Care to share how you can change this on the default client without changing the source and recompiling? As I understand you can only change the default inbound peers, but I would love to be proven wrong.
You have two options:
1- Add some nodes manually using
-addnode argument.
It is the easiest and most effective option because you need to spot efficient nodes on the backbone for testing your theory.
2- Go to cpp.net and change MAX_OUTBOUND_CONNECTIONS then make bitcoind.