Downloaded the new version of SOA2.  Check.  Got online.  Check.  Got into ICO.  Check.  Met up with a guy I talked with on the forum.  I didn't know what I was doing (pretty sure it was obvious).  He setup the game.  I played Fed he played Klingon.  I thought there would be more players or AI.  There were not.  But okay.  

He keeps typing to me but I don't know how to respond.  He tells me to hit "Enter" to talk.  A little conversation transpires.  Meanwhile I am sending out scouts.  Take over an asteroid.  I hit the "Pause" key.  I do it playing alone all the time so I didn't even realize I did it.  Finally realized I hit pause so I unpause.  Game continues.  

Begin building some Regula stations to research for an economic build.  Research some ships.  The night air is crisp as I'm looking over at my children who are playing when suddenly and without provocation what looks like the entire Klingon fleet shows up on my doorstep, at my home world.  The words: "Klingon Raiding Party" show up in a chat.

I have built 4 Miranda class ships.    I start building more Miranda but it's pretty useless.  I have not even researched the next level of Fleet Logistics.  Those ships with my Ambassador class starter are pretty quickly out matched.  The Klingons leave without destroying my planet.  I think either they felt sorry for me or they were looking for the other ships that must exist (but don't).

I start researching the next level of logistics.  I get out a few more ships and another Ambassador.  It doesn't matter because an even bigger fleet of Klingons returns to finish the job.  

So that was my first experience.  

Playing online against a human (in this case a Klingon human) was very different from playing against an AI.  The fleet that killed me was almost entirely composed of ships available at the beginning of the game.  I don't know what to make of what just transpired.  I'm going to make some cocoa and lay down.  Have a nice night.