Hi!
The "build queue" on my average (size 8+) planet is 2 (or ~30%) factories, 1 morale building (to tax & grow pop more), ~30% reserach buildings, ~30% money buildings, 1 farm, starpot. This way I build installations reasonably fast, get lots of reserach points early, and get quite lot of money after the pop grows to max food.
BR, Iztok

Thanks. Also, Why do the AIs never seem to go mass driver tech? I've only ever seen it used once. Is it deemed "Useless" By the AI?

if you take notice early on some techs and ship components for weapons are cheaper and better for an early game. It all depends on the Civs money and what other Civs are building when they choose a weapon

Going neutral and rushing to NLCs can be dangerous. They're expensive, and if you over do it, you can fall behind militarilly.

On thing that is always good is to pick at decent planet (pq 16+) for your tec capitol and build as many research as it'll support. (you'll want 1-2 factories until you top out with discovery spheres or NLC)

I tend to quick build research upgrades on my tec cap, as the normal upgrading can be slow. Try to build at least 2-3 max-ed out eco starbases to boost your tec capitol. (the more the merry-ier)

When you can build the omega research center, make sure to build it on your tec capitol. The best is if you can do all this on a planet that you picked the evil +50% research...

plus if you do it really early, you miss out on all the events that happen which give you bonuses, both random events that just happen and ones that trigger sometimes when you colonize a planet.

Depends on the size of the map doesn't it? When I play medium maps, even if I'm rushing for Xeno ethics, I often complete it just after I colonise all that I can.