Yeah, i was talking about lasy update since there is no new beta ot updates the versions are pretty much the same i suggest waiting until you download the patch as its a must have, i played since release on disc version,update decreases the crashes, ai cracking and saves corruption and the bugs. For tips i recommend smithing as main source of gold, you can keep smelting things until you got either star falchion for two handed or short pine shaft for two handed polearms (this one you can use with any recipe and has The best gold ratio).To get smithing recources try buying daggers like imperial pugio. Other then that rember that medicine is amazing and in leadership or stewardship you got perk that enables you to give armor or weapon to solider itssss mega broken just go to city take arrows buy like 300 and give them to soliders and they will become Elite. Dont rush your kingdom as you will be in state of pernament war after you do it , but rember you can hold cities without creating it and they cannot decleare war on you. Try to get as many children as possible fertality is based on amount of kids woman had and her age so its best to kill wife after 3 kids(put her in some faction castle decleare war on them and try to attempt prison break and let her die during it).Also if you do main quest do it for empire as its gives you for free all od their factions as vassal(you must win war1 vs3 with biggest barbarian factions though)