Starting a new campaign with SS 6.3

[threealls]

hi, I was playing Stainless Steel since last year. I played with 6.1 version first and then switched to 6.2 version with RR/RC Compilation with BGR mod. It was a wonderful mix but also very hard experience for me. I played with many nations and failed many times due to BGR-challenges( I generally play on H difficulty, actually started with VH but when combined with BGR it was too much for me). I has successful campaigns with countries like Franks, Genoa and Castille. However, the nation with which I was always doomed was Turks. I tried different strategies but always failed. Rebellions, poor economy, lack of good generals, wide and fragile empire which is open to many enemies etc.

Now, I saw that 6.3 version of SS was released and I decided to give a break to Hearts of Iron for another trial with Turks in 6.3 version. I will play again with BGR IV mod and will play with Savage AI ( I think it is neither too hard nor too easy). I am planning to play on Medium difficulty. Having talked about my past experience of SS so far, I now want your advices for my new trial with Turks. Should I leave my remote and costly cities like Ahvaz and Basrah in the beginning of the game ? To which direction should I try to expand, to the south against the Crusaders or to the west against Byzantines ? Should I convert some of my castles to cities ( this was in fact my general strategy in all of my past campaigns to increase my revenues, but now I doubt everything ) should I only use my faction leader in the field and let the others sit in the cities to avoid further costs?

lastly a question about the new version;

in my previous 6.2 version with RR/RC comp. and BGR I couldn't build anything in cities without governors,does this feature still exist? I ask because I have just opened the game and was able to build in Ankara which has no governor in the beginning.

Thanks in advance for all suggestions. Finally, I express my gratitudes to the creators and members of this excellent mod.

[StratApple]

For the second question: When you start a new campaign you can choose if you want to automaticly adjust taxes and building when no govener is present in the city, or u can use the sub-mod "limited activities" which will make you unable to ajust taxes and start without a gorvernor.