New to the game and Overwhelmed. Any hints?

[Leo]

Hi guys, I'm an old MOO gamer and I'd heard that SEIV gold was an outstanding game so I got it and boy, I'm overwhelmed. I've found the beginning complexity of the game to be extreamly daunting and the computer AI to be ruthless. There's got to be a better way! So, I appeal to you veterans out there... Any tried and true hints? Any basic strategies to someone trying to figure this game out? What technologies are better to explore? Tactics to use? Any help would be gratefully appreciated. Please, I am a veteran gamer and I'm not looking to use cheat codes or such, just want to win fairly and give my people a chance to win before getting overwhelmed by the other empires.... As it stands right now, the other empires out colonize me and out fight me regularly, and it's been two weeks of being chewed up with style and I'd like to return the favor to the AI. Thanks again for the assist!