Just to add a slight counter point, I still play vanilla. But I play mostly SP, I can't commit the time to a competitive multiplayer game. I'm more interested in the story that unfolds between two epic nations of mythology, the "theme" of the game, and other Gandalfy things.
I have the self discipline to not use the overpowered strategies against the computer, and I will do crazy things to give them a boost. For instance, give the AI a 3 year head start, limit myself to 1 commander per province I own, recruit all troop types in equal numbers rather than loading up on a nation's only good unit. Pretty much anything that either severely reduces micro or makes the game interesting or unusual.
I am not against CBM per se, but I would have to relearn everything and I'm not really that concerned with MP balance or some spells being useless, etc. If I had a nice uninterrupted 3 day weekend maybe I could get into CBM and I'd probably never look back but it hasn't happened yet.