I've started playing RTW when it was first released and recently picked it up again. After a few conquests I started to get board and wanted a different experience that was more historically accurate. I am really liking what I am seeing in RTR so far. Some things seem strange though. Granted I haven't gotten more than 10 years through a game, but with a game this slow paced I don't want to go through a 20 hour game only to realize I screwed up bad. I hope there are still a few people on here that can help. I know its been awhile since this was released.

1st. on the minor settlements. I get why they have those negative growth rates so they don't end up becoming bigger. The only things I can build there are ports/roads/traders. None of them seem to have good payback times in terms of trade. Maybe I should build roads for movement, but I'm not sure if anything else is worthwhile.

2nd. On a related note, economic builds in general seem to have a preposterously slow payback time. For roads/traders/ports you seem to be spending 10k-20k on each and they may increase trade by 50-100. Does this get better in the mid game? Maybe when those specialty economic buildings come into play?

3rd. Speaking of those specialty economic buildings I keep reading that once you build those you can change the raw materials into finished goods, but it doesn't say what that does. Are the finished goods more money, or is it better equipment for soldiers in the field? Something else?

4th Corruption for family members seems incredibly high. Most of my family members give a modifier of -2000 or more if they are a governor. I find myself needing to park my family members in backwaters just so they aren't breaking anything. It would be one thing if I had one family member like that, but they fact that everyone other than the Consuls are like that makes me think that I'm missing something.

Thanks in advance.