I would like the be a peaceful nation in online, but every game I have played, I got bum rushed very early. Now since I want to play as a peaceful nation, I did not focus my attention on making military units. I guess that is where I went wrong.

So are there any tips on how to build a strong defense at the start so I don't get run over by the war hungry people? I swear they think that is the only way to win. I actually want to make deals with other players, share research, open borders, become allies and all that great jazz, but it is hard to do that online.