I have played two games now (in addition to a few aborted attempts on medium maps and large maps with default opponents which were entirely too cramped).

Some mechanics I have figured out but others are still a mystery. I have NO IDEA what a lot of the resources are for and there always seems to be some that I never have and can't find any to trade for. 

Even many of the basic concepts aren't all that clear (what determines Raw Production (ratio of pop? anything else?), how do I stop a spy from reducing my Raw Production by 91%! etc etc). What determines how frequently I get a new Citizen? How does civil construction work (I see a 'special' that gives +2 Social Construction...for what? What type of building goes there?). 

There are a ton of other unanswered questions and rather than hunting through the forum or posting for each thing, I'm wondering if there is some unified post or pdf or something that explains the new mechanics?

Any help appreciated! Thanks!