Hi Nick,
To be honest, I can't really comment on the campaign in the game, since I haven't actually played it yet. I've been more focused on playing games within larger galaxies.
Now here's the thing, playing on Easy, I'd expect anyone who'd played a strategy game, particularly a 4X one, would win quite easily. If you want to ease into the game, I'd try Beginner. You'll see better strategy from the AI, and enjoy the experience more I think.
As for the presentation, it's a bit sparse in the AV department, with no voiceovers, etc. I think that was partly to avoid the game becoming bloated, and of course, it's at least somewhat easier to regionalize for non-English speakers.
The post about someone funding a war (basically) between two empires is completely plausible, and I've often done it. I've also had games with such high diplomacy, and a big stick to back it up, that everyone was friendly with me, and I could attack them, and then negotiate peace, with healthy cash payment from who I'd attacked.
The point is, the non-campaign games are the meat of this title, and it really is possible to play almost any style of play you want, without feeling penalized. There are 'alignment' choices, random occurances (good and bad), and of course the much celebrated ship creator/editor.
If I were you, I would play some non-campaign games at Beginner or Normal, and ensure you try out diplomacy, creating your own ships, and so on. You may also enjoy, and find helpful, reading some of the gameplay examples that were posted on the web in advance of the game being released.
Hope this is at least somewhat helpful to you.
