I just signed up for this thing and it looks awesome. If you're hunting for me, I'm at (2040.1, 1806.6). I'm going the trade and RP-heavy route, so new neighbors are always welcome!
Welcome! If you look to your left, find the nearest big empire (piffy, green sensor range). Below him is Dave (in pink), the creator of the game. Below Dave is fodder (in yellow). Left of piffy is squishymaster (dark red). There were originally 2 other BMers down there, but they quit
I would recommend your first action is to colonise Xi Aurinus with 3 arcs. After that, merchants, merchants and more merchants! Also, high tax rate so you can actually buy everything your merchants bring home
not sure why. it ran out of money buying material for building the ms1 and so shut down everything to get the 10k income for this turn to buy stuff for building?
Possibly.
Tip: build bulkfreighters instead of merchantmen. If you start accumulating BFs (and therefore food as well) early, you might not face the same starvation problems the rest of us may soon have.
Or, build Merchantmen and just build Mind Control at level 75
That way they won't have the food crisis because their planets will always create a surplus.
Anyone try pirating yet? 
I had a pirate fleet on Oldry's planet, but seems that you only get the enemy fleet if they're overpowered.
