[tinkthank]

Thank you for your replies.
If the learning curve is somewhat like Shrapnel's Dominions 2, that is ok.
Before I posted, I DID read through the tutorial and the Tips sections of the GG; in fact, I think I read the whole thing by now. But there is so much that is unexplained; let me briefly say what I mean.
In every single game I have ever played, there has been some form of quantified abstraction relating to the health of a unit -- usually called "hit points". In every single game I have ever played, there has been some form of quantified abstraction relating to the damage a weapon or other damage-dealer does to subtract from that health. I havent found that yet in MBT. In other words: I read and reread and re-reread all those text boxes on all of these units, but I don't feel smarter. This unit has a Mblahblah gun, and that unit has a Mwoowoo gun -- fine. When I check out those guns, I still dont know "how much they hurt"; I am used to that. I see that this unit is an APC -- but without a glossary I don't know what these things mean.
So I feel lost, despite the documentation that I read.
I have never played any other game in this SP series, so I have no idea how bad the AI was before. I suppose I will see soon.