Your race choice was most fortunate, tbh - Cathaars seem to be doing well (at least, far better than last round), so that's a good start
.
In R5, if i remember correctly, you still had to Scan for asteroids. That is no longer the case. just go to your Mining page and initiate them directly.
Indeed, there is a
Generic Startup Guide for new and returning players, and this should help you a bit too
. Also, you might want to have a look at the
How NOT to attack thread, which outlines the 'proper' way to launch an attack these days. And, as usual, there is still the
Alliance Recruitment forum where various alliances are truding around looking for active, skilled, and funloving members. btw, 1up = Fury, and Legion no longer exists.