Zoidberg: I'm fed up being flamed for having an opinion!
This game is not based on luck? Anyone can win the game wth the base ship?
Prove it!
Simple as that.
Give me the necessary tactics to do that, even if I'm an unlucky guy!
If I fail, YOU fail and you'll stop playing the little clever boys with me!
If it's true and the tactics are logic, I'll make amends.
Proofing, starting...
Firstly, last I looked, the only post that seems to show you being flamed has not been commented on in a while; am I misremembering, or is there another thread that I have not read?
As to strategies to win more reliably:
1.) Start on easy. I am not being sarcastic on this one; I have only now gotten to the point where I am feeling like I might be comfortable trying out normal difficulty (and I have been playing for a while and unlocked ships that make winning easier for my style of play), due to the fact that the first time I tried the game out on normal, the game regularly handed me my ass within the first system to the point that the idea of starting on normal produced a nigh Pavlovian sense of dread (well, as much as one can muster over a game).
2.) Go to as many navigation points as possible. The more beacons you use, the more likely you are to trigger an event that will result in some kind of gain, be it scrap, crew, weapons, or an option to delay the fleet/map out the sector. In order to stretch out your time in a sector, stick to nebula clouds whenever possible, as they will delay the fleet (except in a nebula system; the rebel fleet has no excuse for not having mapped those nebulae out as they constitute the majority of the system). Also, do not go to a waypoint more than once if you can help it; in order to avoid scenarios where you have to do so (and possibly *gulp* be forced to jump into the danger zone as a result) try to map out your path a few steps ahead of you.
3.) Use scrap sparingly. It can be really tempting to blow scrap on that next shiny upgrade the moment you can afford it; this is a bad idea that will get you killed. The difficulty in a sector tends to stay about the same, meaning that unless there is some dire emergency, you are better off holding off on upgrading until you hit a shop and see if there is anything in stock you want; trust me, nothing will be more embarrassing than realizing either that you can't afford the fuel you need to leave the shop or the super special awesome and Glaive beam/cloaking system/other ultra rare goodies happen to be in stock because you blew your scrap on needless upgrades. Only after you make any purchases/repairs should you consider upgrading.
4.) Use shops wisely. Avoid shops like the plague unless you have scrap to burn or really need to for whatever reason, be it fuel, ammo, etc.; otherwise you will have to come back if you see something you like, which goes against point 2, or you will miss out on any other potentially beneficial encounter (yes, even combat qualifies as beneficial if you are able to get scrap out of it).
5.) Build your ship carefully. This is not a game where you can take whatever path you like and still expect to see the endgame; not all options for how to arm yourself are equally viable. You need a plan on how your ship will take down bad guys, and find a way to make it happen, but more importantly realize what strategies are not viable given your circumstances. Relying on a lot firepower that takes a long time to charge? Better have the weapons system presided over by an Engi or 4 if you have them, and purchase extra weapons system slots to prevent a hit to the weapons bay from making you a sitting duck. Want to make boarding your main strategy? Think again if you have the pitifully combat inept engi as your best fighters, unless you happen to have access to a healing burst and all of the missiles. Planning on arming yourself entirely with beam weapons? Forget it, unless the idea of your beam weapons doing no damage in later areas where the bogies have shields that shrug off all damage from even a Glaive beam is something that appeals to you on a masochistic level. Sticking with the starter weapons array? See the above sentence. Found that really awesome drone control system and a Defense Drone II for sale? Great, unless you have built your ship around a stealth build with high evade and good shields, making it superfluous (unless everything else is kitted out and you want to make damn sure you are covered as well as possible)
6.) Know when to accept surrender. Ships love to try to surrender when they think you have the upper hand on them, but here's the thing: accepting is almost always a bad idea. Generally, you will get better loot if you blow them up or wipe out the crew. However, there will be times where the enemy will offer something amazing; it might be a weapon that you could really use, it might be an augmentation that you have been itching to slap onto your ship. In cases like these, it is better to accept, even if you don't like the item in question, as it will fetch plenty of scrap at a shop. Also, if you are running low on fuel and need the fuel the enemy is offering you, you may want to consider taking the offer or else risk potentially being at the mercy of passers by for fuel. If you need to bug out asap to get away from a particularly hairy sector (suns in particular) and do repairs, this might also be a good idea (just make sure that, if you have long range scanners or a map of the area, to jump into as peaceful a zone as possible, lest you try to make repairs amidst another firefight).
7.) Learn to adapt. FTL make give you awesome stuff on a whim, and it may take it away. Should the former happen, good for you; if the latter, do not rage quit, but try to plan around the change in your circumstances. If the game isn't giving you the really awesome gear you want, try to find some alternative; one game I was forced to buy a hull beam due to my lack of luck in acquiring superior weaponry, a move that contributed to that session being one of the better ones I had with that particular ship. If you lose crew and all other hands are manning systems other than the one you really want manned, decide how important manning the unmanned system is, then consider which crew members are the least experienced at their post (thereby resulting in a slighter loss of efficiency) and which posts get used the most (which in turn leads to higher experience gain for whoever mans the system).
8.) When all else fails, repeat this mantra to yourself: "FTL hates me and wants me to die". The game will not hesitate to screw you over if you do not effectively take any of these other pointers to heart. These are strategies that you have to learn to work with in order to survive, and not doing so will get you killed. Remember what I said about normal planting its foot so far up my ass it gave me a concussion? Yeah, easy mode wasn't much better at first; the encounters were easier in general, but I still died a lot, and still do whenever I slip up and forget the things I have learned about how to stay alive in the game the hard way. But so long as you play smart, you will be able to snatch victory from the game fairly reliably.
Sorry, I have written this while low on sleep, so it might come off a little rambling or condescending. I assure you that neither is my goal. I wish you luck, and hope you waste the big bad soon ;)