Ok yall I'm an experienced player, but this is new ai, and thus new tactics to be used.

1) Is the enemy ai limited by a similar economic situation to our own? Have you seen blockades and raiding of enemy resources dampening their fight. I thought in the ch3 of American campaign that the British became weaker in their recruiting when I began pirating their trade lanes. However I then noticed that the enemy was building limitless units at settlements far away (NE on islands) and wasn't moving them. If the enemy is restricted in recruiting by monetary concerns then they would be wasting their numbers on those outposts correct? It would then be in my interest to attack those last.

2) Raiding, Pirating, etc: How is it working out in your campaigns? I always liked burning down towns in medieval if i knew I couldn't hold them. A very viking tactic. Any suggestions? Is is damaging the enemy economy enough to use it consistently?

3) Research! I can definetly see the military research as helpful, but what research should I try to get ASAP? Which ones provide the most economic return? How Can I speed up research? Can I build more colleges? Do gentlemen agents simply have to stand in the college to make it research faster?

4) Agents! They've changed. What are they good for now? I don't quite understand them or how to make them better. I had an agent win three duels and not improve or change his stats.

5) Diplomacy... I don't understand why nations are being such bastards at the negotiating table. I'm not getting anything I want out of other nations. I don't see why offering 3 techs for 2 of theirs (plus money from me) is such a bad deal for them. Can I get better at bargaining?

6) Is the fact that I'm in the American "tutorial" campaign making part of these problems more than they will be in the actual campaign? I seem to be swimming in money and auto tax is doing a good job.

Ok boys these are my questions, I know of no players to ask better than the ones here. I love this forum, despite the incessant wails of selective effeminate armchair-commandos. This site has always been able to supply me with tactics, advice, mods, all that.

1) Haven't seen enough to make a solid decision.

2) It works very well. Sweden declared a War of Succession on me (Prussia). I loaded my troops up, sailed to their capital and took it (after some big bloody fights). I think torched every building and destroyed every town. The region went from pulling in 12,000 a turn for them to pulling in 4,000 when they took it back (after I gifted it to Russia for some brownie points), and they'll need who knows how many turns to bring it back up to where it used to be. Sweden will not be a threat to me for many, many turns.

3) All research is helpful. Particularly, Fire by Rank in military + Bayonet techs are invaluable, and in economics survey your territory and find out what craft types your cities are, and tech them up for a huge increase in cash.

4) Stick Gentlemen in your universities to increase research speed. Use Rakes to infiltrate enemy cities to see what they have there. If they die it's no big deal, a new one will spawn soon.

5) The enemy just hates to trade techs. They put huge value on them. In general they will not trade their techs for yours, to buy them you need to pay 10,000+ gold, or demand them for peace settlements after crushing their armies.

6) Don't know, I quit RtI after Bunker Hill and never looked back.