From: ferrell@brtph625.bnr.ca (Thomas Ferrell P910)
Description: Advanced Civilization Variant
 
Below is an Advanced Civilization variant in the form of an article for
the General. After getting input from my own gaming group, I would like
to get opinions from other groups. If you use this variant, I would
like to hear what your group liked and disliked about it. For any
dislikes, please explain why and what changes to the variant could help
eliminate the problem.
 
Thanks in advance,
 
Wray
 
             Expanding Diplomatic Options in Advanced Civilization
 
In Advanced Civilization some countries, notably Egypt and Babylon, are
blessed with an abundance of land and city sites, while others such as
Crete, start the player at a disadvantage. While you can try to
overcome this discrepancy through a bidding system or giving Egypt to
the newer players, it is still possible to realize halfway through the
game that you have little or no chance of winning. The problem is that
as the game progresses it becomes harder to close the gap on the front
runners for two reasons. First, the leaders have more civilization
advances and thus are better protected from calamities. Second, having
enough tokens to launch an effective attack usually means going first.
Buying military eliminates the second reason, but exacerbates the first
since the card worsens some calamities and the one hundred eighty
points spent on it could have been used to buy other mitigating
advances. One way to level the playing field is to determine movement
order by civilization points then the number of tokens on the board.
Movement is performed in descending civilization point order, then
census order, then by A.S.T. order. This forces the front runners to
move first making it much easier to bring them back to the rest of the
pack. While the leaders can purchase Military, it forces the
disadvantage of this card on them rather than the countries trying to
catch up.
 
While the change to movement order kept the game close, it pointed out
another weakness in the game. Advanced Civilization suffers from a lack
of options when confronted by a hostile neighbor. Your options are
limited to either whining about how poorly you are doing in hopes he
will attack elsewhere or thinly veiled threats that this incursion will
be paid back in future turns, neither of which is very satisfying. The
following rule changes are suggested to increase diplomacy and
negotiation during the game.
 
Trade Cards: Trade cards may be exchanged for other trade cards during
the trading round or given to other players in return for certain
favors.  There is no limit to the scope of these favors as long as they
do not violate any rules. This rule change cannot be used to trade
cards for cards ensuring a calamity free trade. For example: Egypt
suffered a devastating flood last turn, but still moves before Africa.
Aware that the African player is casting a greedy eye towards the Nile
Delta, the Egyptian player could offer him a trade card in return for a
non-aggression pact this turn. The card(s) offered do not have to be
revealed publically. If the trade is refused, the Egyptian player keeps
any card(s) that were offered. Any public agreements are binding and
must be fulfilled, however players who discuss their deals in secret
have no recourse if their trading partner fails to uphold their end of
the bargain.
 
Treasury: Tokens may be "given" to other players as part of a trade.
The same limitations described above for trade cards apply except that
either side may trade tokens. Thus, Egypt could offer Africa two grain
cards in return for 5 tokens and not being chosen for secondary damage
from Africa's epidemic this turn. The tokens do not actually change
hands, the offering player transfers the tokens from his treasury to
stock and the accepting player moves the same amount from his stock to
treasury.
 
Ships: Ships may now carry tokens from any country. The limit is still
five tokens per ship, but there is no restriction on the makeup of
these tokens.  Regardless of who it is carrying, the ship still uses
the civilization advances of the owning country. This allows players to
"rent" out excess ships in their fleet. For example Thrace may offer
Crete a wine card and three tokens in return for Crete, who has
Astronomy, transporting Thracian troops to Africa.
 
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ferrell@bnr.ca
My thoughts, not BNR's