[mac5732]

1)Don't forget to use the upgrade button when you discover new tech..
2) In beginning research and get mines & upgrade missles. They are good for defense in beginning.
3) Try not to colonize systems in beginning where the AI has colonies unless u have no other option. This tends to upset them towards you.
4) When colonizing outside of your system in beginning be sure you give your main planet time to replenish its people, or you will lower pop to the point your colonization will come to immediate halt until it grows back up.
5) when building colony ship make sure you have cargo componet in order to carry pop outside your system, otherwise when you get there you will be unable to colonize, no people on board, or at least make sure you load pop before sending out system, 1 cargo gives extra pop to help grow
6) try and make trade & research treaties with every AI you meet. Some won't ck them out. This increases your resources & research
7) put at least several small wp's on your planets in beginning. Nothing worse then AI sct coming in and wasting your nice planet because yu have no defense
8) research your special tech ie; temporal etc as soon as you can afford to
9) colonize available planets in your home system in beginning while your scts are cking other systems. otherwise, AI will come in and coloize them before you if they have same type enviroment.

just some ideas mac