I just started playing this game, and so it's granted I won't be very good. But i do have experience in RTS games and I think I have the basics down.
In this game there was practically no food on the map, just a couple zebra and 2 lions, so I had to go back to eating chickens and sheep sooner than I would have liked. This set back my advance time, but my opponent was unfased and got to age 2 way quicker than me.
I accidentally start constructing my rax right next to where he already had a forward base, and with his extra time he could push me back easily. So yeah, I was stuck in my base for the rest of the game really, watch and see.