I use the NPCs from the Monster Manual for "unnamed" enemies, but I use the full PHB rules when I want to make a recurring villain (or ally).
Regarding CR, I use this table:
I think I calculated this values based on the assumption that a party of 4 PCs fighting a party of exactly the same 4...
No wife and kids, I guess?
With a full-time job, wife, and kids, I consider myself fortunate to play twice a week (Thursday 19-23, and Sunday 15-19).
But hey, if it makes you happy, why stop? I mean, it's not like you're on drugs... are you???
I did a bit of digging in my d20 collection, and I think I found something that could be interesting. There was this d20 game called Midnight, where all the PCs have some kind of thematic "super-powers". Basically, every level they get a special ability related to their Heroic Path (Healing...
Exalted RPG just came out with a new edition. I love the Exalted setting, but the ruleset is way too complicated for me. I just want to bash evil with the power of the Unconquered Sun, I don't want to count "ticks"!
So, with DnD5 being such an easy and flexible system, and since high-level play...