Hi Capunzo.
Well, first as reguards the numbers, I always assumed that this was something going a bit wrong with the voice, rather than the French numbering system. While having it fixed would be nice, I certainly don't find it too much of a problem, sinse I can usually work out what it's supposed to be, ----- eg, four one hundred being four hundred.
Now as to your other questions. In the single player menue you have several options, first there are the tutorials which you can play through (which I highly recommend as a safe way of learning how to build etc). then, you have the choice of playing against the computer on three different maps.
Map 1 is the same map as the tutorials, and is quite small. Map 2 is a bit bigger, offers more oppertunity to explore but stil gives you a relatively protected area. map 3 is quite large, and less easy to defend.
The passive computer will basically not attack you, and is actually pretty pathetic, sinse it just leaves you alone to build up a huge army, while the aggressive computer will actually send troops to attack you, ----- quite quickly.
As for giving soldiers orders, you can order them to go to a location, ------ just find the location with tab keys or the arrows, or order them to patrol, where they will keep marching back and fourth betwene their own location and whatever location you tell them to go to. Setting the mode of the unit will cover what happens when it meats the enemy. If it's set to defensive (as peasants usually are), it'll run away, and iff offencive, it'll fight.
As for knowing where the enemy base is, you usually have to just go and discover it for yourself. However on map 1, and to some extent on map 2, you virtually know where it is, ------ on map one it's at location B4, or B1 (whichever your base isn't at).
As for alerts, you get a very terrifying bell noise when the enemy attacks one of your buildings, but to know if your soldiers or peasants run into trouble you simply have to keep checking back on them, ----- but that's all part of being a good general.
I hope all this helps you get into this great game! sound Rts is absolutely fantastic, but I do admit it can be rather confusing at first (well it confused me anyway!).
With our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing; O men! It must ever be
That we dwell in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. (Arthur O'Shaughnessy 1873.)