Few questions about the modern approach.

[Excalibur Bane]

Alright, so I bought FoTS about a week ago. I've been playing an imperial clan, blue one that starts on the west side of Japan where the Shimazo starts in regular Shogun 2, and I have a couple of things I'm wondering about.

I'm having a really hard time adapting to using riflemen for some reason. The enemy is simply closing way, way too quickly before I can get off enough shots to take some of them down. I researched fire by rank, but that didn't seem to help much. I'm still getting slaughtered in a 1 to 1 engagement with my shogunate foes and it's allies and I literally can't afford a war with losses like that.

Is there any way to get your research bonus up above 50%? I've got level 4 clan development but I'm still doing research pretty slowly.

I guess that's it, I had some other questions, but I've forgotten them now. Damn it. Ah, well. Main thing is advice on the use of gunpowder weapons. ETW, this game is not. Thanks.

[Elitewolf]

always keep a bunch of levies/kachi in back up to tie up enemy melee troops until you get kneel fire and some really good infantry. Use revolver cav to take out their cav before those can close in. cannons to weaken them as they approach, and gatlings to kill them off as they close in.