First a plug, why don't you forward this to some of your friends, allies and enemies who play Starweb. I would love to increase the readership of this discussion group.
Diplomacy is and always was the single most important part of the game.
However, the first four or five turns of the game, before you have had the opportunity to learn about the other players, are extremely important. They determine how powerful a force you will be in the game. Each of the first five turns has it's own unique problems and possibilities. The basic strategy is to explore as much as possible, capture all the worlds that are not nailed down, learn about your neighbors to prepare for possible attacks, and still get to full production as rapidly as possible. If your home world is not at or close to full production by turn eight, then you made some serious mistakes in those early turns.