Looking at your save. It looks you are making everything a hybrid. From the units to the systems. A lot of this game is about synergizing bonuses for maximum output.  I don't know how others play but what I do is I try to make everything specialize as much as possible. For example your system Farver has a unique dust wonder on it, the Intergalacatic supermarket. At the moment your system Farver isn't dust system. Its definilty more on the production system side. The Rhea system is better off having that wonder in it.  Your home system also has a planet that isn't colonzied. Always try to make your home system fully coloinzed to make buildings like Xeno industrial infrastructure worth it.

   It also looks like you make your first hero a fleet hero. For me I always like to build them as governors because that helps all your sytems early game benefit. Once I see a system that is up and running I switch the first hero and put him in a new system to speed up the production of the start buildings and so on. Later on I hand pick my fleet hero.

   Some of your ships have some odd designs. Like your scout ship has Improved Pinch Beam on it which uses Hyperium.  Imo your scouts shouldn't do any fighting at all. Just give it a probe and its fastest engine and its good to go. No armor, nothing. Makes the production of that ship cheaper and faster plus when it travels around it doesn't auto besiege AI which pisses them off. A scout should just be a scout. If you retreat and then it gets caught again, well he knew what he signed up for haha. Your behemoths too. All of them have weapons on them when they shouldn't. They should be designed for the job they are mean't to do and thats it. If they are boosting a planet or special node, I give them modules with no guns or armor. It gives a faster production que. Don't worry about them defending themselves because thats your main fleets role.  I see a behmoth in Que also that says it takes 30 turns to make and you are a quarter in production already.  If a ship or any building takes 30 turns to make on normal game speed, you are doing something wrong. The end game wonders should be around that length. 

One huge thing too. You didn't research Xeno biology and its turn 151.  Those early buildings are extremely important. It says 10 sciene per planet right You have 9 planets right now that is your main empire. Thats 90 science which isnt counting the extra from if a planet is fertile, temperate and the multiplying bonus from your race/buidlings.  That should be one of the first techs to research.   Always try to do drone networks,---> cerebral reality ----> xeno industry ----> public partners ---->sustinable farms.  

Some people do Drone networks straight into xeno industry. Thats fine too.   There is a lot of room for improvement but once you get the hang of it. It all clicks together.  

The hissho got a nerf yes in patch but in my eyes it's a small nerf. They are still a strong and fun race. I came after the patch to see what the fuss was about and won a endless difficutly campaign with Hissho.  

To win, it's all about maxing your bonus and having a plan. Try to look a system and think (oh thats going to be my sciene system,  thats going to be my dust system and so on.  If you have great starting systems build those up asap.  If you have bad systems,  thats when you go early military side and take the good ones.  Stuff like that.

cool cool.  I would consider not taking craver lands because they deplete the FIDS. Its better to raze, subdue and get a truce. Try getting other factions systems first. Then attack cravers later.    I forgot to mention before. After you colonize a system or take. Build xeno industry ----> public partners ---->sustinable farms. Then settle the rest of the planets asap on that system . So all your buildings get max benefit with the added planets in a system. Then you grow population. 

To deal with pirates. Hacking works well to slow them down or steal their resources. I usally start making my starter fleet after my home system is up and running. Thats after you finish your building production queue most of the time and colonize the rest of the system. When this is complete you should settle another system and transfer your hero to the new system as govern. That is the moment when you deal with pirates because your home system has nothing else to build(most of the time) and you start making ships. 

I know right, I also got taken aback, but it looks all good on the twitch.
You can also do the witty thing of changing the playback quality.

Actually a lot better. 

In my previous game I was trying to use constantly being at war to drive my science and Dust earning. It works Ok at first but then I fell behind.

I was also using my starting hero in fleets...but he is actually better served as a Governer.

This new game I started has me very close (like two systems away) from the Sophons...and I don't think it will go well for them. We'll see!

Oh thanks for all your suggestions and help. And Koxos too!

Turns out, we have all been doing it wrong, as our friend brought forth the epitome of tall play with 33 turn scientific victory