Need help guys

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I'm not the greatest strategist, but I find my games go in waves: initially, a land grab where I set production to 100% colony ships and strike out to plant the flag on as many places as possible. My income falls steadily until I have a decent number of planets, when I switch to 100% research to make up some lost tech ground. I usually manipulate my tax/spend to ensure a positive net income per round while my research is going full steam. Bear in mind I'm extremely vulnerable at this stage, having had no time to build any appreciable military, so I am a sitting duck if there are any aggressive neighbours close by. When there's a decent bank balance and I've achieved some equality in the tech race, I switch to 100% social production and start soil improving, etc. etc.

From then on I go in waves of full on research, then social spend, then military build as required. The early defence system is tricky - I find even a handful of starfighters keeps aggressive neighbours at bay. You might also start on larger maps - they give you more time to gain ground - smaller maps lead to short, sharp conflicts.

Be prepared to go well into the red on some occasions, reduce spending and work your way slowly out of it over time - I have never been in the 'black' the whole time in any game I've played.

Some good tips from SW, although personally I prefer 80% military and 20% research to start, I also increase tax to 50% for the early game and gradually reduce it as the empire grows. Be careful not to build too many social improvement, the maintenance can kill you, also research 'Trade' ASAP and get those trade routes going, at the end of a game I find trade can be your primary source of income.

Trade routes will help, combined with starbases with modules that boost trade income. If you have minors in your corner i.e. you're the most logical trading partner, see that they have trade, too; both sides benefit from a route. Perhaps other nations will be more likely to trade with you if you bribe them to go to war with just about everyone else, hm.

So, for that matter, will trading with the AIs in the more usual sense. Technology's going to spread anyway regardless of whether or not you're the one doing the selling, so it makes sense to frequently sweep through all the diplomatic screens -- minors included -- and see if you're willing to sell any tech at prices they're willing to pay. Ditto for trade goods, although I'd be reluctant to part with anything that gives a diplomacy or research bonus, and speed bonuses (Gravity Accelerators) only goes to minors or friendly majors.

Get to the Econ wonders -- Galactic Stock Exchange, Trade Monument, Life Force Power (Evil; +25% Economy, mmm), and Historal Preserve (? not sure about this one) come to mind. Ditto Econ resources, if you're lucky enough to start with one or more where you can reach 'em.

also, dont build everything! Look at the annual upkeep costs before deciding. And dont have a large fleet (costs tons of money to maintain) if you are not going to use it for war.

Use your governors to build all the "free maintenance" improvement - soil, habitat, banking etc.

Put different governors in charge of your better planets where you will build other improvements.

Trade early and often

I always trade for research with the AI

Mybe you do the same mistake I did in my 1st game and colonized planets with less than a PQ of 15... I say: Don't! That ruins you, it's to expensive to live on em! I usually don't waste my Traderoutes on minors, since the benefit of them liking me is much less valuable than the benefit of someone else liking me!
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