The very first techs I go for are Sensors, Ion Drive, Diplomatic Relations, and Trade. Then I hit one line of offensive weapons tech, usually beam, but sometimes missle. If playing Dark Avatar, I work the extreme colonization techs pretty quick.

You can build planets in different ways with good results. You can either specialize or generalize them. Personally, I concentrate higher class planets on production (mostly factories) and lower class planets on making money (mostly econ buildings). Morale is a tough one so most planets get only one farm. Higher class planets that can spare the tiles for a few entertainment buildings might get two. I don't build nearly as many labs as markets, but I also run very fast tech so I don't need to. There are some extreme planet building strategies that work, but the basic production/econ strategy is where most people should probably start. I have played a few of those, but I mostly play production/econ.

Hope that helps

thanks for the tips. i had started hit and die tactics with smaller ships vs the lord as when i tryed to max defence they still got owned. thanks for the tips guys il try them out. i was building mostly farms didnt relise

Let me add something to this as well - if your playing the DL campaign build fleets and fleets of low tech single shot fighters (make sure that they have different weapons as well), if you do what I did and build ultra expensive capital ships you'll lose big time against the dread lords.

I had one hell of a game towards the end of one mission where I had a massive empire and they had one star system and were slowly beating me!!!   

Someone on the forums told me this - and I was able to turn the fight around, just!

Rememeber also that this works only in DL and not in DA.