[LoloMo]

Assuming neighbors that have the same skill level as you have, it is better to have wars as late as possible and have the other nations duke it out first while you build your research and gem income. Unless you can take out your opponent with relatively few losses I would avoid early wars as it decreases strength and may leave you open to other nations, and early in the game with similarly skilled players it is quite a long process to take an enemy capital down even with superior forces.

The exception to this is if you are relying on a heavy bless strategy (like F9/W9 bless), or if you have an awake SC pretender, then its better to have early wars. Grab as much land as you can while you still have the military advantage, but I would still fight one nation at a time only, and never another heavy bless nation.

In wars, I always enter it with a view to fighting to the end. Whose quote was it that goes something like "You can start a war anytime you like but don't expect it to end when you will" or something like that. So I don't attack any other player unless I am committed to see it to the end. If you are winning a war there is no reason not to push to the end, and if you are losing a war, there is no reason for your enemy to back off. If you are both losing in terms of troops lost, then it is a strategic error by the provoker and if I am the provoker, this would be the only time I would sue for peace. If I was the one provoked, I would definitely fight to the end unless I am compensated for my losses. All or nothing. =)