xxVigilantexx

I'm really new to this game and so far I've been having tons of trouble keeping up with the ai on normal difficulty. Most of the time they have better research, influence and a stronger military than me, even if i have an equal or greater number of decent planets under my control. What are some good strategies for keeping your empire alive for any and every kind of play / victory? I tend to prefer to focus on fighting but any advice is welcome.

I just got this game about a week ago and while I enjoy it alot I also suck horribly at it. Every match I've played usually end with me getting extorted and slautered by one race or another. I always seem to fall behind in everying and i cant keep up with the ai unless I go all-out in military prod or research, even if I control an equal or greater number of good planets than they do. So to get to the point, how do I keep from getting my ass kicked?