Playing trading games with 2 or 3 players lacks most of the competition for location & card trading aspects, which are the fundamental flavor of the game.

Are there any variants for 2 players that work well?

I was thinking in terms of having each player also control a "dummy" with some sort of rules for how they would expand, and for their degree of cooperative trading with the other live player.

Well, back in college in 85-86 I had a friend that was big into the game then. When he destroyed my first edition Civ game at a frat party he bought a replacement. He took the old board and cut it so that Rome and Carthage were on a single board section. He told me about a 2 player game he came up with. Remember that the 1st edition game had only 1 comodity type per number. He said it was an interesting game since you were forced to trade with the 'enemy'. I have not tried it, but the key to a successful 2 player game seems to be 1 comodity per number and a confined board space. Thegame would play much faster that way too, and being smaller - 8x22 for the board, you could travel with it and play in small places - like a train, or park, etc. I think he also removed the civil war card since who ever drew in in the 1st edition lost the game.

IIRC There was an article in Avalon Hills General mag about a two player variant. I'll see if I can find it. Of course, Craig may have it available too.

I've probably already scanned it, since I run the AHGeneral.org website too. I seem to recall some articles in v22 that I'm working on now.

I'm sure if the General came up with something, it would be the 'Official Solution' so anything anyone else comes up with after that would just be water over the dam.

I once said I'd never play a two-player game of Civilization again.

Why?

I have too many bad experiences with it.

- You play for hours
- At the end one player is too powerful to hold back
- That player totally keeps the other under his thumb in almost all cases
- A possible crawl back could never catch up the leap.
- Even without trading that player would win eventually
- There are so many other boardgames to play with two players


But if this is a good way, I'm willing to get back on my opinion.

There is a two player variant at the Civilization page

http://www.lilback.com/civilization