Questions

Well for regular Sins a lot of the main strategies are now obsolete. For example the Vasari capital carrier is now considered to be the most over powered unit in the game.

Anyways, if you are losing against the easy AI though, your problem probably is that you aren't expanding fast enough. For the first part of the game you should be placing all of your efforts on expansion. This is especially important for Vasari as their skirmishers and assailants aren't quite as good as the other factions light frigates and LRFs (at least without some research), so early game you are at a firepower disadvantage. That means you have to grab more planets than your opponent and use your neutral taking scouts to the utmost advantage.

As for tactics... well to be honest I don't remember what we used to do without the expansions lol. Phase missiles and nanites are still deadly. Subverters I think still work. But if you get returning armada it really shouldn't be much of a game anymore.

While many of the finer details of the current version aren't applicable to 1.00, there are some truisms you can follow:

1) long range frigates are, and have always been, the safest backbone unit for your fleet (for Vasari, assailants)

2) expand your empire voraciously; bigger empires can support stronger economies and bigger fleets.

3) don't invest too heavily in techs until you've got a big empire.  The original RA was a bit of an exception, but even back then if you could afford it in a 1v1 chances are you already were strong enough to win without it.  With few exceptions, you have no business above the 5-lab level in a typical 1v1.

4) Jarrasul Evacuator as your first capital ship in 1.00.  End of story.  With the exception of Advent, most caps prior to 1.18 sucked.

5) Don't forget repair platforms; combined with a big fleet, they're your best defense.

kk thnx