seiv.pbw.cc
The Play By Web server is where all the action is at.
It should be noted that except for "hotseat" play, only simultaneous mode is available. You'll have to practice setting up good combat strategies, and planning for the simultaneous movement of both your ships and the enemy.
For your first games, you might want to join as a replacement player for one of the games that needs one. You get an empire that's already well out of the tedious early growth stage, and as a bonus, you get full credit for victories, and can blame defeats on the previous player