Re: Akura: Oh, heavy arty's definitely
viable, but I've no clue if it's good against humans or not. I've trumped a number of top difficulty computer teams using basically nothing but massed artillery emplacements and the occasional wall. We'll see
AA is definitely something I usually ignore for most of th'game, but that's a computer-fighting habit, as the comps aren't particularly effective VTOL users. By the time comp VTOLs start getting off the ground, you usually have enough research power to burn through the AA line without much effort and render all their effort a waste of oil. They're pretty crappy as far as target optimization goes, too.
As for game length, it can be pretty short or a slog-fest. Depends on how aggressive the players are.