Haven't lost to Comp. in a while.  Played m and 2 unallied Hard computers on Fire & Ice.  It's default is for 4 players, I went with 3.

What happened is that I got put right in the middle of them and they had access to the "outside ring" of planets and I was trapped.  2 pirate bases prevented me from getting to other side and a large star.

Everytime I would attack one comp on one side, his fleet would beat on me on another, I would go hit it, and the other comp would attack.

One was Advent, one was Vasari.

The Advent built up a huge diverse fleet because of all the outer ring planets he could grab.  His fleet cut through my 7 cap ship fleet like butter.  Advent is the one race I've never played or understood, but obviously with a well mixed fleet its deadly (some of the graphical effects slow things down and I have an 8800GT).

I just couldn't expand out nearly as much as the 2 comps due to being boxed in by the starting position.  Those pirate bases wouldn't allow any fleet to get through, and sending a big fleet around the sun was too big a risk because If I was attacked whileon the other side, I'd never be able to get back and put up any kind of defense

So I've learned, don't take a map designed for 4 and play 3, because it was basically 2 on 1, and due to positioning, I doubt many of you could have won in the end.