This is AF's guide so guide so we bow down to her but a couple of observations:
- Spain can become a headache if you leave too much of it the natives, so try to keep 'nearer' Spain well maintained. It was a Roman problem for endless decades so you either take it or keep it well controlled be force. This mod punishes laisse faire regional control and the AI is inherently aggressive (RTW code throw-back).
- Not aware of the unit stat issues in Italy, but Rome did not grant citizenship to Southern Italy until after 80 BC (c. 670 AUC). I try to keep to this, but obviously it is up to the player
- The tendency is towards everyone in the Balkans and Greece being powerless in the face of Macedon. As you can beat Macedon (but it gets really boring), I tend to give Sparta and Dacia (along with Germania and Parthia) loads of money - admittedly cheating - to keep the interest alive. Otherwise, destroy what remains of Greece, keep Sparta happy and destroy Macedon by conquering their trading cities on the Aegean.
- Force diplomacy for the Pergamon inheritance and begin the Mithradates campaign against the near East...