Early Game, Mid Game, and End Game... What's the goal of each?

[Taqwus]

For an easier game against AIs,
(a) Don't enable Ermor, unless the scenario forces it to be Broken Empire. Other AIs aren't too good at dealing with Ermor and the job will basically be left to you -- ugly if you start on opposite ends of the map.
(b) Try relatively few players on a moderate map. Five AIs on Aran or Karan should be manageable; there's enough room to expand without worrying about a war against multiple AIs early unless you get really, really unlucky with placement.
(c) You might want to play with landlubbers only (no Atlantis or R'lyeh), as striking back as a landlubber is tricky for many.