Thanks for the write up. Have to give this a good going through tonight.

No screenies at the moment, but I'm Piedmont-Sardinia and it's 1580, I control most of Northern Italy and have the most trade power in the Genoa, Venice and Tunis nodes. Largely through spamming trade ships...

I've given up on colonising the Americas and have taken expanision, which I think gives an extra merchant? Anyway I'm pushing down the African cost and hopefully will eventually take some land in India. The trade flows West, so best to head East right?

As for defensive that's always one of, if not my first ideas. I do tend to neglect ideas which reduce maintenance because it's pretty easy to go over the force limit with little difficulty. I guess it depends how aggressive you play, I generally try to mind my own business until neighbours find themselves in trouble then I pounce, steal their land and start looking for allies and targets.