This is more for signalfires, but not just directed at him.
It is much easier to go from about 1580 to 1650 than it is to go from 1650 to 1750 or so. So don't get discouraged.
My ratings hover around 1660-1680...I think my combined winning % is about 61% I get beaten down to the low 1600's sometimes, but quickly rise back to the upper levels again. I only use about three or four hot keys, a skill that I should probably master if I want to crack 1700 and stay up there. But I am content with my skill level.
Yes, there are game where I get routed quickly and there are games where I trounce my opponent. And yes, there are a few of those epic games with personages of equal skill.
Bottom line, hang in there and keep playing. And if you want to improve that rating, watch recorded games(not only your opponant, but yourself) and see what you may have been able to do better---like fish where there is fish, eating all the "free" food before farming, keeping the tc busy, and building multiple military buildings instead of just one, and use correct counters. Don't save supplies for a rainy day, especially early in the game. Have a plan but be flexable enough to change it if the situation dictates it.
[This message has been edited by GMan (edited 05-02-2003 @ 01:52 PM).]