Miscellaneous Questions

[Ishmael]

Miscellaneous question time! YAY!

Ok folks, I have a few random questions I'd like to put to you on all sorts of random topics. If you can answer any or all that would be greatly appreciated.
Also, I'll probably think of a few immediately after I post (you know how it is) and add those in an edit, so keep your eyes open.

1) How does fire on ships work? Will those tiddly litttle fires always grow into massive infernos that sink the ship if you/the AI does nothing about it? Or can they naturally stay small and/or go out, and so pose no threat to the ship? If they do always grow, how fast is this process? And what affect does fire have on morale?

2) Does the current tax rate of a province affect its 'worth' in diplomacy? I noticed that, as the Ottomans, the AI offered to trade 1 of its provinces for 2 of mine. 1 of my regions had an equal income to the AI's, but my other region had an income of '0,' due to being tax exempt. So was the AI just greedy, or does tax rate actually influence the AI?

3) Are the '8 inch mortars' the Russians get in their lineup for custom battles actually any better than their '4 inch' cousins? Also, are Ottoman and Maratha mortars any better than their European counterparts (they have different names, but I'm not sure if they are actually different)?

4) Does the presence of the Admiral's Flagship (with Admiral intact) give a moral boost to nearby ships?

5) Is it practical to use dragoons as mounted infantry, or do you use them as cavalry? For that matter, what is the difference between light and normal dragoons?

6) Has anybody given Madrid and/or Paris and/or England to the Powhatan yet (I'm looking at you, Megas Methuselah)?

7) How much money do the AI nations generally have available for diplomacy? If you give them a brilliant offer (for them) but they can't afford it will they still reject it with the generic 'your proposal is utterly rejected!' speech? And if you have a deal where they're paying money over a period of turns and can't pay, do you just lose out?

Ok, thats it for now, I might think of some more later. Thanks guys!