Need advice after firs multiplayer PBEM

[LeTharg]

Starting position and geography play a huge role as well. I've been in two PBEM games and in both started with nowhere to expand because I was surrounded by other empires. In the first game, by turn 10, I was in tenth place out of 9 human players. In the second, I was slightly worse.

In that situation, diplomacy and treachery (game 1) or force (game 2) can be used to worm your way out and up. In the first game I made it to second place and in the second have moved up to 4th.

I guess I am saying hang in there, be creative and keep seeking avenues of expansion. Trade tech, comm links, and even population to get other atmosphere types.

It would be nice if the placement of players in the galaxy was a little more even handed. In both games one player was placed in the middle of a rich area with no opposition (except a handy neutral AI from which to harvest population) and moved way out in front early. It is very hard to overcome a start like that.