Your gonna wanna try a standard map setup, Pie Chart has it.
Do High Resources, Steady Morale, No DayNight or Disasters.
The best way to get used to playing is by using the SAME build order each time, use this one:
1. University
2. Vech. Fac.
3. Advanced Lab
4. Common Ore Smelter
5. Tokamok
6. Common Ore Smelter
7. Vech. Fac.
8. Nursery
10. Robot Command Center
11. Agridome
For researsh:
1. Metalogeny (Standard Lab)
2. Hypnopedia (Standard Lab)
3. Focused Microwave Projection (Standard Lab)
4. Mobile Weapons Platform (Advanced Lab)
5. High Temperature Superconductivity (Advanced Lab) & Dissipating Adhesives (Standard Lab)
6. Scout-class Drive Train Refit (Standard Lab) & Independent Turret Power Systems (Advanced Lab)
7. Rare Ore Processing (Advanced Lab) & Advanced Vehicle Power Plant (Standard Lab)
8. Advanced Combat Chassis (Advanced Lab)
9. Electromagnetic Pulsing (Advanced Lab) & Multiple Mine Projectile System (Standard Lab)
10. Rocket Propulsion (Advanced Lab)
11. Long Range Projectile System (Advanced Lab)
12. Grenade Loading Mechanism (Advanced Lab)
Play on a low speed, 5 or 6 to start off with.
You can see how I play with a video of me playing, found
here.
I suggest you try and get your friends on IRC, and come on your self when evea online. If they can play online when your not around there be able to play more etc.
Good luck, keep at it. More players the better.