On suicidal, the AIs get massive bonuses to economy, diplomacy, research, production, miniaturization and influence. There is a pretty harsh adjustment phase the first time (first few times probably) you play on suicidal. Personally, I got killed.
With experience (and reading AARs from the game's masters such as Wyndstar, Purge and Mumblefratz), one learns the focused type of play needed to cope. The cumulative advantage gained by careful attention to all the small details becomes very important on suicidal, and there is less margin for error, both strategically and tactically. One simple suggestion is to do your best, even at the cost of trading tech and money for it, to get all the enemy empires ideally or just those close to you if that's not possibe, into at least one war. Having the strongest empire attack the Altarians, thus triggering their super organizer ability, is helpful there.
As to anomalies, I don't think the AI ever builds survey ships, though it uses its flagship well. This is a significant advantage for the human player in tournaments and scenarios where everyone starts without flagships. You can be more aggressive in developing your industry and research capability, and by carefuley managing civilization graveyards you can get one or more critical but expensive early techs such as xeno ethics, planetary invasion, good and evil or concepts of malice for free. Even still you've got to play well.
Good to know that the AIs are colonizing normally in your suicidal game. I had a +700 and a +100 production squares on my homeworld, which let me get colony ships out pretty rapidly, and I also went back to turn one after I knew where the planets were at (cheap, but I figure it to be necessary to compete in such a tournament), so possibly I just beat the AIs to the planets, though I've not seen it by such a margin. Usually on suicidal a good colony rush gets me rough equality with the other AIs in planet count, not a 4-1 advantage.
