My v1.021 Flowchart (superfast win)
1) Decide on traget federation, note which races will survive and which will die.
2) Start on one of the races that are going to die (whichever has best weapons, or that I haven't gotten a completion for yet)
3) Dock in first battle for extra techs (this is being fixed it looks like, so I'll probably swap this step with "destroy all ships" in future playthroughs, but this is what I do at this point).
4) Get all races to spacefaring (in order of their timers) - make sure to get the race that has the "backdoor" quest spacefaring before the "we want terraforming" race.
4.5) After getting the first couple of races and the "backdoor" race spacefaring, hit the terraforming mission.
5) Start building manufacturing stations (use most of starting pot to buy goons and rush production), kep building until station construction reaches its 6 month hard limit (aprox 80 manu power or 9-10 stations).
5.5) When low on credits, wipe the defenders off all the planets marked for eventual elimination. (Missions and defensive opportunities also help keep the credits coming in).
6) Build science stations (aprox 8 needed, but I usually go to 10 so I can have a couple of spares for vaccine research and to reduce initial science goon needs)
**) USED to do station building (and stealing) on the planets of the "wipe em out" races, but the black market makes this WAY easier.
7) Research all useful technologies, starting with science boosting techs of course.
7.5) As researched, share the techs with chosen "federation" races.
Start building RCI buildings on the federation planets to get the "they're wonderful" reputation flowing. (also helps them to be the strongest).
8.5) Get trade routes started. To help build up resources for buildings and to get the relations started. (Focus first on routes between the initially chosen races)
8.75) Colonize moons and create more trade routes. (Gonna need lots of resources for buildings).
9) Build Attiutude buildings to start polarizing the system as chosen in the beginning.
9.5) Supress enemy planets for credits and influence, while waiting for the necessary relations to build enough to start the Federation. Build less optimal buildings while waiting.
10) Win... Usually by the time my chosen federation races have enough relations, they are wooping everyone and I have MORE than enough credits from farming the enemies to mostly just win the game.
10.5) Farm AFA as needed...