You would not necessarily need many players in such a game, but rather some time to build your Empire. You will need to play something else than a 1vs1 obviously, as I have a hunch Political Savvy isn't the most useful characteristic around in such a case where you have no treaties.
But even with four players, a specialized Empire could do well, provided it has the time to be developed and to set up appropriate strategies. For example, your Pacifist Empire would likely be the target of an imperialist player, and so you would have to use something else besides direct fire weapons. (That is, boarding, ramming and seekers, luck and prayers) But then, you should have other strengths at your disposal to compensate for this incapacity to destroy anything but your own ships because of friendly fire.
On the other hand, there are some specializations that would help even in a game such as in KOTH. Having a lot in Research would allow you to get a lead in this field, and since speed often means life and death, it could very well turn the tables. I know I could have used such a bonus in a few circumstances where I lost all major battles and still won through economics. But I am digressing here.
Edited because of horrible spelling and grammar.
[ June 09, 2004, 14:32: Message edited by: Alneyan ]