All very good strategies but I tend to go for the long term approach, I take the industrialist party with some diplo., pop., and economy bonuses. The rush to get planets is not as important as I tend to grab a few of the closest planets and build them up fast with trade whoreing and increased population. If I can avoid getting attacked (because I don't spend anything on war ships until I have Battleships) I usually have battleship technology before anyone else and my super planets can pump out battleships and combat transports fast and I just walk in and take pre-populated worlds!

All very good strategies but I tend to go for the sleeper strategy. I take Industrialist party with bonuses in Diplomacy, Population, and Economy. I grab a few good planets around my home planet and build them up fast with my increased manufactureing, tech whoreing and increased population growth. I spend almost nothing on military (after the first rush of colony ships) and by the time I am getting threats from the other races I will be close to getting battleships while they have spent all their money on defenders and battleaxes. My super planets pump out a few Battleships and combat transports with my military spending now set to 80% and Surprise! The weak kid on the block is marching into a large number of pre-populated planets like Hitler on Poland . The other advantage to this is that I usually get most of the trade goods and achievements because my super planets have huge production bonuses and my newly conquered worlds will supply tax income or become manufactureing planets if suitable. If the poor saps that were threatening me were ahead in tech on other fronts (diplomacy or such) I either steal the tech from conquered planets or demand it as tribute for peace.
The only problem with this strategy is that it only works on occasional or sparse galaxies. Try this on a galaxy filled with habitable planets and the other races will outdistance you way too fast (:(

All very good strategies but I tend to go for the sleeper strategy. I take Industrialist party with bonuses in Diplomacy, Population, and Economy. I grab a few good planets around my home planet and build them up fast with my increased manufactureing, tech whoreing and increased population growth. I spend almost nothing on military (after the first rush of colony ships) and by the time I am getting threats from the other races I will be close to getting battleships while they have spent all their money on defenders and battleaxes. My super planets pump out a few Battleships and combat transports with my military spending now set to 80% and Surprise! The weak kid on the block is marching into a large number of pre-populated planets like Hitler on Poland . The other advantage to this is that I usually get most of the trade goods and achievements because my super planets have huge production bonuses and my newly conquered worlds will supply tax income or become manufactureing planets if suitable. If the poor saps that were threatening me were ahead in tech on other fronts (diplomacy or such) I either steal the tech from conquered planets or demand it as tribute for peace.
The only problem with this strategy is that it only works on occasional or sparse galaxies. Try this on a galaxy filled with habitable planets and the other races will outdistance you way too fast (:(

I am not sure if you get the bonus immediately (didn't check), but if your survey ship(s) uncovers +4% to weapons, you'll boost your 3 attack into 4, and that can be done early. So +30% weapons + survey ship + a bit of luck (but not really much) = +34%.

An excellent strategy for large galaxies with sparse or occasional planets is: Industrial party with diplomacy, econ., and pop. growth bonuses. After the first 5 or 6 colony ships and maybe one or two scouts put military to zero with social and tech. at about 40 & 60%. You can make a few super planets fast (because of the increased social manuf. and pop growth) and with tech whoring (diplo.) and increased economy you rush to battleships as soon as possible. Pop your military up to about 80% and rush a bunch of battleships and combat transports and you should be able to walk in to the nearest enemy planets (who are probably threatening you now because you had no military) like hitler into Poland

Wow...Sorry about the triple post. I submitted the post and it didn't show up.....so I re submitted....nothing....then all of a sudden they all showed up Doh!