dalgo
Emperor
How much does your having a Great General (or getting very close to earning one) factor into your plans for preparing for the revolution?
A few well-promoted units (or the ability to obtain them at a critical moment) could be huge. I'd think Privateers are an absolute MUST for this game, so long as you're careful about actually being at WAR with someone once the Great General appears.
Great Generals are obviously very important in the War of Independence which makes the Founding Father Dom Pedro I (+50% GG Emergence) extremely valuable and I seldom declare Independence without him in my Congress.
However I don't bother much with Privateers, maybe one or two to protect my export port, because I expect to do most of my fighting on land rather than at sea.