I need help getting in to this game

Gal Civ III is a true 4x game. I only play on the very largest maps and at least 15 majors and all minors for a total of 70+ ai in game. All games start off SLOW and will take about 100 turns to build up to the point where you are constantly moving around the map. 

Gal Civ III is NOT a tactical game. You do not get to place your ships or dictate how they attack. You can build fleets and arrange them into a more min/max way to ensure they do well in battles. 

Yes the game will have expansions. It already has one major one from this Spring called Mercenaries and another Major one for next year called Crusade. This does not include the many DLC you can get which really make the game feel alive.

Cheers! 

I find GCIII not to be a game for the faint of heart

It is more involving then many other games I have played.

If you are going to play it play it for a few hours straight. If you want a casual game  with less thought then Master of Orion would due

Seems to be that way. Like I don't encounter issues with income until very later down the line in most 4x but I seem to encounter it here a lot earlier. I will try and play a game and stick with it and see how it goes. I had been watching a few videos here and there about tips on how to manage stuff and it gets tricky as you move along.

An update. I played on biggest map. Expanded around a little bit and then bam! Found the Yor and one other race and in terms of power I am nothing compared to them. This is what really stumped me playing gal civ 2 and now 3 where the AI seems to beat me whereas in games like Civ, I do get some ways to hold off the AI or at least be ahead of them by focusing on research. Seems like my research isn't enough. 

It sounds like you are in the "develop your own strategy" phase.

For starters try doing a bit of all to see where your strengths are.

I played GC2 for long and would say I became a routined player. Still learning GC3 myself.

FWIW, some points: having negative income early on in GC3 is normal. Playing the Iridium helps, but of course they have other downsides.

Progress on a certain map depends to a good degree on the specifc layout - many/good quality planets nearby make everything way easier.

Dunno what the expert players do, but I do usually start getting 1-2 speed techs (faster ships help colonizing), then universal translator, the first diplo tech, and then focussing manufacturing/research stuff in the early turns.

I do some custom designs for cheap colonizer ships, cheap small constructors etc. so that I only build the more expensive versions of those when they have something I really need (usually: longer range).

I'd be curious to hear how other people start their games out. I've settled into the same pattern (playing the original Terrans):

On the first turn I set the research/income/manufacturing to 100% research and research Interstellar travel followed by its +1 movement enhancement, Planetary Improvement, Xeno Industrialization, Universal Translator, and Xeno Commerce (not always in that order, but that's the general block of early techs I want asap). After that I usually shift the production slider toward the bottom-center until I'm somewhere close to break-even on income and start working on better ship hulls.

While all that is going on I build 5 Colony ships (and buy one every turn until they are all done) and go for the land grab while using the freebie scout and survey ships to look for planets to colonize. I tend to focus a lot more on tech improvements on my first planet (even Mars) since the tech race is usually my main hassle. Getting larger hulls and making Earth a manufacturing powerhouse to pump out warships while my other shipyards crank out resource and economic starbases seems to work well.

If anyone has a more successful start plan I'm all ears. I seem to have settled in on this method and it's worked well... but I'm all for doing something better.

Don't mess with the wheel you will lose production in the long run. That is my new strategy with the latest update. Otherwise I might would considering doing away with money since rush buying is so expensive anyways.

I try to get three shipyards right away. I won't let my worlds finish developing to get these. One for building colony ships, constructors for resources, and constructrs for eco nomic starbases. You could wait to get three constructors when you select it in ideology. I try to get the missionary and preparedness centers in ideology. I wouldn't worry about declaring war ideologies until after about turn 120 on insane maps. I wouldn't bother with war strategies until someone major is hostile towards me. Ideology point buildings are the last structures I build on colonies.

 On my homeworld I would make it a manufacturing world. If you have other worlds within six hexes from the shipyard I would do it to them. I would move the three shipyards to do this. Don't build shipyard on planet instead build constructors. Make to build duranthium refineries their worth having on manufacturing worlds. I would set auto upgrades off on these worlds, otherwise they will be building factories when you need stuff like duranthium refineries. 

I would research diplomatic translators first, because on most manufacturing worlds you we will want to destroy resources. Sell them first. Remember most deals the AI makes with you they will try to rip you off, so renovate deals. This is not always the case with technologies. When you sell stuff remember different ais sell stuff at different prices, so you should check with everyone. When they ask for stuff it helps to appease them once then stop. It's best to do this when they are asking for less than 300 credits. Do not pay tribute. 

 As far as starting colony ships only put a colony module on them. You don't have to worry about speed until you meet someone anyhow with as few colonists as possible anyhow. Don't bother rush buying until you find planets that needs colonising without colony ships. If you find you need more range just add life support until you see colony ships. It's a good idea to stop rush buying after you fall below 2000 credits. 

My setting are immense abundant with 40 opponents.

Make sure to at some point build a economic planet. I would recommend buying the mercenary scout. It makes a difference on exploring.

Yeah, I just keep the wheel over to research until I quickly get the essentials I want.

I forgot to include the Ideology stuff--- I get Affinity and whatever the big hand structure is called on the Malevolent line (the thing that improves morale and generates ideology points). I usually don't bother with the Neutral lines at all unless I'm doing one of the largest map sizes.

I haven't changed things up since the 1.9 update so that's a good idea--- I'll leave the wheel alone and see how things go

As to the original question, I find it much more immersive to create my own civ with strengths and weaknesses to mirror and mitigate respectively what I consider to be important. I also enjoyed creating the backstory for this civ as to how they came to be a player on the galactic stage.

As to developing your own strategy, I think there is no shame in playing a few games on easy to explore the tech trees and get comfortable with the locations of techs that will really boost your playstyle.

The biggest early game tip that helped me was sharing the starting shipyard between the capital planet and a nearby system of 2-4 habitable planets. Not always possible, but amazingly effective if you can set it up.

I personally don't mess with the wheel, because I'm not good at micromanaging, but that can also be a good way to get a few important techs earlier at the start of the game if you are so inclined.

I take my wheel to manufacturing as much as I can without coercion and my slider to 90% social.

Res Enginering till contact or need for other things like moral and translator.

Pump out colonizers 1 a turn using buy.

After that I decide on how much explore vs constructors I need.

Ideology depends on how I feel. I have tried them all and mixed them. One game I even got them all.

Balance and diversity seem to be my key to win.

Once and a while will play building on a races strong points only.

Ok I managed to pinpoint my problems. I always lag behind on research not only here but also in 2 and fallen enchantress. Another issue I have is colonization and planet development. In most stardock games I seem to always end up developing my planets wrong and my research priorities wrong and end up lagging behind. Heck I can say I do ok despite not choosing the optimal development, research and city building choices in Civ and other 4x yet on stardock games I seem to be getting pwned. I think I might be missing something.