I agree, long term planning is good, but doesn't help if you don't survive till then. Then again sometimes you get really pwned by just being in a bad starting position, just the way it goes sometimes.
The only thing that hacks me off, is by turn 8 or so, I had run into three guys that had me boxed in. I look to the other areas of the map, and there are plenty of neutrals out there next to other players.