The math behind resources...

I have found that the beginning of the game can be crucial to resource management.

The acquisition of 'stuff' is really important. The means of acquisition are:

resource zone control and infrastructure: you control this. Build up as soon as possible, as early as possible, because of the cumulative effect.

You might find that the placement of a resource zone is vitally important for several reasons. I think

having zones that border water offer a 'boost' because of level 3 port facilities giving a 30% bonus to

production. This comes with an inherent risk of seaborne invasion, but that is another topic.

Buy it on the Open Market, you may see a lot of early trading going on. Resources are seldom cheaper than in the first few days.

Trade with Allies!

Some buy up all the food they can, others concentrate on Rares, so they can build facilities on

undeveloped areas to get a rapid and early boost to production. The one thing you really do not need on

the first day is $100K sitting in your bank.

Capture your resources: As you conquer your friends and neighbors they will yield to you all of their hard earned resources. This will also get you the means to produce more of said resources. Pick targets wisely for maximum effect.

A Capitol can be a goldmine of badly needed resources, this is why many attack the AI smaller countries

early on, to get the goods and means of production.

These actions are all within the fair play rules allowed by the game.

The following comments are going to cause some feathers to be ruffled, so be it. This is not idle conjecture but has been observed in play.

There are some unscrupulous players who have multiple accounts allowing them to have more than one country in the same round, obviously

a HUGE advantage. I know some folks use one account for Role Playing, and another for regular play. I have no issue with this double account type.

And some groups (2 or more players due to prior arrangement) trade off being the 'lackey' and join a game just to be a supplier of resources

to another player, and in kind they switch places in another round. I am not saying that those you see are using this suspect behavior, but

it does happen.

Thank you for you response. You shared with me some very general advice about game play, such as the importance of trading and buying resources, picking targets wisely, building early, and so on.

Incidentally, the bonus of L3 navy bases is 30%, not 50%. Navy bases have a daily upkeep cost, so it comes with costs, too.

You can always produce non-food troops like tanks, planes and ships even if you're in food deficit?

I agree 100% with wildL.

This is my usual practice, as few hungry units as possible. I sell excess food to supply my fuel needs until self sufficient.

I hate food deficit, and there usually is more than enough petrol around.

Choosing the right starting location for your style of play, if you have one, is easily as important as handling the

Military aspects. This is a game of maneuver and logistics.

I never had problems with food unless i overextend too much . oil is the problem . and if there is no oil to buy from market , i spam rokets , i have no problems hiting 500 troops ~day 40