Fatal Years 1.04

[Chilperic]

Opening a new thread for the mod because the precedent thread is now too long.

Fatal Years is a mod for Revolution Under Siege. Its 2 main features are better gameplay thanks to a reworking of player options and an improved AI. Fatal Years is a game currently played by me,among others, and that's certainly its greatest strength, being designed not to be bought, downloaded or admired, just played.

The only scenario currently modded is the Great Campaign from June 1918.Only supported in English language.

All three factions (Red, Southern and Siberian Whites) are playable.

Fatal Years may be played in PBEM or against AI.

Best options for AI are:



Note: the +2 bonus for Fog of war may be discarded or reduced to +1. The AI will remain a worthy opponent.

Fatal Years rules are available here, in pdf format:

http://moddercorner.com

Among the main changes, the option system has been reworked to give player choice between enforcing a land reform or stick with the historical doctrine made by each side, more diplomatic options, the possibility to recruit units of opposing factions, and an Allied Intervention Level determining the size and the actions of Western Allied Units during the Civil War. Siberian Whites may now succeed to take control of the Southern White faction and iobtain, under severe conditions, Japanese military help.

Beyond the 3 main playable factions, the Grand Campaign features several minor factions, Ai driven only: Ukrainians, Poles, Anarchists, Freikorps and Greens. Don't neglect them, AI being rather smart. Red player may take control of the Anarchist units for sme turns

please do not neglect Clovis' mod...it really makes you actually want to play the game, and think about strategy for the Reds.

FY is worth every second you spend to install it.

the more I play this the more I become convinced that RUS is one of the best strategy games I have ever played... and I have played many since the mid 80's. The AI in this mod is at level with Sid Meier's best efforts.

Note for Russian players: I've seen some of you are considering greatly Fatal Years. Thanks first. Please don't forget I'm French, not Russian. I've tried to be as fair and as historical than possible between the different sides. Certainly there are errors or misconceptions. Don't waver to post your critics, I will read them and if the engine allows I will modify Fatal Years.

Last point: I've seen some of you are using pirated version of RUS. I'm not a moralist, and to say the least I've no real praise for SEPRUS patch policy and for the game design ideas put in the official campaign. BUT they deserve the price of their work and piracy is the best way to destroy any new game of this sort. So, if ever I get the feeling someone uses a pirated version of RUS, I will just ignore him. I will never support pirated games.

Fatal Years is available here:

http://moddercorner.com

A movie about install process can be viewed here:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=BtU0m_oZXcw&feature=related

This mod incorporates leaders portraits available on official forum and done by Nikel.

Have been added too Keke's files modifying weather files to raise probability of blizzard during winter.

This game has benefitted from the feedback of many, who have demonstrated being themselves REAL playtesters, very different to some guys writing endlessly on their pet ideas about the game without finding any bugs. There are some indeed acting like this, but fortunately not here ( in any ways, I wouldn't listen them, some recent releases having demonstrated how much damaging they may reveal, even for a great engine when the scenario work is messed by their proposals and lack of any king of real competence...)



Enjoy, post remarks and AAR

[BK6583]

Chiliperic,

Are you doing any more work on AACW SVF 2.0?

[Chilperic]

ORIGINAL: BK6583

Chiliperic,

Are you doing any more work on AACW SVF 2.0?

Yes, more news soon, but I was waiting the new patch ( not so much for the bug fixes than possible changes to AI behaviour as often in AGE patches ( even if not always mentioned). remember too FY is a formidable bench for SVF 2.0. By example, I will introduce in next FY version a slight change to the Red military reform: between the turn you choose this option and the turn it will really be enforced, there will be a delay, simulating discussions among Reds leader on this reform. This delay will cease randomly or if the Red NM falls under 95...Now, I've a template for the Emancipation decision in AACW (the only difference being the US level will have to be beyond 115 to automatically enforce the reform). Btw, each delay turn will cost 1NM [:)]

[Chilperic]

New version of Fatal Years tomorrow, the main change being a new set of rules for Siberian faction, centered around the new Internal Disorder Level [:)]

[JJKettunen]

Duly noted. [:)]

[Krot]

Good news as I have abandoned my previous game and reverted to Siberians. Never played for them before but could not miss the new-born FY opportunity to unite all anti-Bolshevik forces from Baltic to Far East.

[Chilperic]

Siberian Internal Disorder Level

The Siberian Internal Disorder Level (IDL) is scaled from 1 to 10 and begins at 3. It represents the degree of infighting in the Siberian faction.

Evolution during play:

The IDL will raise or lower randomly during a game, with a strong probability of raising.
Use of some options ( about Political activity of Liberals, raising money, firing Lebedev…) will raise the IDL too.
Last, a 120 + NM level will lower IDL, when a 99 or less will raise it.
Consequences: above level 5, the Siberian faction will randomly lose some NMs by turn:

Level 5 -1 NM, 10% chance
Level 6 -1 NM, 20%
Level 7 -1 NM, 40%
Level 8 -1 NM, 50%
Level 9 -2 NM, 50 %
Level 10 -3 NM, 50%

How to lower the IDL?

First, by having a 120 or more NM.

Secondly, the Fight corruption option will lower IDL, to a 5NM cost.

Thirdly, a new option, Lower Internal Disorder, will maybe ( 50% chance) lower IDL by one, to the cost of 8 EPs, 80 VPs and 75 money ( corruption).

Last, you may play a new option, Promise Constituent Assembly, acting like a trump card. Indeed, by playing this option, you will get during the rest of the game events lowering or raising IDL. There’s a possibility the gains and losses to be balanced, or only gains, or only losses. The same option will allow events raising Siberian Loyalty in regions if the IDL is below 7, and raising Green Loyalty if IDL is above 7. Gains are impossible under NM of 95, losses above 120+ NM.

IDL notification:
IDL level notification is random.You will be informed some turns only.

Notes:

This new system is based on the brittle nature of Siberian factions, divided in several and opposed political movements and cliques surrounding Kolchak. You get limited means to slow the raising of infighting, the nest one remaining to keep victory on your side.

IDL random notification is designed both for gameplay ( hindering precise comptation of IDL) and as historical feature: no leader knows exactly such a risk. What he can discern is the relative level of political tension, big or small.

The Promise Constituent Assembly is designed along the principles of Fatal Years: when you’re choosing a very essential political orientation, you bet on the future, without precise knowledge of the outcome. The option may be useful if you’re short of any other way to lower IDL or if you’re really sure of victory. If your expectations aren’t confirmed by facts, you will be punished. Kolchak had an ambivalous attitude about Constituent Assembly question, the rules reflecting why. Such a position will infuriate rightist elements without possibly convincing the Leftists. In case of defeats, such a decision will be considered as a political error fueling the infighting process and diminishing your authority.

Option to lower the IDL has random results even if you will pay always the price. Once again, your efforts may be followed by mixed results, pleasing some to the price of support of other groups.

[Chilperic]

ORIGINAL: Krot

Good news as I have abandoned my previous game and reverted to Siberians. Never played for them before but could not miss the new-born FY opportunity to unite all anti-Bolshevik forces from Baltic to Far East.

Why have you abandoned? Just curious [;)]

[Chilperic]

Lebedev option:

Colonel Lebedev was the Kolchak’s chief of Staff directing Stavka. He was fully incompetent, but thanks to political support and Kolchak’s faith, remained in post until the disaster shattering White Army in mid-19.

The option allows you to fire Lebedev to a cost in IDL. You will recruit 4 very solid 3-stars Generals, who were unemployed by the Siberian regime in spite of their experience and quality, being barred by Lebedev clique.

[Chilperic]

Military Reform option for Reds

Until the option is chosen, Reds wil get VPs and 1NM by turn. When the option is chosen, the reform will be discussed among Bolshevik leaders a few turns, until it is enforced. During this period, Reds will lose NM randomly ( simulating hated opposition to Trotsky proposals). If nM is under 95, Military reform will be enforced.

Notes: balance essentially driven changeS. I want to avoid the no brainer option, so common in some designs [:D]

[Krot]

ORIGINAL: Chliperic

ORIGINAL: Krot

Good news as I have abandoned my previous game and reverted to Siberians. Never played for them before but could not miss the new-born FY opportunity to unite all anti-Bolshevik forces from Baltic to Far East.

Why have you abandoned? Just curious [;)]

Mostly because I was tempted to test new interesting features and perspectives of Siberian faction which were brought with recent FY versions. As I see the very recent version has brought even more novelties to try. I just could not resist. [:)]

Regretfully I have limited time to play my favorite game and I play it rather slowly. So I betrayed my Southern Whites when I felt that by the end of 1919 I had achieved strategic superiority. By that time the Reds, Ukrainians and Poles still were potent opponents and fought impressively.

[Chilperic]

Version 1.04 of Fatal Years is available on my blog ( see my sig).

Or, how to use the option feature with a little more imagination and creativity than "get 5 light infantry replacements for 6 EPs...I know, arrogant...or maybe real arrogance is to strive for an og=fficial title like "Great measurer of the time needed to achieve a turn", or "Specialist of pancake supply " without knowing the script language or studying what other have done with, just to learn?

Options in FY are the way I've chosen to introduce real political consideratios in RCW, as the engine itself is a mainly military one. I've tried to avoid any No brainer option, by intrducing side effects in most or high cost to buy them. They place players behing real alternatives: be liberal or not, do land reform or not, reform the army or not, tolerate corruption or fight it. These options need often luck to be succesfull , or to be played timely. In one word, think about their use. Thinking is what is interesting in a strategy game.[:)]

[Nikel]

Thanks Clovis [:)]

Have you been busy with Smele book on RCW in Siberia? [;)]

Who are those 4 generals in Lebedev option?

Not sure bug or intended, Whitesunited graphic is .jpg, should be .png?

[Chilperic]

Flug, Budberg, Golovin, Andogskii.4 experienced Generals Siberian Whites didn't placed in charge of active military duties.

Whitesunited should be png indeed. No consequence on play as the image is used for event notification. Next version.

[Nikel]

OK, but 3 star generals should not use generic portraits [;)]

Already found Flug and creating the portrait right now [:)]

[Nikel]

Vasily Egorovich Flug

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ф&#1 ... 080;ч


He graduated from an artillery School

[Nikel]

Alexei Pavlovich von Budberg

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Б&#1 ... 080;ч


Not pic in the wikipedia but there seems to be one here

http://belrussia.ru/forum/viewtopic.php ... a70d8a25c6

[Nikel]

This portrait looks better , Nicolai Nicolaevich Golovin

Was also a military historian. In Omsk, he assessed the situation as hopeless, and went back to Vladivostok, and Europe (he was in france).

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Г&#1 ... 080;ч

[Chilperic]

ORIGINAL: Nikel

In Omsk, he assessed the situation as hopeless,

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Г&#1 ... 080;ч

By itself, such a conclusion shows the strategical valor of Golovin [:D]

[Krot]

ORIGINAL: Nikel

Alexei Pavlovich von Budberg

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Áóäáåðã,_Àëåêñåé_Ïàâëîâè÷


Not pic in the wikipedia but there seems to be one here

http://belrussia.ru/forum/viewtopic.php ... a70d8a25c6

You are right Nikel. The latter is A.P. Budberg in his old age. I have found another photo of Budberg made in 1920-ies in emigration when he was 20 years younger. He is in civilian costume though.