I think you might be reading more into the level ups than there actually is.  Choices don't really lead to specific paths, other than dodge 1 leading to dodge 2.  

There are a few chains, i think.  For example I've never gotten the option to buy Finesse (+3 atk / acc vs targets with less DX) unless I buy Dexterity first.  However there are very few such chains, in fact that and Brute (same thing, STR-based) are the only ones I am aware of.

That being said, ask questions and we will try to answer

- Manii Names

Basic Rule: Strength is all that matters. Get Strength. Maybe a few attack abilities or some magic. But Strength first. 

Actully there are a lot of abilities to choose from that are good you don't need to go the Strengh route. 

I generally decide what "path" I want each hero to do and pick the abilities according to that.

Fighters I pick Str. and Def as well as specialty attacks like stun and that smash one (forget the actual name) very effective

Mages I pick the spell schools and Int as well as the Spell mastery ones.

Administrator - Any gold and any other abilities that beneifit the kingdom/empire in an administrative sense, and Dodge/ Def.

I usally don't create a stack of heros. I use my heros to lead armies so I also for all types choose abilities that will benefite the whole stack.

No, there is no complete documentation. You can look in the data files to fully understand it. Although as has been pointed it, the choices are not very complex.

My Strength based armies would mop the floor with your well rounded heroes. Strength is the most powerful stat. Magic requires too many levels and strategic factors to compete. Since the AI is not that challenging, your leveling works too, but if things stay the way they are, you will have to only choose Strength in multiplayer and on hard settings. 

But unfortunately this game will not have Multiplayer and most likely never will so unless you want a fast boring game then the well balance approach will not only allow you to play the game longer and see more of it. But will be more fun over all.

Multiplayer is coming after release or in the expansion

Hopefully. It is not guaranteed.

I doubt it very much. Most of the time when game companies say a feature that should have been in at release but was not will be added some time after release. It usally means it will never be in.   I'm going from experience here

I am going from experience too. GalCiv2 got an entire espionage reboot after release. I think the crux of that matter is how good the game is on release. If it gets the rating they want, Metacritic 90, they will go ahead and add MP, better AI, and content. If it gets a mediocre score they will probably move on the expansion after a few patches. Think about how the WoM train wreck was patched into a decent TBS. This game is going to get just as much attention after release, but since they won't need to put it back into a beta stage for a year, we can expect them to deliver some pretty good stuff. 

But really I was just trying to make a point about how unbalanced the stat functions are right now. I digress. 

I know

Wow, hehe,  good information but I guess I kinda missed the mark  with my question a bit...

I was looking for information on things like.....How do I get my Ranged Champions Damage up?  How is ranged damage affected by strength, accuracy and dexterity? What differences are there from Accuracy and Dexterity?

How do I increase my Magical damage (other than the obvious +50% spell damage perk) what good for example is spell mastery?  And what does higher intelligence do for me?

I guess Im looking to see how each stat works into the various functions...

You won't like the answers.

Bows do not have any way to do more damage than their set value. You can increase your crit damage and chance to crit, but it will never come close to doing the same thing with a sword.

Accuracy never needs to upgraded because it increases with each level.

Dexterity will give heroes a crit damage bonus, but it won't match up with Strength's damage bonus. It will give you some dodge, but since accuracy goes up every level, dodge is only a factor in the early game. After that every unit will hit every time almost. 

Intelligence increases XP per battle, Spell Mastery, and Spell Resistance. 

Spell Mastery increases the likelihood of a successful casting. 

Spell Resistance protects you from spells. So in a battle between Mages, the higher intelligence wins. 

Magical damage can also be increased by capturing shards. 

Keep in mind that this is very early in the public beta. We need to point these issues out though so that everyone knows what they are dealing with in the current version. There will almost certainly be balance done to make each stat more useful. For instance, it looks like bows are supposed to do excellent crit damage as Dexterity goes up. It is unbalanced right now, so we don't see it happening and bows are thus static in damage. 

Thanks that helped a lot, Ive wasted a lot of effort improving the Accuracy and Dex of the Ranged Champions with no hope of really increasing the damage they do.  Kinda makes ranged champions useless...just make them spell casters or melee I guess  (at least until there is some balancing done on bows)   I still think there should be a viable way to make bows deadly as swords.