I like to play all 9 AI opponents and I'm searching for a map setting that allows all civs an equal chance to expand and get off the ground. Currently, the distribution is pretty bad. Every game, at least two civs are killed off before they can even build a military unit because they start right next to other civs, and at least one civ starts off in the corner of the map, two entire sectors away from the nearest star system. That's one third of AI opponents doomed even before the game starts.
I favor large galaxies with abundant everything, scatter star distribution. Is there a recommended number of opponents to play against with such settings?