more painful. Offensive can be good when you are land/offensive/quality. But leave this slider largely alone till later on.
Quality is better than quantity unless you are a TINY nation with tiny manpower. Doesn't make any historical sense but actually it is better for russia to go quality and the netherlands (say) to go qunatity. As manpower is rarely a problem you should always go quality.
Centralisation and Free subjects are always best. That's why they are so often limited by government types.
