Hints:

Protect your Colony Ships. Dispatch Escorts to guard them if they are moving several warp points from your home region. You never know whom you may run into. Also, once the colony is established, don't forget to sprinkle troops and ships in that area. You need to protect your new investment.

There's strength in numbers. If there's anything useful we've gleaned from watching the hit show Survivor, it's this: set up alliances in the early stages of a game. Try to choose civilizations that complement each other's strengths and weaknesses.

There's strength in numbers, part two: When you wage war against a particular empire, make sure you have amassed enough quality armaments to handle the job in a quick and efficient manner. Otherwise, you'll soon be sorry you picked a fight