Hey all,
This is a variant set of rules that I put together after getting lots of ideas from these forums. I have played about three times using it, and I think it works pretty well. The games lasted a little over two hours. Here is a pic of my first game using it:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/image/133896
The differences from the normal rules are:


-Galaxy Setup:
Each player gets 8 hexes to build the galaxy. The galaxy consists of two rings of hexes, surrounding Mecatol Rex. The player homesystems are in the second ring, across from each other.

-Trade contract cards, political cards, and action cards that specifically affect political cards or trade aggrements are not used. Instead of removing all those action cards before play, when somone draws one, they simply discard it and draw another card.

-The Strategy Cards:
*The diplomacy SC and trade SC are not used.
*The primary ability of the political card should read: "collect three action cards, a command counter, and three trade goods." (It is basically the trade SC and political SC combined, without the political cards or trade contracts.)
*Primary ability of the Imperial card: "obtain one victory point."
*Each player takes two SC in the strategy phase, starting with the speaker, then the other player, then the speaker picks his second SC, then the other player.

-Collect one trade good when you win a space combat

-Victory Points
*use "Age of Empire" variant
*each player has two secret objective cards, but may only claim one during the game
*play to 8 VP instead of 10


Those were the rules that I used and I enjoyed the games that I played nearly as much as the three player games (the most players I have had in a TI game). The victory point variants are mostly to reduce game time. Shorter games are better for two player, since there is no "gang up on the leader" action. Tell me what you think!
(This is my first post!!!!)

Welcome to BGG!

My buddy and I tried your variant this evening and had a good time with it. We made a couple of changes midway through the game which we liked and which I will share.

Change Number One: Threw out the Initiative Strategy Card and simply passed the Speaker token back and forth much like how the Governor token works in Puerto Rico. This really seemed add more freedom to the game. The ability to pick first still alternated but it was automatic and we did not have to waste a strategy pick on making it happen. We also found that with only two players we just did not need the ability to get a free secondary strategy. We had plenty of command counters to just pay for those we wanted.

Change Number Two: We decided to include the Diplomacy Strategy Card as it made for some interesting choices. There were several times that I chose it because I felt threatened by what Steve might do. Maybe he had no plans to attack me but his build-up successfully caused me to use one of my picks to prevent war between us. On the last turn of the game, he picked it to prevent me from attacking his home system and stopping him from earning the clinching public objective victory point.

After the game was over we talked about it and felt that the Political Card as you have it might be just a bit overpowered. It definitely got picked every single time. We thought about possibly putting the Trade Strategy Card back in simply as a "prospector" type card paying out three trade goods. There would be no secondary strategy choice for the other player but it would simply build up bonus chits until it was desirable enough to be picked.

The Political Strategy Card would then be played as it normally is in the full game which would bring the laws back into the game. This of course causes the problem of one player always dominating the galactic senate. We thought that by rolling two 10-sided dice as percentage dice there could be some variance introduced and laws would not always be passed a particular way.

Some other minor changes:

Instead of the Trade Card being among the selections, simply add the 3 Trade Goods from the Trade card to the Warfare(6) Card. This would symbolize a war production mode and balance out the Political Card.

I agree with Roliander to include the Diplomacy card. If your opponent wants to avert conflict, he will "waste" one of his VALUABLE choices. Also, build PDS around MR with Long range cannons. Gotta love the free shots!

I believe the laws could be incorporated into the 2 Player version as well. The only real variation in voting would occur when the 2 players want to have the law ONLY benefit them. (i.e. Elect Player, etc.)

To expound upon Roliander's suggestion:
1) If both players vote against...VETOED
2) If both players vote FOR...PASSED
or
3) Player A wants the benefit of the law and to exclude Player B and vice-versa.

This variation uses Percentile based random results. In all Political entities there are disagreements within the same Political Party. In TI, the Political Party is your galactic civilization. Keep this in mind.

The 2 player game has many FEWER turns than the full game. Not many laws will be up for vote and the laws passed later in the game will not have the same impact due to the time remaining.

We want ratios that can be viewed as percentages we can deal with.
You need to choose the dice and appropriate percentile representations of the dice to make this work.

The easiest example:
Player A 12 Inf
Player B 7 Inf
Since a 20 sided die is an easy representation of % (each value x5 = %age) SO convert-->
Player A - 12 Inf x 5 = 60%
Player B - 7 Inf x 5 = 35%
REMAINDER of 5% will be conducted as deadlocked vote and will be considered a vetoed bill (remember the intra-party dissent described above...Imagination needed here). Seems simple enough.

A tougher example

Player A 14 Inf
Player B 11 Inf

Total Inf of 25. Therefore, each Inf point will be equivalent to 4 percentile points. Since 25 Inf x 4% = 100%
Player A - 14 Inf x 4% = 56% Player B - 11 Inf x 4% = 44%
Notice that when the votes tallies are close, the votes will also be close. (Special Interest lobbying is at work)

Ugly example

Player A 16
Player B 14

Total influence of 30. (NOTE: Due to the size of the 2-player map, this influence total should be rare.) Ok, which Percentile should we use? Remember to keep it SIMPLE! 3.33% would be very close, but who needs to multiply by decimals or fractions? Just use 3%.

Player A 16 Inf x 3% = 48% Player B 14 Inf x 3% = 42%
This leaves a 10% deadlock vote. Think how long it takes bills to pass in govt. !

Simple enough math to add a little "LAW"lessness into the 2-player version to satisfy you until you can get your 6 player game going!!

Final notes:

I did find that Trade goods seemed to be a little more plentiful. This sped up the game by ALL the ways money speeds things along in life.

Another variation to INCREASE trade goods (and hopefully MORE diplomatic bargaining) into the FULL game is simple!

Instead of having the constant TRADE difference between the contracts (3,2,and 1), Introduce another minor change:

Make the contracts a MODIFIER to a d3 roll (3 sided die).

I know you are saying NO WAY, what if he rolls a 3 on his 3 contract and I roll a 1 on my contract 1? Geez, TOTALLY UNBALANCED (bitch, moan, bitch, moan).

Hmm, you may be right, BUT look at the numbers!! He obtains 6 Trade Goods, you obtain 2. The WORST CASE!! OK, what is that ratio of trade goods? Lo and behold, 3:1, the same ratio of your contracts.

NOW look at the bright side! REVERSE the die roll...he rolls the 1 and you roll the 3.
His TG total 1dr + 3 TC = 4TG
Your TG total 3dr + 1 TC= 4TG AMAZING!!

Now you can feel you screwed him on his contract. Yes, on average he will get more TG than you, BUT this will get MORE TG into the game and more TG means more units, techs, PO VP cards, bribes, etc!!!

HEY MIKEY, HE LIKES IT!!!!!!

Thanks for the feedback, everyone! Maybe the political card is a bit too powerful. I originally wanted to simplify politics for two by awarding trade goods to the player with more available votes when the political card was played. I couldn't decide whether it should be a set number or based on the difference between players, and finaly decided to give three to the active player, regardless of votes. After playing with the political card this way, I felt that it was powerful, but wouldn't break the game or anything, since each player could only choose one SC (besides Imperial or Initiative, assuming each player picked one of them). In a two player game that could end after several turns, I did feel that the diplomacy SC would be too powerful. I have not tried it, though, so I don't know.
Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone!