This commander is about to land and needs some tips!

So I've had PA since Alpha (alpha backer woo) but the first time I'll really be able to play it is on this upcoming tuesday, all thanks to the people on these very forums for helping me realize I didn't have enough RAM. The RAM should arrive tuesday, and I've been watching lots of things on pamatches to try and get a feel for how I should be playing the game. I was able to play the game (with intense lag) maybe 5 times. In those times, I've always expanded very slow (not due to lag) and I've only just recently realized how you should never stop expanding. So aside from the VERY VERY basics, I really don't know much. So if theres any hints or tips (ex how many power generators to build before metal extractors, which should be the first units out of factories, how many things should be built before you switch from commander to fabricators) or even really obvious stuff to do when you're playing PA. This can also include strategies. Thanks very much!

1) Smaller maps are easier. They are also more aggressive, in a short time you can get plowed with tanks, but they are generally easier to "expand to half the map and build up" whereas you have to look at a lot more map to expand to half of a large map.

2) Single-planet games are a little easier, unless you feel you perfected the orbital invasion (teleporter planet and blanket with combat units)

3) Start off playing GW on relentless. Move up to playing AI with human teammates and AI enemies. Make them harder, and more numerous than your own team, to build up "technique", so you can act with the expansion and raiding that you strategize on a forum over. That is pretty hard, I admit I suck at that. That is why I do this step a lot.

4) If you start to be "okay" at the game, instead of stomps, play teamVSteam like the Realm does often, and play with "familiar yet equal strength" players on evenly divided teams (if we were playing a 3v3, mered and gandalf would get a "newbie" and I and burntcustard would get a "newbie" to divide the newbies up). This way, it is less of a flop and more of a subtle victory/defeat so you can tell exactly where the good/bad moves happened.

5) Play casually often as well. Gameplay server mods and free for alls with gimmicky multi planet starts. Everyone starts on their own planet (no rules enforce this so agree pre-game to all choose seperate planets). 55% naval planets on Naval Redux. Things like that.

P.S.: I hope the ram works for you so you can get to play.

Someone else in my house actually has the exact same RAM chip, and when I tried it it ran 100% lag free nice and smooth, and thank you for the reply

Then that sounds risk free. I didn't get to try my ram, so it worried me going into it. I needed cheap, like few ten bucks cheap, yet I needed it not to be a total POS and somewhat reliable brand name. I am glad I got some that bring me up to 8g and run at least half of expensive ram speed and also not burn out within half a year. I was expecting some problems, getting a server ram card that runs slow on an OS machine is one "newbie trap" and I looked everything up to try to avoid that because when it comes to "cheap" anyone will promise to sell you anything you want when really it is a turd they are trying to get rid of.