Ok... winner... buddy... your responses are either completely wrong or partly wrong.
Any FP gained from settlements will go to the bar. Are you sure you claimed the reward?
As for the second, when you reach the end of level one, you get a screen asking about difficulty. You have to complete the entire previous level before moving to a higher one. To select difficulty, click the stars and you will either see "play" or "donate" as choices for level 2. If it says "play," you can click that and start on the next level. If it says "donate," then the next level is not opened yet. Guild leaders can open levels of GE by paying goods based on the guild members' eras.Generally, most guilds require members to pay for the GE costs by either having an Observatory or Arc. If your guild leaders are not opening up level 2, if not all levels, then it is probably time to find a new guild.