Ok, playing my first game, it looks like the standard tactics are to hide your alliance in a corner of the map piled as close to each other as possible. Then attack at really early morning when people arent on to put up a defense. Are these the basic tactics top alliances follow?

yes this is true but u dont have to be on a corner to win its all on your skillz

also top alliances often make their colonys where they know there will be alot of others, thats why there are few top alliances who start in antarctica