Playing magic in early/mid game is more difficult, as you need mana, spells, and good gear for magicians,at the time you develop magic instead a melee champ. Magic is more a support at these moments, and its power only comes as the game goes on.

Anyway, is perfectly possible to play that way, focusing on civic and warfare. Once learning game basics, you have the foundation to try magic paths.

Seems like it. Great when they turn them into fortresses. Free powerful forts!

I usually get stuck with like 3/2/1 for a good start. I don't worry about City stats that much any more, placement seems more important. River/Trees, Stat Resources (Clay or Farms), and decent amounts of iron are most important to me. Though I seldom get much iron...

That's a Scrapyard Wildlands stack. They seem to enjoy wandering. I'm of the opinion that Wildlands monsters should be barred from leaving their Wildland, so every now and then if one has decided to just go wander halfway across the map (literally, sometimes), I load up in cheat mode and flat out delete it. We already mod the game to our tastes....I'm gonna 'mod' a ludicrously errant stack right the hell out during gameplay if I have to.