Please have mercy on the poor AI! It is a simple soul that is unable to deal with the kinds of complex abstract strategic considerations that this game offers. As a human, you just outclass it tremendously. Think about the defenseless, helpless children of the AI civilizations! Their AI parents are mentally handicapped and just can't defend them the way you can defend your people.
Here's the good news! If you want to play more challenging, more interesting, more intense, more fulfilling, more strategically demanding games with far more strategic considerations, then when you load the game, instead of clicking on <Single Player> click on <Ironclad Online>. You will need to have the most current patched up version of the game (v1.181 or 1.041 for Sins and Entrenchment, respectively). Go to http://www.impulsedriven.com if you haven't already updated with Impulse. After clicking on <Ironclad Online> you will need to register your CD-Key and an account with Ironclad Online (ICO) and think of a player name (<Add Player>).
Then you can join the ICO Lobby chat channel where you can chat with other Sins players. Click on <Join Game> to see other available games noting that you cannot see or join Entrenchment games from Regular Sins and vice versa. When you see one you like, double click on the name or click Join Game again and prepare to face off against real human opponents! (Note that unlike playing against the AI, you could actually LOSE the game, which does make it a weee bit more intense. Actually, it makes it much more intesne and you are liable to get beaten a lot until you become experienced.)
Unlike the AI, real humans don't waste resources sending 6 siege frigates to one of your planets undefended, and they won't intentionally suicide themselves on your Marza missile barrages or your Starbases. They also don't build 6 capital ships and little fleet so that you can focus fire them to death. (In fact, they'll even run their capital ships away before you can kill them.) Moreover, they won't allow you to completely destroy their fleet; if they think they are going to lose they might run away and avoid combat all together in order to live to fight another day. Human players think about map strategy and will try to build a bigger and better fleet and they'll know how to use it! (Let's just say that being able to readily dispatch Unfair AI doesn't mean dick compared to the challenge presented by a human opponent.)
Sins is a great game and it's lots of fun once you discover "the real Sins game". Once you have learned the game better and can hold your own against other people, it can be a tremendous amount of fun. (You will be forced to increase your knowledge of the game's strategy and fleet management.) You'll get to play in 4v4's and 5v5's and enjoy the additional strategic considerations that team games offer, such as helping your allies, sharing resources, and coordinating attacks and defences.
Most of the action is for Entrenchment. The best times to play are between 2 pm and 11 pm U.S. Eastern Standard Time and especially on weekends (when more newer players are around).
Note that contrary to popular belief, it does not take 10 hours to play one of these games online. Your average online game only takes about one-and-a-half hours if that (though epic games can last longer). So if you have time to watch a movie, you can play Sins online. How can it only take 1.5 hours or less to do a 5v5? Most games are played on single star maps and players on the losing team will call it "gg" (good game) and quit or surrender once the outcome has been decided, so it isn't necessary for the winning team to go through the boring motions of cleaning up defeated opponents. Also, even if you do have to fight it out to the last planet, having teammates makes it much faster.
Please let us know about your first experiences with the online game and what player name you choose to play under. This forum is also a great place to discuss strategy and to read older strategy discussion threads. (Definitely see Raging Amish's unit guide if you haven't already.)
