Survival mode was tough with v1.30, now it is easy with v1.31. Just create a cruiser, then a repair drone, after that a few more cruisers. Upgrade defense at least once early to survive one-on-one attacks. Create more cruisers and research everything else. Only the first few levels are critical. after level 10 the rest is a piece of cake.
 "Drone Wars"){kind=icon}
 "B29 Assault"){kind=icon}