Hi there! I'm not a gov member so maybe I don't know much, but my advice for a newer player to get your nation up and running is to take absolute advantage of the grant system the alliance offers you while taking an independent stance on making money at the same time. Raiding, producing raw resources and saving hard for important milestones is a very good way to start up. Of course the government might tell you something different but that is my opinion on the best way to begin.