The economics aren't really that different than vanilla Civ IV. The limitations aren't new in this mod. Your original mistake was expanding too quickly.
As far as making vassals... you just have have to try to be the one they capitulate to first. I've had AI offer to be my Vassal before I even started war with him. (I was just about to). In my games, they do war with each other.
To get all the different types of mana, you should first start with metamagic mana and get a mage that can cast "Dispell Magic" on nodes so you can rebuild them with whatever type you need for whatever tower you're building. Then dispell, rebuild again for the next tower. I haven't tried it myself, but I hear that's how it works.
Other victories are a little more diffficult if you haven't planned out ahead of time. Like I just finished a religious victory. But I knew from the beginning that I had to get the other civs to adopt and spread Fellowship of the Leaves. It was actually a lot of work to get 80% religious influence. I was churning diciples out like mad and trying to get access to rival lands to run 'Inquisition' on their cities.
I did a cultural victory once. But that was with the Sidar.... and a near unlimited supply of super-bards.
As far as making vassals... you just have have to try to be the one they capitulate to first. I've had AI offer to be my Vassal before I even started war with him. (I was just about to). In my games, they do war with each other.
To get all the different types of mana, you should first start with metamagic mana and get a mage that can cast "Dispell Magic" on nodes so you can rebuild them with whatever type you need for whatever tower you're building. Then dispell, rebuild again for the next tower. I haven't tried it myself, but I hear that's how it works.
Other victories are a little more diffficult if you haven't planned out ahead of time. Like I just finished a religious victory. But I knew from the beginning that I had to get the other civs to adopt and spread Fellowship of the Leaves. It was actually a lot of work to get 80% religious influence. I was churning diciples out like mad and trying to get access to rival lands to run 'Inquisition' on their cities.
I did a cultural victory once. But that was with the Sidar.... and a near unlimited supply of super-bards.