This varient is based on the original game and has not been tried with newer versions.
Instead of taking a single card at the start of an epoch listing what empire the player has available each player takes 4 cards.

1. An Army Card Showing the base number of armies available
2. A Navigation card listed how many seas the empire can navigate.
3. A Capital Card showing if the empire has a capital
4. A Start Location card showing where the empire is based.

Play then proceeds as normal.

We've found it makes the game more balanced that the original.