I think development might be a bit... skewed. This is what I control as the Byzantines atm:

https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2109342328

Now this is not a very large territory IMO, but yet, I am a world power right now, with as much development as the Austrians who control Croatia and parts of Bohemia and have PU's on Hungary and Transylvania and more powerful than the Ottomans, who still have significant European territories and most of Asia Minor and the Mamelukes, who still have all of their starting territory:

https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2109343700

At this rate, I seemingly will be the most developed nation by the time I conquer the remainder of the Ottoman European territory and that just feels very off for me