A few questions...

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I think I've mostly got the hang of the game, there are however a few things I don't quite understand yet.

First, how come at times I can't negotiate with countries? It's not a prestige thing, things are just blackened. Normally a few weeks after it's possible again.
What's the reason? Badboy, colonial wars or something else?

Second, how much of an economical advantage is it to conquer uncivilized countries? I get the whole extra manpower-thing, but I fail to see, at least immediately, an economic gain. Normally in paradox's games, more provinces equals more money, but that doesn't quite seem to be the case here. I admit that I haven't brought any games longer than 20-30 years, perhaps it changes later, with additional economical techs? Also does having many clippers/steamers to serve your abroad provinces cost anything, besides their immediate cost? And if so, a lot, a little?

Thirdly, laissez faire seems to be the best thing, at least in the very beginning, where you lack money and machine parts, is it feasible to change your government straight away if you start with something else? And if you are rich, isn't state capitalism better as you can decide yourself where to build factories/railroads?

Fourthly, which tech-line do people usually pursue in the beginning to make bucks? I guess the industrial one, if you're a poor country, but how's the social ones for cranking up prestige in order to sell techs?

Fifthly, if anything is called that. I know, I know, I need to register the game, will do it as soon as possible. It's just me who's lazy...

 

[RELee]

Could you be running out of those nifty diplomacy points that allow diplomacy to take place?

Conquering territory does not automatically equate to greater economic and/or industrial power in Victoria. You have to get those territories, especially those uncivilized ones, built up. Railroads have to be built and so forth. Uncivs typically become colonies, if I'm not mistaken, so you have some drawbacks to that sort of economy. Colonial pops have more difficulty making money and meeting their different goods requirements. The biggest plus to gaining those territories is increased access to RGO goods. If you have factories that require goods like dye or tropical woods, then those territories become important in their ability to feed your factories back home.

I typically do not have a problem keeping L-F throughout the game. Later in the game, if your capitalists are not wanting to build a factory, it's usually because that good is easily accessible from the world market anyway. I typically don't get past interventionlist, since I can then expand those factories that are making the best profits at my whim. I don't see the attraction of building my own railroads at all.

but how's the social ones for cranking up prestige in order to sell techs?

I don't really understand this part of the question. Are you trying to sell techs for land or something? If so, I typically do not do that.

Since AI countries rarely if ever initialize tech trades with human players any more, tech trading does not come into play until late in the game for me. Once I begin to see surplus research points starting to accrue, I may start working on improving relations with other countries so I can trade techs with them.

But, initially, I do "tend" to concentrate on researching industrial and commercial techs that improve the capitalists' ability to make profits. I'm not real fond of those commerce techs that make education and crime fighting cost more. But I do not over-specialize in those techs. Game play tends to encourage a more holistic approach to research now, and I tend to play that way. Typically, industrial will be the highest, with the military techs a few levels behind. Commerce and cultural techs can often fall behind industrial as much as 5 to 7 levels without me getting concerned.

 

[MattEcho1]

As a new player also, I might be able to help:

Question 1 - Your diplomatic choices are blackened out for a reason. If you hover your cursor over the choice, a popup will tell you what you need. In your case probably money. That is why you are seeing it a few weeks later, when your cash has increased.

Question 4 - I tried to play the Brazil game for newbies and focused mainly on Culture techs. My prestige did increase by leaps and bounds, so there is a pretty significant impact there.

Hope that helps.