Yea, but no resource links.
The best defense is simply not having any neighbors.
Resource links are nice, but only to a point. With the resources I have on some planets, even if 2 or 3 planets are linked the fleet I can build will outstrip the planets ability to manage upkeep. I much prefer to build more modest fleets (50-100 battleships with some blackbirds) from many planets then to centre my ship building on one planet. Resource links can also be a weakness, I have on a couple of occasions TO'd a central planet in a resource web, and then stolen the enemies resources from his planets.
The way the new player placement code works, one you colonise an area, new players are bound to show up there as well, so its hard to have no neighbours.
