Have lost ~10 games in a row. trying to figure out how to play better. Here is log of game I just finished
http://innovation.isotropic.org/gamelog/201303/16/game-20130316-153919-9d3ff190.html
Got very quick start with Metalworking with a lof of scoring and a couple early achievements. But then I just got killed from midgame on with Leaf and Crown demands: Mapmaking, Anatomy, Enterprise, Navigation, Societies and finally Combustion.
What do you do when you opponent can basically take your score/meld pile at will and make it hard to meld anything?
Pay attention to which innovations they are using to invoke those dogmas. And when you figure that out, pay attention to which ages those innovations are from. The game changes in nature, I find, when someone starts hitting age 5 and above on their board. If you're still stuck back in age 2 or 3, it can be a big hurdle to overcome.
Also, while ages 1, 2, and 3 may seem trivially easy to dominate, don't pass them up --
ever. Each achievement has equal value in winning the game, so even if your opponent is on a roll, taking the early achievements when possible may put the breaks on their domination.