Yeah, the AI seems to planet rush quite a bit. The AI has on multiple occasions colonized the planets in my home system if I don't buy things. I think it partly has to do with how close some of the AI is now to my home world, which adds a very crowded feeling. It feels like I have to race against the AI just to get any decent planets outside of my system.

Don't choose expansionist AI players.  

Quoting Frogboy,

reply 3

Don't choose expansionist AI players.  

I set most of them to random, with all AIs gifted. The one other discovered faction (old downloaded custom race) has those traits:

Productive, Infertile, Economical, Influential, Handy, Dense, Tough, Unadventurous, Organized, Poor Traders

No expansionist to be seen far and wide ... ?

I'm not complaining, just stating. I know that the AI gets buffs, but I also understood Brads posts about AI in the past so that AI buffs would be reduced in Crusade because the AI as such is better and doesn't need that much buffs anymore.

And I want to understand: I met my first race aroung turn 50, they had 11 planets, I had 4, they have the traits stated above, no expansionist trait: is it perfectly normal or at least halfway probable that they are so far ahead that early?

The game is not "all about the colony rush".  I know because that used to be my main strategy and now it will cripple you if you take it too far.  I play with much  fewer than recommended number of opponents so there is plenty of room to expand.  Don't do it.  It's a trap.  Mostly because it eats up administrators.

The game is not "all about the colony rush" because there are dozens of other things to worry about.  My main issue right now is figuring out which resources I will need a hundred turns later.  On this point I am convinced that the AI knows a lot more than I do.  So far.

The game is not "all about the colony rush" but the colony rush is still important, and I can get more than 11 planets in 50 turns if the map is any bit at all friendly.  According to Brad, I must be, by nature, if not by game parameter, expansionist.    Be warned.

Planets are still really important but honestly I'm finding the starbase rush much more important.

starbases are basically indestructible for much of the game and they give you a lot of resources critical to building a military.

a race with half the planets but twice the resources I think is in a better spot.