macAilpin: When I first played the game, I would get all six buildings up, hire the specialists early, and would avoid expenses like Ports early on. And lost.
I started only hiring a Miner early on and worked to get my buildings up to 4x4 to get the extra flow of partially finished goods. Started doing better but still not happy.

Then I built only the finished product buildings in the first round, this allowed me to build three ships for goods, and build ports early on to move raw goods in ASAP. The extra shipping space allowed me during the first several round to purchase semi-finished goods and turn them around for $. When I purchased planks, I finished up the City Construction. When I started getting in raw material from my own territory, I switch my purchases from semi-finished goods to raw goods to try to get Minor nations. One or two Ship of the Lines, then up the buildings to 8 x 8 for the extra finished goods. I started out with a second Prospector to map out the resources quickly. When I knew enough, I would send them back (usually a switch to a Miner but only when my railway station was nearby).
This last strategy seems to work best. But any suggestions?

thedkm: I think your strategy is good, but you make two mistakes:

Never buy semi-finished or finished products but only basic products such as iron ore, timber etc., this is far too expensive at the beginning of the game.

Don't scatter your two Prospectors but send them to small countries ( by creating an embassy) to find resources that you will buy with your Developer.

if you want more information I have put online some chapters of the official strategy guide (I mean the scans), everything is very well detailed.

https://mega.nz/#F!XvgzBCpK!2JhBD0QHZXMtMXTk2XAcRA

fahbs: The most important thing to do early on:

- Buy 2-3 more large cargo ships so you can buy more raw materials.
- Put trading consulants on every minor nation that doesn't look like garbage (mostly tundra/desert). Make sure you stay most favored trading partner to the ones with lots of mountains.
- Don't concentrate on rail networks, concentrate on developing villages into towns. Spot the territories with at least 4 raw material production (4 forests, 4 wool/cotton) and build a depot on or next to the village. Then upgrade your corresponding finished product building (furniture/clothing) to level 3-4. Soon the village will start producing lumber/cloth and eventually furniture/clothing. This is hugely valuable and should be top priority.
- THEN start focusing on the rail and transport network to bring in raw materials. Keep buying as many raw materials as you can process from minor nations.

I try to avoid building ports if at all possible. I only ever build them an area in my nation is cut off from the capital by hills/mountains, or if I have no other source of meat to avoid starvation.

fahbs: All you have to do to avoid being attacked is not be last place for military.

You can avoid this with the simple rule of thumb: when AIs start making alliances, build one ship of the line. If you dip down into last place for strength, build a 2nd one.

By the time those 2 ships aren't enough to keep you out of last, your economy should be going strong and better technology like raiders should be available. Ships of the line are the cheapest way to inflate your strength rating to keep the AIs from dogpiling you.