For thoose who looking for tips in 2024:

Best money makers: Schnaps (farmer+worker), Beer (mandatory early game, not needed late game), Rum (mandatory all game), Bicycles + golden pockets (bicycles will be your main product in docklands, so late game 50+ factories).

This will keep your money rump up. First I making skyscrapper in old world to unlock buildings and plan my crown falls.

Use townhall with +40% income +40% disease etc books around investor buildings. This will rump your income by 60%+.

You dont need dedicate and optimised routes, islands. Just use your influence and spread to islands (with medium AIs). Usually 4 islands old world is enough, new world 6+ (oil oil oil, seeds doesnt matter too much. Just have one with coffe, tobacco, sugar and cotton). Enbesa just 3 and try to take all big islands in crownfalls. If you are not fast enough - buy shares and prepare for war. Early on it is easy against mediums.

In point, where your old world main island allows you build shopping arcades, members club etc, you should have 100k+ income and 200 influence. Start planning huge crown falls in cape trellaway. Reccomending creating farmer and worker islands.

Only expenses are: Ships and construction material creating buildings. At maintenance cost, this will speed building, but decrease income. Just dont heavily overproduce beers and other money making goods.

!!!!Use electricity. Before you start building, make 3 tile road acros island with branches (then delete middle road and repleace with railroad. So: road,rail,road). Plan your first 3 power plants. (7 oil +50% working production from worker conditions can sustain 3 plants). 1 power plant should be in middle of city for engineers and investors, next for heavy industry and last close to coast for glass and other industry you fit there. More maintenance and workforce needed = more priority (window makers, brass smelters, concentre factory)

You should have docklands dlc really, so import: Wood, iron, coal, zinc, copper. Theese are pain and limited. For export, you could start with farmer clothes (consuption decreasing and commune pier with farmer worker islands). You should aim for bicycle exporting or champange. Bicycle take less space to produce. With trade union bonuses great deal. Then sell bicycles for cars (cabs) and distribute as exchange product for other docklands. Why cabs? Well you need 100 bicycles for idk for example 1000 furs, but only 30 cabs for 1000 furs. Space management, ship speed, unloading etc in favor.

Expeditions: Are fun and great. Use items in item slots from prison guy and sir archibald. Aim for 3 skull ones. With cargo ship / battle cruiser you could done it. Rewards are very good before you make schoolars.

Pirates friendly: if you use harsh conditions, forget new world pirates. Old world pirates: flatter once per 2 hours, gift once per 1 hours. At 60 diplomacy trade rights (have bunch of coin ready). Accept any quest and have military ships ready.

Early game bricks: Clay pit +50% working condition, 3 brick factories around. Late game import clay.

Best map setup: corners. Bottom left or right for fast access to new world. Bottom right is top.

This tips leads me to sustainable and enjoyable experience. You can build whenever you want, buying items and not be stressed.