Icarus Mod, Version 6 in Preliminary Release

[mdsmall]

Small note: 2nd Austrian army, if deployed in Galicia, might be a bit too suicidal. It tends to deploy east of Stanisławów, right on the frontlines, very exposed to Russians. It seems that if one wants to deploy these guys to fight Russia, the best option is... to deploy them in Serbia, then rail.

Hi - I left the initial mobilization locations and timetables in 1914 for all majors unchanged from the regular game. If the CP sends the Second Army to Galicia, two corps will deploy to Stanislaw at the end of the second CP turn. I find that provided the Austro-Hungarians have entrenched one or two units further east around Tarnopol the Russians won't reach the new units before their third turn, at which point they can entrench. This is especially true if the CP player decides to send the Austro-Hungarian cavalry corps that starts on Stanislaw to capture Proskurov on the first turn. That pushes back the mobilization point for Brusilov and his army further east to Vinnitsa.

All that said, it would be easy to modify the mobilization point for the Second Army in Galicia to a location a bit further west, if players found that deploying around Stanislaw was too risky.

Michael

[Beriand]

I think the date is different. They probably appear one week earlier, in the mod? 21/24 with turn on 22. Thus maybe different spawning points if Russia occupies hexes, hmm.

It hurts a little that Austria cannot buy back two destroyed initial corps (there are more deployed 'German' corps than this unit limit), so they are ~270 MPPs behind, which initially is quite a lot.

Greek mobilisation in 'Sparta' and on Crete is doubled, two units appear.

[mdsmall]

I think the date is different. They probably appear one week earlier, in the mod? 21/24 with turn on 22. Thus maybe different spawning points if Russia occupies hexes, hmm.

It hurts a little that Austria cannot buy back two destroyed initial corps (there are more deployed 'German' corps than this unit limit), so they are ~270 MPPs behind, which initially is quite a lot.

Greek mobilisation in 'Sparta' and on Crete is doubled, two units appear.

Thanks Beriand for the feedback as you are working through the mod. The duplicate Greek units is a glitch, which I have now fixed.

That's a good observation about the fact that AH can not buy back first two regular (ie German speaking) corps that get destroyed. I figured out a simple fix for that by replacing two starting German corps with Slavic corps. This means that AH is now under the maximum build limit for both kinds of corps and can rebuild both of them at 60% of the cost.

You are right, I moved up the arrival of the Austro-Hungarian 2nd Army in Russia to the end of the second CP turn (on August 21) versus the end of the second Entente turn (on August 24). This was because in general I have tried as much as possible to avoid having units that belong to one side mobilize at the end of the turn for the other side. It gives the enemy too much information and any images linked to the newly arrived units are only seen by the enemy.

Realistically, I don't think this minor timing adjustment gives the CP any advantages or disadvantages. If they keep any AH units further east of Stanislaw, the Russians won't be able to attack the newly arrived 2nd Army on their second turn and they can then move and/or entrench on the third turn. But I added a second spawning hex anyway for these units at Przemsyl, in case the Russians somehow manage to capture Stanislaw bfore they deploy.

The corrected files for the 1914 campaign have been updated to June 23 and can be downloaded from the dropbox link given above.

[Beriand]

So, brave Slavic corps can go through their loops to resources occupied by the enemy


I'm finishing my small test, unfortunately it probably became too tough for Austrians. Ottos were always dying, ok, but now Austria lose NM from occupied Galicia (and other usual stuff), but cannot get back with NMs from occupied Balkans. They really were carried by this +400NM/turn from Serbia, it seems.

I will send you details via email, bit later.

[mdsmall]

So, brave Slavic corps can go through their loops to resources occupied by the enemy

I'm finishing my small test, unfortunately it probably became too tough for Austrians. Ottos were always dying, ok, but now Austria lose NM from occupied Galicia (and other usual stuff), but cannot get back with NMs from occupied Balkans. They really were carried by this +400NM/turn from Serbia, it seems.

I will send you details via email, bit later.

Hi Beriand - well, until you discovered it, it would not have occurred to me that loop scripts could send units into enemy occupied hexes. But apparently they can. Anyhow, this is easily fixed.

I have been trying to get the "fragility factor" right for Austria-Hungary, but I have may have gone a little too far. Do send me your notes from your play-test and we can discuss it. I will post an update here if I think a further adjustment to one or more NM scripts for Austria-Hungary is needed.

Michael

[mdsmall]

I have now corrected a number of glitches in Version 6.8 as reported by Beriand after more play-testing. These corrections should resolve issues relating to the the arrival of new Slavic corps on the map, the break-up of Austria-Hungary into new states, and the status of Expeditionary Corps after the Ottoman Empire withdraws from the war. In addition:

- I removed a feature in earlier versions of the mod which reduced over time the NM penalties for the Entente and the benefits for the Central Powers when Serbia surrenders. The benefits and penalties are now at the same flat rate as in the regular game.

- I added a pop-up advising the CP player to be aware of which Central Power unit was the last to occupy Serbian resources, as this can affect the impact of the offset scripts introduced in this mod to eliminate the NM gains every turn from captured resurces.

Both of these measures will make Austria-Hungary a bit more robust in terms of national morale.

- the MPP penalty paid by the Ottoman Empire when its national morale drops below 20% has been significantly reduced by using only the resources in the Empire itself as a base-line;

- the new states created after Austria-Hungary breaks up will only mobilize for the Entente if Russia (for Poland, Czechoslovkia and Hungary) or Italy (for Yugolslavia) are still in the war.

- I have also recalculated the starting NM levels for all powers in the 1916 campaign.

There are a few other cosmetic changes which I will not itemize here. All the documentation for the mod have been corrected to reflect the above. The latest files for Version 6.8 can be found in my Dropbox link given above and are dated June 30, 2025.

[OldCrowBalthazor]

I have now corrected a number of glitches in Version 6.8 as reported by Beriand after more play-testing. These corrections should resolve issues relating to the the arrival of new Slavic corps on the map, the break-up of Austria-Hungary into new states, and the status of Expeditionary Corps after the Ottoman Empire withdraws from the war. In addition:

- I removed a feature in earlier versions of the mod which reduced over time the NM penalties for the Entente and the benefits for the Central Powers when Serbia surrenders. The benefits and penalties are now at the same flat rate as in the regular game.

- I added a pop-up advising the CP player to be aware of which Central Power unit was the last to occupy Serbian resources, as this can affect the impact of the offset scripts introduced in this mod to eliminate the NM gains every turn from captured resurces.

Both of these measures will make Austria-Hungary a bit more robust in terms of national morale.

- the MPP penalty paid by the Ottoman Empire when its national morale drops below 20% has been significantly reduced by using only the resources in the Empire itself as a base-line;

- the new states created after Austria-Hungary breaks up will only mobilize for the Entente if Russia (for Poland, Czechoslovkia and Hungary) or Italy (for Yugolslavia) are still in the war.

- I have also recalculated the starting NM levels for all powers in the 1916 campaign.

There are a few other cosmetic changes which I will not itemize here. All the documentation for the mod have been corrected to reflect the above. The latest files for Version 6.8 can be found in my Dropbox link given above and are dated June 30, 2025.

I better yard out the older v.6.8 then and install the new one!
Edit. I'm confused which link to use. The one on page 1 or page 6? The one on page 6 says v6.7. Are you overwriting the link there, the one on page 1, or both page 6 and 1 or neither and there's a separate v 6.8 I am not seeing?
2nd Edit: I have a v.6.8 that I was testing, but I know you have been tweaking it but not labeling it like v.6.8a, v.6.8b and the like, but a date.

[mdsmall]

I better yard out the older v.6.8 then and install the new one!
Edit. I'm confused which link to use. The one on page 1 or page 6? The one on page 6 says v6.7. Are you overwriting the link there, the one on page 1, or both page 6 and 1 or neither and there's a separate v 6.8 I am not seeing?
2nd Edit: I have a v.6.8 that I was testing, but I know you have been tweaking it but not labeling it like v.6.8a, v.6.8b and the like, but a date.

Hi Old Crow - thanks for asking. Please use the most recent link in this thread which you will find in my post on page 6. If you click on that it will take you directly to folders marked Icarus Version 6.8.

When I do a small update to the mod like the one I described above, I overwrite the previous files in that folder, so the version available in that folder is always the latest version. Looking at the link, I see that Dropbox simply tells you how long ago the file was last modified, rather than giving you the actual date of the files. But you can immediately tell the date by looking at the name of the Word files also in the Dropbox - thus the name of the latest version of the Guide says "June 30, 2025".

I could give every small correction a new number e.g. 6.8a or 6.81. But I thought that would get tiresome. That's why I recommend that if you have downloaded the mod a while ago, you check the dropbox link before investing the substantial time it takes to play the game, to be sure you have the latest version.

I am trying to limit how often I correct and update the files so as to reduce confusion. But when players bring issues to my attention, I try to address them quickly. That's my commitment to people you like yourself who are helping me improve the mod!

Cheers,

Michael

[mdsmall]

Hi Old Crow - thanks for asking. Please use the most recent link in this thread which you will find in my post on page 6. If you click on that it will take you directly to folders marked Icarus Version 6.8.

To make the link to Version 6.8 easier to find, I have also pasted it into my first post at the top of this thread.

[GeneralBalderdash]

Hi,

i love the mod and feel it adds so much historical richness to the game - however.

After a small number of MP games in my limited experience I feel Russia is un-historically too strong. It seems to me as CP the only way to win is not invade Belgium and go Russia first. This is unhistorical and imo ruins the game imo.

Would a version where Germany starts at war with Belgium (with BEF deploying end of Entente turn 1) and Russia weaker (to reflect its historical weakness) more reflect history and enrich the game further with the mod?

BTW the experienced person I am playing against (he's Entente) also agrees Russia is just too strong. I'm also reading Nick Lloyd's bk on WW1 Eastern Front atm and the Russian army had big problems - like lack of bakeries for the army advancing into Prussia meaning the soldiers weren't being properly fed (dunno why that point sticks in my mind - I like bread?)

Well that's just my thoughts- don't know how anybody else feels....

[mdsmall]

Hi - I'm glad you like the mod and indeed my intention was to add more historical richness to the original game. You will see more of that if you play the latest version due to all of the new images I have added in Version 6.8.

On Russia, I felt the same way about the regular game. A recent private tournament of the Call to Arms campaign among 16 experienced players resulted in the Entente winning versus the CP about 66% of the time. So, the regular game is far from a slam-dunk for the Entente but it tilts that way.

I have reduced Russian capacity a number of ways in the mod. The first was cappping all powers at level 3 in Industrial tech and reducing the MPP boost each Industrial Tech increment gives to 10% (versus 15%). This applies to every power, but given that Russia starts with the lowest industrial modifier and benefits the most from Industrial Tech it affects their capacity to grow more than other powers. I have also capped Russia's ability to invest in Command and Control to level one (like Austria-Hungary) and their ability to invest in Trench Warfare to level 3 (like the Ottomans). I have reduced the NM boost they receive after the First Revolution and have increased their losses to mutinies and attrition, in particular once NM falls to 25%. At the same time, I have reduce their NM losses from captured resources in the most recent versions of the mod, to help Russia hang on through most of 1917.

If I wanted to weaken the Russians further, I would look at some combination of further reducing the effectiveness of their generals and/or their ability to increase their MPP production over time. I am not inclined to lock-in a West first strategy for the Germans, partly because giving the option to go east first is an important alternative for experienced players, and also because in my experience it is not usually a winning strategy for the Central Powers, as the French just become too lethal unless they are knocked back early and Germany captures the resources of Belgium in 1914.

The trick is to make the Russians a threat in 1914 to the Central Powers, especially to Austria-Hungary, while still making it possible for the Central Powers to knock them out of the war by some point in 1917 (which is a bit faster than historical, but the game over all runs faster than history). If the Russians are too weak from the start, then the Germans can largely ignore them and can continue to push forward in France throughout 1915 until they defeat it, before turning their attention to Russia. The fascination of the World War One game are the constant trade-offs both sides have to make while exploiting relatively small advantages each has on different fronts over time. The Russians need to be able to counter-attack periodically and win in order to achieve this effect.

I think the latest version of the mod comes the closest to achieving this effect but more play-testing, especially against human opponents, is required to confirm that. I too will be interested to hear other players' impressions.

Michael

[GeneralBalderdash]

Hi Michael,

I've worked out how to edit the cgn file - if i modded the mod as it were and reduced the Russia army and tried to play a PBEM game (with the opponent having a copy of the the same cgn file) would the servers accept it? r would it be rejected when the game was tried to be saved?

I would take out 2 starting cavalry corps in Poland.
Change Helsinki inf corps to a detachment.
Remove Helsinki detachmnent from arrival scripts
Change Petrograd inf corps to Guards inf corps
Remove Guards inf corps from arrival scripts
Remove 2 other inf corps from arrival scripts
Remove 1 inf corps from scheduled reinforcement
Change Caucasus army to 2 inf corps (as it was historically) - maybe 2 mtn divisons as well
Maybe delay or reduce arrival of Siberian corps
Maybe remove Von Rennenkampf (sp?) - i think irl he was actually a cavalry commander
Change Montenegro corps to str 5

There is also an argument for changing the Thorn and Konigsburg detachments to divisions

[mdsmall]

Hi Michael,
I've worked out how to edit the cgn file - if i modded the mod as it were and reduced the Russia army and tried to play a PBEM game (with the opponent having a copy of the the same cgn file) would the servers accept it? r would it be rejected when the game was tried to be saved?

Hi GB - sure, you could do that. It is the same way that I play-test the mod with other people. Give your mod a new name and share it with your opponent (I use WeTransfer to send the files, as recommended by Bill). Both of you should install the new mod files in your respective Campaigns folder - just as you have done with Icarus. Then post a private challenge for your new mod on the PBEM server. Provided your opponent has exactly the same files, he will be able to accept your challenge and can play-test the mod with you. My only request is that you not use the name Icarus for your mod of the mod, to avoid confusion in the future.

I will be interested to hear how those changes to the Order Battle work out. If you need any specific help in editing the .cgn files, post your questions here or send me a DM.

Cheers!

Michael

[GeneralBalderdash]

thanks Michael,

historicoob springs to mind as a name - would all the icaurus files need renaming or would i only need to rename/edit the cgn file?

cheers

General Balderash

[GeneralBalderdash]

Also a thought for future Icarus versions - while AH has been made more fragile and now with the Slav corps - something equivalent to slav corps for the Russian army may be a thought

Hi Michael,
I've worked out how to edit the cgn file - if i modded the mod as it were and reduced the Russia army and tried to play a PBEM game (with the opponent having a copy of the the same cgn file) would the servers accept it? r would it be rejected when the game was tried to be saved?

Hi GB - sure, you could do that. It is the same way that I play-test the mod with other people. Give your mod a new name and share it with your opponent (I use WeTransfer to send the files, as recommended by Bill). Both of you should install the new mod files in your respective Campaigns folder - just as you have done with Icarus. Then post a private challenge for your new mod on the PBEM server. Provided your opponent has exactly the same files, he will be able to accept your challenge and can play-test the mod with you. My only request is that you not use the name Icarus for your mod of the mod, to avoid confusion in the future.

I will be interested to hear how those changes to the Order Battle work out. If you need any specific help in editing the .cgn files, post your questions here or send me a DM.

Cheers!

Michael

[mdsmall]

thanks Michael,
historicoob springs to mind as a name - would all the icaurus files need renaming or would i only need to rename/edit the cgn file?
cheers
General Balderash

As soon as you save the .cgn file with a new name, it will create a folder with the same name. Send both the .cgn file and the folder to your opponent to install.

[GeneralBalderdash]

Hi Michael,

After a day usefully spent not doing what i was supposed to do - have made changes as follows

All Russian inf corps start with exp 0.5 except Grenadier & Guards (exp 1) and all Siberian, Turkestan & Caucasian inf corps (exp 0.6)

Helsinki inf corps – now detachment
Helsinki detachment arrival – removed

Inf corps in Petrograd now Guards Corps
Arrival of Guards Corps removed

II + IV Cav corps removed from start
XVII Inf corps now II Cav corps arrival 7 Sep 1914 (XVII inf corps no longer arrives)
IV Cav corps now arrives June 1915

Montenegro corps now arrives strength 5

22 Aug – III Siberian corps is replaced by Grenadier corps arriving (199,75) Baranovichi
No unit arrives at (192,78)

From 22 Aug I – V Siberian & I Turkestan inf corps arrive around Moscow

8 Aug V inf corps no longer arrives with Von Plehve (no unit arrives)

5 Sep XXVI inf corps no longer arrives (193,63) Mitau (no unit arrives)

Caucasus Mobilization – II Turkestan inf corps is now II Caucasian Mtn Div

All else a before

have tested it and all runs as per above - just need to see how it performs under fire as it were

[mdsmall]

Interesting. Why did you include the reduction in strength for the Montenegro corps? My overall impression is that the game is pretty balanced in terms the Central Powers versus Serbia - the key variable being the amount of effort the CP wishes to expend in taking out Serbia in the first year of the war.

[GeneralBalderdash]

felt a lvl 10 corps starting for Montenegro was too high but see how it plays out - can easily be changed.

Have also changed Samsonov to a lvl 2 commander (ssshhh don't mention Tannenberg)
Yudenich lvl 5

I think the changes are really meant to work alongside a German Schlieffen plan - not a Russia first strategy (which i think i mentioned i feel ruins the game)

[GeneralBalderdash]

After doing some more reading and sleeping on it -

Yudenich is back to lvl 6
Samsonov back to lvl 3
Evert reduced to lvl 3 from lvl 4