I agree I think RP and thematic battles would be a great addition to the game. One player to focus on as the bad guy would have a great campaign feel to it. It seems people make good/bad alignment alliances throughout the game anyway so why not save some time and get right to the fighting!
I would love to get involved, I gave a read of some of the old threads and conquest takes too long to finish and the current maps are still too big. I dont remember Bernhardt signing packs and building roads as he marched through the desert with his men straight to the Dread King. I would prefer a conquest that could be completed over a weekend without much effort and that focuses on action. A conquest sprint if you will.