I've come to the point where I can semi-reliably defeat hard AI in a 3-6 man FFA or in teams of 2 with my buddy. Never tested the harder levels yet.

From what you're saying about defensiveness not working out too well, do you think that playing the rebel verson of TEC is a better choice?

@PapaRayRay

Your strengths vs. the AI will mostly max out at just knowing what counters what, which techs to prioritize, what abilities do and when to use them, etc. The biggest difference you will notice is being pressured outside of your comfort zone due to the more cuthroat, adaptive, less predictable human players. Not having enough of a fleet presence early enough is likely to be the most common game ender in making the transition. Second would be not expanding fast enough and getting an econ up, resulting in getting outteched (see: not enough fleet presence + fleet composition). Scouting early and often is also 500% more important than when playing vs. the AI. You need to know where your enemy is and whether he is already preparing to jump on you ASAP. It's hard to say more than that without seeing you play - if you want to post one of your first online forays, I'd be happy to add whatever else I can then.

Lol - that's true, I was. Well, here's some feedback:

Start faster - your capital ship sat there for a couple minutes after it was built and you took your time getting some frigates to join it. You need to be off to the first moon or asteroid nearby to colonize as soon as your cap finishes building. You needed more ships as well - you had less than 10 most of the game. Use corvettes, like at least 10-20 to start to help your capital clear and colonize nearby planets faster.

Don't research Titan upgrades that early in the game. Same with the sensor drone stuff. Prioritize getting more ships out and then trade ports up as tech once you have a string of at least three planets. Don't waste money on hanger bays when you aren't there to support them. Avoid making static defenses period if you can. Ships and factories are better.

You floated 5000+ credits and 2-3000 metal and crystal all game. Unless you are saving for a Titan, you should always be spending that. It's doing you no good in the bank. This is basic RTS 101. Give it away to allies in need if you are safe for the time being. It was a bit of a rough game for you to step into and you didn't really get a chance to contribute anything until purple steamrolled you at the end. Watch it again from other player's points of view and see what they were doing instead - how they colonized faster and built larger fleets. Practice expanding faster and building more ships. Try to never let your income get above 1000-200-200 - figure out what you need to spend it on so it doesn't go above that. Planet pop upgrades, trade ports, factories, fleet, the TEC terran research techs. Invest in that stuff the most to start and then take it from there.

I don't suppose you were in the game before that one with me? I didn't save it and I really wanted to as I had some tooth and nail fights vs JameX as Advent Loyalist vs. his Vasari Loyalists. He spammed starbases at me for the 2nd game in a row and this time I managed to get carriers and illuminators out in enough numbers to win in time.

Anyway, stick with it and try refining your opening 20 minutes more. 

Yes, please upload that one when you find it. Cheers.

Thanks but that was the first one I played vs him where I lost. Killed 2 of his offensively placed SBs but it wasn't enough. It was the next game where I started next to him again and he did the same again but I managed to beat it.