Game Basics
At the beginning of your game, and throughout its duration, continue to produce villagers. Villagers run your economy. The more you have, the more resources you have. Have these villagers gather food exclusively at the beginning of your game. Never be without a standing military force. An army allows you to defend yourself, as well as giving you the ability to attack.
Things to Avoid
Being competitive at the game requires that you avoid certain elements. Don't allow your food levels to drop. Doing so causes your economy to stagnate. Don't slack on villager production. Without enough villagers, you can't produce at your optimum rate. Don't focus on your economy and your military at the same time, as you will be spread too thin. Don't avoid scouting your local area to find resources. Don't forget the hotkeys, as they let you get things done quickly.
Hotkey Usage
Hotkeys are keyboard shortcuts you can use to quickly perform actions and give orders. They eliminate the need to scan and click through menus. "Empires" has a number of predefined hotkeys to help you. However, players often find it useful to assign their own hotkeys according to their own keyboard usage. Important hotkeys to which you should assign a shortcut include "Unit Production" keys, where each key represents a unit based on their slot. Assign hotkeys to building construction as well. Finally, assign hotkeys to select idle villagers, idle military units and unit abilities.
Beginning a Game
Concentrate on improving your opening game. This means to improve your economy as rapidly as possible when you start a match. Having a good base economy gives you a production advantage. A good economy in "Empires" means advancing in the correct order. Have your villagers, which you are constantly producing, gather basic food like fish at first. Next, have them hunt. After that, gather apples. Finally, advance to farming. Next, collect wood and gold. Build an additional settlement as soon as your can to improve production.