Eador: Genesis

[FarAway Sooner]

In terms of #5, regarding your late-game advice, I think it depends on the type of shard you're on.  Terrain types dictate the gold-vs-crystal production piece, and they also dictate how quickly you can explore a province (e.g., it's easier to explore Plains than Swamp).

I haven't played the game enough to disagree, but as you say, the game is deceptively deep!