The overall AI is affected by this frequency parameter.
10000 means that AI evaluations and choices are triggered every 10 seconds. So 5000 every 5 seconds. Moving from 10 seconds to 5 seconds does not make a great difference, unless you use to play at high game speed, because in such a case you considerably improve the reactiveness of AI. But if you play at medium or low game speed, I believe it's better you keep the 10000 value, in order to avoid a wasting stress for the CPU of your PC.

Q: Can non-seafaring nations build ports? What about shipyards? 
A: not-seafaring nation ('seafaring' refers to the know-how for building ships) can build harbour facilities, but they are not able to construct ships...
They may however ask for them via peace treaties! Or, when annexing enemy nations, they may receive all enemy fleets...

Q: Is there any way (filter) to see the different regions?
A1: All red boundaries in Economic Map mode refers to Regions, not to nations. So this is another way to check immediately the region entities.
A2: Go to economic mode. Now click on any province, on the left side of the main display it reads the province name and the region it belongs to.

Q: For control of a region, does this mean that you must have all of the provinces (rural and urban) at 100% catholic? 
A: Mmmh... it depends on the purpose of the question. If you want to know it for Victory Points reason, the answer is NO, because you gain the more VPs the more % of people are of your faith (see VPsManagement DB).
On the other hand, simple control (for statistical purposes) comes when at least 51% of total population is of your faith.

Q: Manual refers sometimes to a VP chart in the appendix. I suppose it is missing, right?
A: I guess there is a mistake in the manual... If you want to have a detailed listing of VP sources, open the GameRules DB using MS Excel. You can find the DB here:
[game dir]/Data/DB/GameRules.CSV

Q: What is the meaning of the face icon appearing in the area (in the map)  in the economic mode?
A: The face icon over the shield indicates which is the main ethnic of each nation. Then if you find a different face inside any province of such nation, it means the majority of people living in that province is of a different ethnic, as compared to the national ethnic.
This is to give an idea of the provinces whose revolt risk level could be high, because the people living there "feel" the presence of their masters like a "domination", rather than a "government".

Q: How can i see if i have causus belli with a nation? 
A: Animations of a thunder over shields (diplomacy map mode) indicate casi bellorum. 

Q: When you spend a stratagem, is it draw again during the game? 
A: Yes, it may come back later. Stratagems are drawn every year, the more stratagems the less you have in your hand. 

Q: -You only get money for provinces you posses (control doesnt count), right?
A: Approximatively so.
-How is the wealth of a province calculated? Adding the regional control profit for the province+ regional profit of the city and the profit of the buildings?
Q: The buildings have for example: 5 profit and 6g/per 6 months, i suppose 5 profit is per year? 
A: Yes.


RELIGION
Q: What are patriarch nations? 
A: It's like the Pope. It represents the Othodox Christianity after the Schism.
So it has the same powers like other Religious nations: Anathemas, Benedictions, missionaries, churches, cathedrals, monasteries, fight heresies, etc. etc..

Q: I just have one more problem: the catholic church keeps sending missionaries into my sassid empire. How ca n I stop them? Will this meen i have to become a christian?
A: Mazdeism (Persian state religion) is a major religion. So I believe you can't change your state religion to Christianism, because your own faith is already a major one.
In addition, even if it was possible, missionaries would go anyway to Persia, because wishing to convert the real faith of people living in Persia, not the fictional one chosen by their king... Cool
That's to say, that even if you change your state religion, this does not imply the automatic conversion of all people living in your country. Your generals and admirals (maybe even governors, but I'm not sure) move to the new faith, but not also common people.
Indeed, it's very difficult to "stop" such a noisy but clever strategy. Catholic Church reaches two goals with one strategy: spreading his faith inside an "enemy" country, and helping Byzantium by increasing the revolt chances in Persia...
The first idea I have in my mind is to try killing or poisoning them, but such stratagems are not so many in your hand...

Q: I saw I could convert people in my province s into my religion, so its not a problem, besides i keep havin a message telling me that the missionaries keep dying Rolling Eyes every time they try to convert my people. I guess persians aren't into crusified diety Laughing
PLus i have destroyed the eastern empire in asia and egypt 
A: Remember that Christianism will always have much more missionaries than Mazdeism... Crying or Very sad
In addition, military victories are often less remunerating rather than compared to religious achieves!

Q: The beta manual mentions that missionaries are received in multiple locations, but I seem to receive all of non-named missionaries in Armenia. Is this correct?
A: I think it's by chance, unless it's a bug like this: a heresy whose missionaries are to be located commonly in Armenia, wrongly mapped on the "random leader names" game DB in such a way that all his missionaries have no name... can you please double-check if this is such a case? 
A2: In my game, I am receiving two different kinds of missionaries. The first are named presumably historical persons whose appearance is announced in the log. I have received these in Rome, Sardinia and SW France.
The second set I receive as per the FP. These guys have all appeared in Armenia and are a collection of named missionaries (Rufus etal) and un-named (Armenian missionary 3). These are not heretics as they convert provinces to catholicism. The year is now 366 and I have probably received at least 20 missionaries from Armenia. 

Q: I have been browsing the excel with the vp and i see there are points for "each zone with x% of population of your faith"
I,m playing with sasanid persian and i have never got points for religion and i have areas with 100% of my faith. What is "zone" here? Area or region or..? 
A: This kind of VPs are assigned to the "religious nations", not to common ones. So to Catholic Chruch, Orthodox Church, Sunni Muslims and Shiite Muslims, the four major religions that are represented by a nation too. Mazdeism is instead a minor religion, so Sassanid Persia does not earn such VPs.

AP-LP
Q: The manual states that when you click on an army stack you immediately spend LP on it, even if it does not move. I find this awkward as often I simply click on my stacks just to review them and plan my future moves. That does not mean I want to spend any LPs...
A: It's not true. LPs are spent only when the move order has been given (right click on the target movement area).

Q: And another thing about the LP and AP windows. I'm not really getting it: the points I own and have bought are displayed in 'your stock' label, right? Then what does the 'logistical assets' window display? Perhaps the bonuses I recieve (i.e. free points)? I think I'm right...
A: The stats printed on the top-left part of the main interface provide your actual situation, nation per nation. The "Logistical Assets" window allows you to buy LPs and give some details about your needs and your assets, just to provide you an idea about your actual needs. So, no free points: these ones come from random events and/or stratagems. The logistical assets window allows you to "buy" LPs. 

Q: And third, how does the advisor by points? What is the mechanism?
A: he mechanism is quite simple.
For APs, the Advisor buys the most amount of APs you can buy, provided by your treasury. If the treasury is low, it buys the minimal amount of APs that entails no malus on administration. If the treasury is not enough even to avoid such malus events (raise of rebellions risks and similars), it really can't do more... Laughing
For LPs, it buys an average amount of points, considering the number of wars and armies currently committed, the amount of gold points, etc. etc.

Q: 1. From the manual: When activated (just click on the unit, and if you have enough LP, its done),
the gauge fills up to maximum and will get smaller over time (even if you do not
do anything with your unit)

Perhaps when I click a stack, I only fill it's gauge to the maximum, but if this is the case, by simply clickingthe stack I have spent couple of LPs from my stock. Or not?
A: Mmmh... yes, it's a problem of semantics.
Stock: the amount of LPs you currently have.
Assets: the official and unofficial resources of logistics bonuses and/or free LPs, etc. etc.
So, when the "needs" are superior than the "assets", it means you have to buy new LPs. 

Q: Im a bit confused about these terms. I dont understand when the gauge icon has the coins draw and has "it has exhausted all, you need 3 in your wage to move" for example.
What is this wage? Is the 3 the logistical points you spend for moving the unit again? I supposed that but this points aren't substracted from your total logistical points when you move it. 
A: The procedure is as follows:
a) Barbarians never need of logistical points or wage, they move freely, but they often pillage territories they travel on.
b) Kingdoms and Empires have to spend Logistical Points to move their troops. When the wages are off (the bar is empty), that means the troops have spent everything and they are idle, waiting for orders. Once they receive orders (move, for example), you immediately spend a variable amount of Logistical Points (the more the army is big, the more you spend), first taking these points from the "local" resources (if any, see the coins icon over the map), then taking them from the "national" stock. When both these sources are depleted ("national" and "local"), you see the "out of stock" icon with the tooltip you described ("it has exhausted..."): that means you have to buy local points or to go to the Logistics Budtget window (Administrative map mode, action button #2).
Anyway, once you activate an army by paying for LPs, the bar goes to 100% and these "wages" are spent in about 6 months. You will see in fact the bar decreasing little by little towards the 0%.
Instead, when you activate an army for which you already paid for LPs and whose "wages" are still not depleted, nothing happens... 

Q:The manual states that when you click on an army stack you immedeately spend LP on it, even if it does not move. I find this awkward as often I simply click on my stacks just to review them and plan my future moves. That does not mean I want to spend any LPs...
A: Does the manual states so exactly? It's not true. LPs are spent only when the move order has been given (right click on the target movement area).

Q: And another thing about the LP and AP windows. I'm not really getting it: the points I own and have bought are displayed in 'your stock' label, right? Then what does the 'logistical assets' window display? Perhaps the bonuses I recieve (i.e. free points)? I think I'm right...
A: The stats printed on the top-left part of the main interface provide your actual situation, nation per nation. The "Logistical Assets" window allows you to buy LPs and give some details about your needs and your assets, just to provide you an idea about your actual needs. So, no free points: these ones come from random events and/or stratagems. The logistical assets window allows you to "buy" LPs.

Q: And third, how does the advisor by points? What is the mechanism?
A: The mechanism is quite simple.
For APs, the Advisor buys the most amount of APs you can buy, provided by your treasury. If the treasury is low, it buys the minimal amount of APs that entails no malus on administration. If the treasury is not enough even to avoid such malus events (raise of rebellions risks and similars), it really can't do more... Laughing
For LPs, it buys an average amount of points, considering the number of wars and armies currently committed, the amount of gold points, etc. etc.

Q: 1. From the manual: When activated (just click on the unit, and if you have enough LP, its done),
the gauge fills up to maximum and will get smaller over time (even if you do not
do anything with your unit)
Perhaps when I click a stack, I only fill it's gauge to the maximum, but if this is the case, by simply clickingthe stack I have spent couple of LPs from my stock. Or not? Smile
A: No, the LPs are bought only when you give the move order? So simply clicking on the stack is not enough. You have at least to right click inside the destination (even the same are where the stack is located Wink ).

Q: 2. I think my problem is about semantics: what is 'asset' and what is 'stock'?
A: Mmmh... yes, it's a problem of semantics.
Stock: the amount of LPs you currently have.
Assets: the official and unofficial resources of logistics bonuses and/or free LPs, etc. etc.
So, when the "needs" are superior than the "assets", it means you have to buy new LPs. (assets-> stock)

Q: 3. So how good is the AI at judging my needs? Am I safe to delegate point buying to the advisor?
A: To my opinion (remember I'm the developer! ), the Administrative Advisor is good, while the Logistical assets advisor is less affordable... I believe it could be a wise decision to buy LPs "manually", every time you feel the needs. Just an advice.
But, I think that the Administrative Window is very very nice, simple and quite intuitive. It's very interesting tweaking tax levels, APs flows... so why delegating to AI???



RAIDERS
Q: what is the difference between a raider and a barbarian nation?
A: Raider nations are totally controlled by AI, they perform only raids, but the Victory Points go to the player owning them. When Raider become Barbarians, they are not AI controlled anymore, unless you wish to delegate their management to AI anyway.

Q: I dont understand idle units.My nation is barbarian so i dont need logistical points. Why are my units idle and i cant move them then?
 What is the different between idle resting units and idle non resting unit? 
A: Idle barbarian units? Are you sure these are not raider barbarians? In such a case, remember that raiders are AI controlled, and you can't do anything with them as they remain Raiders.
In not raiders, maybe some enemy played a "Evil Omens" or "Mutiny" stratagem on them, so blocking their movements for some weeks or months.

Q: Each time annexation of a one-province nation occurs, it mystreriously re-appears shortly afterwards. 
A: You are trying to annexate a Raider nation. Raider nations are "protected". They automatically reappear. The aim of this feature, as stated before, is to "protect" them in order to keep the most coherent as possible the course of history by avoiding the most warmonger nations become the all-of-the-world dominators by eliminating all their future potential foes (killing a Raider nation before she becomes a Barbarian and Kingdom, is like killing a baby before it becomes adult).

BARBARIANS
Barbarians suffer from attrition quite less rather than compared to Kingdoms and Empires, but they anyway suffer from it. See for example the Huns of Attila during the war against Western Rome (AD450 scenario, after the Letter of Honoria, Huns move towards Rome through the Balkans... a lot of mountains, very heavy attrition after a fwe months).

Q: By the way - some independent provinces in my game also have shields - but not ownership of existing countries - isn't it bug?
And what about countries that have no provinces but only armies in MY country Smile (some yellow barbarians - I can send screenshot of it).
A: Not bugs. Mainly the second case: Barbarians loose the ownership of not-garrisoned provinces every ten years (frequency check is customizable
via GameRules DB), so you can have a Barbarian nation which has all his armies in enemy territory having "losen" its home country...

Q: I can't find the plunder button...
A: Pillage is automatic for Barbarians. No voluntary action. The longer you stay inside enemy provinces (and the more you consume your supplies), the easier is to make a pillage.

Q: If I'm not mistaken, the manual says that, if one is playing a barbarian nation, one has to maintain troops in it in order to "control" it. While playing the Ostrogoths, I conquered a bunch of them, but my troops are elsewhere. Nevertheless, the provinces did not change allegiance. So, do I need to garrison my provinces or not?
A: You may leave provinces alone, being Barbarian, but once in a while (every 10 years I remember... see the GameRules DB for details) a check is done: all not-garrisoned provinces become independent! (But only for not-Raider Barbarians)...

Q: What the hell do you do with your horde? Why can't I build anything with it? Right now i just use it to win battles, as they seem unstopable. 
A: Hordes are a very powerful military unit. They represent the core ethnic of your Barbarian people. They generate free reiforcements. They may be "captured" when losing hard a battle... beware!
Once you pass to Kingdom status, they "settle" and found a town or merge with the rural people living in the last province where they are located, just one year after the Kingdom/Empire status passage.
Foedus can be proposed by Empires to Barbarians when the Barbarians are already located inside a border province of the Empire, or when they are located inside a province bordering the Empire. See the Beta Manual for details. 

Q: When do i become a kingdom or empire? How do I do it? How can I create additional cities? How do I become a federate barbarian in the case of the wisigoths? 
A: Once a Barbarian nation cumulates three age points, it may pass to Kingdom status, provided it controls at least 4 provinces. Passing to Empire status requires more provinces. When becoming too old, a Barbarian/Kingdom may be forced to pass to Kingdom/Empire status in a mandatory way. See GameRules DB (/Data/DB/GameRules.csv by using MS Excel) for details, or examine the Beta Manual PDF you can download in the site.
Cities are created by (historical/random) events, and when Barbarians settle to Kingdom status (so founding the new capital). 

Q: Having formed a kingdom, what I can I do with my hordes? Playing with the Alamans, they formed a kingdom in Gaul before I really was 
expecting it. The first I knew, I was being asked to select a capital. Playing the tutorial, the Saxon horde was able to settle in a province.
 However, my Alaman hordes are not able to settle or build. They remain combat units. What do i have to do?

A: When the transition to Kingdom status starts, the Hordes remains alive for one year. Then, they automatically settle inside the territory
 where they are located. So my advice is: once you realise your barbarians have formed a Kingdom, figure first where you will build the new
 capital (in the richest province or in the most garrisoned one), then move your horde there...

 Barbarians forming a Kingdom - experiences and tips:
"For what concerns Huns... don't put too many hopes in them! The game is very historical, as they quickly evolve to Kingdom status (the more their domains become larger, the faster they get older). So, once passed to Kingdom status, they definitively loose all their advantages in getting free reinforcements, because they do not have anymore their powerful hordes.
So the advice is: build a large realm as soon as possible. Then, once passed to Kingdom status (and even directly to Empire status!), keep the domains and establish a good administration. All neighboring nations will soon break their alliances with you and will try to make your empire into pieces!
This is my experience with Huns... "
This is sound advice.
When you have a strong Barbarian nation, like the Goths, or the Huns, it aint that hard to storm into the Roman Empire (well, actually, attacking the Eastern one can get very tricky, I havent been able to seriously defeat them so far. But the West can become very weak compared to its enormous size).
You wait until you have a big number of troops, then you charge in with all guns blazing. Or swords blazing. Or whatever. Smile
After that, you must be careful about two things: chase down the main Roman armies so they wont wander around and attack your weak stacks, and leave one or two unit garrisons at provinces you wish to keep, because if you want to grab many provinces in one war, it will become a long war, and you would loose control of ungarrisoned provinces after two years (if I remember well).
Actually, in my last game, I advanced gradually with the Wisigoths: the Balkans, then Italy, then a big push to grab a little Hispanian land, which I later extended.
But this is something you can figure out very quickly.
If you have a large terrirory, and you hit age 3, you must count with becoming a Kingdom (or in extreme cases, an Empire right away).
It may not happen for some time, but you dont want to caught with your pants down and your Horde settled. Smile
Now, there is pretty good chance most (if not all) your provinces are uncivilized. There is also a good chance you dont really have any buildings, but you should have at least a few. Also lets hope you captured a city.
Because now you have a big task ahead: build a Kingdom that will last as long as possible.
You will have some accumulated Admin points, so I wouldnt worry about those initially: look at your provinces in economy mode. I personally try to find provinces where there is a trade good, but no building to "harvest" it, as first task, but to be honest I dont know if this is more profitable, or to go on a "farm rush". Farms are quite cheap and can be built everywhere.
If you really have lots of money, dont forget to click on cities, also, to build expensive, but useful buildings like markets, barracks, palaces, etc.
What to build when is really depends on your actual situation, which wary from nation to nation, game to game, but the point is: it wont be easy.
Now if you want to wage war, you will have to spend money to gain Logistical Points. You will also need money for Admin points.
And of course you will have to buy your troops from now on.
Also, you may face the situation that you rule provinces which has population with a different culture. Be careful with them. A revolt, if unchecked, can destroy the infrastructure which took many years to build (and save money for).
Same goes for foreign armies: keep them off your land.
The good news is, of course, it will get faster. As your Kingdom gets into shape, you will have more money, which will allow you to build more buildings, which will make you even more money, and so on.
Also, the abilites of your actual monarch means a lot, so does good strategem play.
So to summarize: your machine of war (the Barbarian nation) will turn into an unstable country once settled, and that in many cases, means a period of slowdown, or pause in military conquest. But with a little attention, you can gear them up again, and form an Empire.