I recommend keeping to the smaller maps. Also making partners in game and coordinating to join together in future games.

This game favors highly active players. For example, I rarely sleep eight hours through without checking in on the game a few times. To be blunt, you may be competing in a game you're not well suited for simply due to availability unless you can check in during breaks and such at work. I'm fortunate to have a job where I can work from home and fairly blatantly multi-task in order to keep up.

Okay, I've put a little more thought into this and have a few suggestions.

Use the Axis doctrine. I'm of the opinion this is the easiest to learn and may benefit players who don't have a lot of time to invest. You'll get stronger units and a lot of your doctrine specific buffs are focused on units that engage in melee combat.

Don't go on offense until late in the game. Just focus on building your industry and army for the first few days.

Check the newspaper for neighbors who have overextended themself and taken heavy losses and go after them.

I have a member in my alliance that is not as active as others when he plays. He tends to hunker down for the first six days or so and focus on his industry and builds stacks of medium tanks. A similar strategy may be effective if you don't have as much time to invest in the game.