Will there be the option to have more than 4 competing civ's? I mean just because several of them were dominant doesn't mean several others didn't try to colonize the new world and fail horribly. Plus and 8 player huge map would be cool...

Will the natives be normal civ's who demand the secrets of flintlock weapons, etc?

Will we research tech's or continental congress leaders? Will they be in the game as great scientists, etc?

Will it actually make sugar into rum? Or will it just have rum and then if you build a distillery you get +1$ per Rum resource you have available ala current mechanics?

Will there be the option to have more than 4 competing civ's? I mean just because several of them were dominant doesn't mean several others didn't try to colonize the new world and fail horribly. Plus and 8 player huge map would be cool...

Will the natives be normal civ's who demand the secrets of flintlock weapons, etc?

Will we research tech's or continental congress leaders? Will they be in the game as great scientists, etc?

Will it actually make sugar into rum? Or will it just have rum and then if you build a distillery you get +1$ per Rum resource you have available ala current mechanics?

Well, since no one replied to this in over two months, I might as well take my shot at it:

1) It depends on what you mean by "competition". If you think of competition as only the other European countries, then you're not going to be able to have more than four total (unless there's a mod). But there will also be up to eight Native countries, and they may also count as competition. They do, after all, occupy the land you're hoping to take from them.

2) The Natives will mostly be like the civs in Civ IV - you can go to war with them, make peace with them, give them stuff, demand stuff from them, make and break alliances, and more. The one thing you can't do is trade tech, since there is no tech tree.

3) No tech research, but actions made by your colonies will contribute toward points that will help bring the Founding Fathers to your cause. We'll have to wait to see exactly how the point system works. But each FF yields a bonus for your country (e.g., +50% to cotton production).

It also looks like there will be Great Generals, separate from the FFs. I assume the mechanics will be the same as in Civ IV - win battles, and eventually one will come.

4) Yes, you get to make sugar into rum. Buildings like rum distilleries allow more rum to be produced per turn.