Noble, you forgot one thing. Don't use mines. At all. The AI is incapable of handling them and not putting 200 of them on the warp point leading to your empire makes the much harder to play. Also declare war on the first AI you meet.
And use my mod.
With it the AI will build more base space yards and can crank out ships like crazy. Believe me, it will be tough. With my mod and the above playstyle in a small universe with high AI bonus and difficulty and no neutrals I got my head handed to me. Repeatedly. The AI kicked me back a little and I kicked the AI back a little and the AI kicked me back even harder and son until It kicked me to death. Painful but fun.