1) yes, due to patches and there are mods that greatly enhance the AI.
2) yes, if you use Hard difficulty and give the AI a bonus.
3) I don't know, someone else can answer this.
4) I play both. I guess if you look at the PBW statistics, most players probably don't use PBW for on-line. PBEM is not easy to track.
5) absolutely. Most games are not played in real time. They do take weeks/months, but a turn per day is common. Check out PBW:
www.pbw.cc/
6) read the first stikified thread: Newbie FAQ.
Slick.
[ April 11, 2003, 01:05: Message edited by: Slick ]