Can you limit the number of opponents in the retail game to a specific number?

[dogscoff]

I've also been choosing 3000 attribute points and allocating them to: 1)ancient race (so I can find 'ruins' planets nearby, 2)natural merchants (traders?) so as to avoid having to build spaceports, and 3)Storage experts to gain the extra facilities per planet colonized.

Any criticism on this choice?

Nope, it's a perfectly valid strategy. (as is any strategy, if you can make it work.)

The three traits you have chosen all give you a boost in the early game. Later in the game you may find that other emires with different traits have an advantage over you. Try to think of ways to make your traits benefit you in the late game.

For example... The storage and natural merchants both result in increased facility slots for your empire, so consider lowering your research, mining and intel abilities. You can make up the shortfall in points and remain competitive by building extra production facilities, and have lots of extra racial points to spend on combat or construction modifiers.

Alternatively, use the extra facility slots to build cargo facilities, and then play a unit- heavy game. By relying more heavily on drones, fighters and weapons platforms for your defence you can reduce your maintenence costs and divert resources (or even racial points) to your front lines.

Advanced storage also works well with religious tech, which give you lots of new facilities to build.