If you start with no NPRs, you have to expand.
Every time you enter a system with a habitable planet (either oxygen or methane), there is a chance for a NPR to be generated (chances can be set at game set-up).
So my tip for you would be to start at 0. Do a TN start with some 200,000 research points, choose to distribute those points yourselve in the set-up and do _not_ use them, so you have the basic techs, but nothing else), while the NPRs generated will have those 200,000 RPs to play with.
Build jump-capable survey ships and start to expand right off the bat.
This should make things interesting, once you run into your first NPR (insert evil laughter here)