Hello to you too.
And you should develop faster :) Here's a scheme:
1st week - take Necropolises/Dwarven Mines, build the infamous 6th level in the city (and not the Town Hall)
2nd week - take Jellyfish/Naga Banks/Beehives/Conservatories, and improve your stats
3rd week - take Utopias, and improve your stats even more.

I usually don't encounter these things often, even on random maps, and I doubt I'll be able to capture them in the first few weeks. And I won't even mention Utopias; it usually takes me months to get them.

Mines are not a guarantee of success, and you can manage without them.

So, where should I get resources then? You can't really get rich from the scattered resources on the map, and I think it's very important to take as many mines as possible as quickly as possible, so that you don't have resource problems later.

For starters, learn about the concept of a "chain."

I've thought about such a scheme before, but I don't think it's reliable - what if the enemy attacks the chain? What then?

In general, I would like to hear advice specifically on development in the first week - which buildings are best to buy first, who to attack, what to capture, etc. I understand that the most important part of the game is what you do in the first week, as this will largely determine the outcome of the game.