Need help badly in playing the game

Personally i never use quick start, so first thing i do is upgrade the final level of civilian infrastructure on the homeworld, followed by bulding two scouts (or one if using a small map) and five light frigates. Then it depends on the race, for Advent i always build a Halcyon and colony frigate, for TEC i build an Akkan, or a Kol and colony frigate depending on the availbility of neutral extractors, and since Vasari's scouts can capture them, always the battleship (though with Rebellion it seems their new cap is a better choice).

Then i map out my "core empire", nearby rich planets that can be easily defended by choke points, capture and fortify them, maximise my research capability and economy, and build an offensvie fleet and take the fight to the enemies. It takes me close to two hours before i get to figthing shape, before that i defend with the starting cap and 10 light frigates, in addtion to planet defenses.

Just a warning, this is not a multiplayer compatible strategy

Well most people do play with it on, and most strategy advice is assuming you do too.

Early on you want to expand and take as many neutral worlds as possible. Don't focus on developing your worlds with all the logistics slots, just get your first two military and civics labs. Start with a colony or carrier cap/2 colony frigates, and max out your starting fleet supply with corvettes and later LRF/flak. Then take as many planets as fast as possible, only getting enough population upgrades to get positive income and build extractors. Once you start hitting enemy planets so you can no longer expand, start expanding your fleet and infrastructure for trade/more labs.

Another tec opening is colony ship, max frigate.

2 civic research

Colonize 3 planet

Max planets income (population cap)

put 1 trade port per planet.

Rush to scouted choke points & grab choke point and expend reseach and fleet capacity. (remember to raise extractions tech with a ration of 1 or 2 per 2 fleet upgrades, it voids the upkeep cost kinda), Reinforce choke poitn whle you colonize...

Build 2 nd capital, send the colony cap ship already with the fleet, alone to clean all planet between Choke points and starting worlds.

at this point you should have enough incom to support an expendling fleet, building a titan and super colonization.

Expend until you meat AI.

 Destory AI with your super economy.

Does using the speed increase in game, multiply the game speed you have set in the game options. like if I put fast speed settings on everything would that X that by 8?

And thanks for those hints, keep them coming. I will try out those strats and figure which one is best for me.

The in game speed adjustment basically just speeds up time. If your on x2 everything goes twice as fast. 30 seconds is equal to a minute in normal time. The speed options before you start the game determine the base constants for thing like resource income and stuff. So they do completely different things.