So, playing as Castille, dominated the new world, all civilizations were annexed by me, to my knowledge I have the highest income (abandoned trade for taxes and tariffs), and yet I have a few problems.
1) My income is actually not that high, I have to take on a ton of inflation in order to make money. I am going mercantilism because I got a few CoT's under my control and wasn't getting the shrewd commerce practice idea. I always had an excess of money while going trading. I have no tricks to getting tons of money with taxes and tariffs. I need tips.
2) France was breathing down my neck. I had half my troops keeping the new world in-check, and was half spec'ed into naval, so all I could do was hide inside Portugal and take potshots at him, waiting until his WE was high enough to sacrifice a vassal or something that I gained along the way. I temporarily solved this by giving Portugal the one land that connected us, so I am hoping that it will be a long bloody struggle for them to get to me. I need advice on how Castille can possibly stop France. (I have been excommunicating them as much as possible)
3) Portugal is getting into the new world! I don't know how they got the range to go from portugal to bermuda (I have the azores, and every other island), let alone how they explored as much as they did without the QftNW idea. Any sneaky ways that I could kick them out? Declaring war on them would bring in England. Bad idea.
I am going mercantilism, narrow minded, defensive, quality, slightly naval, and maybe serfdom. Tell me what I am doing wrong!