Icarus Mod, Versions 6 and 7 in Preliminary Release

[mdsmall]

New Icarus Version 7.1

I have updated both campaign for the Icarus mod to produce a new update: Version 7.1. This new version reflects observations from my two recent games of the 1914 and 1916 campaign with Old Crow Balthazor (see his YT channel). I also made good use of the many helpful suggestions posted above by other readers of this forum. You can download the files here from my dropbox:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wnunwfdz ... 3bjgb&dl=0

Here is what is new in Version 7.1, compared to Version 7.0 in both campaigns.

1. Changes intended to reduce ability of the side that is winning to "steamroll" the losing side, though cumulative advantages that accrue to the winner.

- All HQs are now limited to a maximum of 2 points of experience.

- The NM morale value every turn of captured enemy fortresses and major fortresses is reduced from 50 points (for major fortresses) and 30 points (for fortresses) to zero. The one-time NM costs and benefits of capturing these NM objectives remains.

- The additional unit morale penalties for NM falling below 10% have been eliminated. However, the penalty in this mod for NM falling below 20% remains.

- The MPP penalties for NM falling below 20% and 10% have been dropped.

2. Change intended to improve the ability of the Entente to resist the Central Powers "steamroller" in 1914-15.

- France now receives its half-strength field artillery unit on September 5, 1914 rather than in February 1915.

3. Changes intended to enable Russia to survive longer before its National Morale falls to 12%, triggering the negotiations for an armistice:

- The 2000 NM boost which Russia receives after forming the provisional government if France is still in the war has been reinstated. Thus, Russia normally receives 4000 NM after the First Revolution (2000 points in all circumstances plus the 2000 NM boost). The 2000 NM points Russia will receive if the UK sends an intervention force is in addition to this amount.

- Russia receives a new DE the turn after the First Revolution giving it the option of scuttling any Russian ships that remain in Finnish ports before Finland declares independence. Russia will lose NM points equal to the MPP cost of the scuttled ships. But this also means that Russia will not take double NM losses if these ships are subsequently sunk by the German navy and Germany will not gain NM points for sinking them.

- The DE for Russia to build a Czech corps now fires in April 1917, rather than September 1917.

4. Changes intended to strengthen Italy upon entry into the war:

- The Italian “war bond” which generates Italy’s initial resources of 125 MPPs is moved up to October 10, 1914 (from December 5, 1914).

- Italy receives a half-strength field artillery unit when it joins the war.

Changes intended to make the option more attractive for Italy of delaying their entry into the war in return for annexing Albania. These provisions only apply if Italy says YES to DE301.

- The trigger for Italy to swing 5 - 8% to the Entente is increased from 25% to 33%.

- Italy will automatically swing 30% to the Entente in November 1915, virtually guaranteeing that they will enter the war by December 1915.

- The decision event to build a half-strength detachment in Albania now fires from June 1915 onward, so Italy can build this unit if it has annexed Albania before entering the war.

- The convoy from Libya to Italy will start in January 1915.

- Italy will not pay 75 MPPs to mobilize its army upon entering the war.

The DE for Italy in December 1916 to build a corps from Czech deserters has been changed into building a corps from Italian American volunteers. This corps now forms at full strength but without experience point or research. It costs 3 X 40 MPPs to build (reduced from 3 X 50 MPPs). However, if Italy says YES, there is a 50% chance that the USA will swing 2- 4% away from the Entente (in protest against aggressive recruitment in the neutral United States of volunteers for the Italian army).

5. Changes intended to strengthen Serbia’s ability to defend itself in 1914-15.

- The Serbian detachment that starts on Belgrade is increased from 6 to 8 strength points.

- The Serbian decision event on August 22, 1914 to either build either a Montenegrin general (Jankovic) or a second Serbian general (Misic) or has been reinstated. Serbian generals can still command Montenegrin units. However, if Serbia choses the option to build a HQ for Montenegro, Montenegrin units will receive an 80% - 100% increase in their unit morale if Jankovic is within one hex of the capital in Podgorica. Jankovic also has a command rating of 6 versus 5 for Misic.

- If Serbia chooses not to build a detachment of volunteers from the U.S.A, it will receive 25 MPPs for two turns from their supporters in the U.S.A instead of paying 2 X 25 MPPs to build the detachment.

- If Serbia has surrendered, there is a 20% chance that Montenegrin units can become free units under French control.

6. Changes to Greece, mostly intended to strengthen its ability to defend itself:

- Greece now has an alternate capital in Kalamata, so that Greece can continue to fight from the Peloponnese peninsula once Athens falls.

- The Ottoman NM bonus for defeating Greece now applies if the Central Powers capture Athens and an Ottoman unit is occupying it, even though Greece can still be in the war if its capital has moved to Kalamata.

- Greek and Bulgarian cities (apart from their capitals) now have a maximum supply value of 8 rather than 10 if connected by rail to Central Powers capital. This means that Salonika and its port has a maximum supply value of 8 if it is transferred to Bulgarian control after it is captured by the Central Powers. This is intended to reduce the huge amount of supply that Salonika can project if it becomes a level 10 port after being annexed by Bulgaria. ( Note that in the 1914 campaign, if Salonika comes under Entente control, it will only have a supply value of 5 since it has no rail connection to a major capital).

- The Greek corps that mobilizes in Larissa will deploy in front of the Greek HQ that also mobilizes in Larissa, shielding the HQ from immediate attack.

- If Greece mobilizes for the Entente, the three Greek corps that mobilize on Larissa, Ioannina and Kalamata if one Central Powers unit is within three hexes of those towns now mobilize with full research. If any of these units mobilize, the U.K. will pay 85 MPPs for mobilizing the Greek army (to cover the cost of upgrading them with infantry weapons). If these forces mobilize for the Central Powers, they will not arrive with full research.

- The Greek detachment that mobilized when Greece goes to war mobilizes on Athens (as in vanilla) rather than Crete.

- Athens is a hill hex rather than a mountain hex, making it easier to move through Athens if the detachment mobilizes next to the Greek general in Athens.

- If France says NO to the decision event (DE-208) to seize the two ships of the Greek navy, there is now a 10% chance each turn of these ships defecting to the Ottoman navy (compared to a one-time 30% chance if France says YES).

- Greek ships now have a 70% chance of becoming free units (for France if Entente aligned, and the Ottomans if CP aligned) if Greece surrenders.

7. Changes in Trans-Caucasia after Russia withdraws from the war.

- The Ottomans will gain 1000 NM points each for gaining control of Batum and Kars, when former Russian territory is transferred to the Ottomans after an armistice. This is a reduction from 2000 points each.

- The Trans-Caucasian Republic has been replaced by three separate republics in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Each of them can build 2 corps and 2 detachments. The U.K. is their Entente parent power.

- Their units mobilize with full research, at no extra cost to the U.K.

- Armenia and Georgia will mobilize fully if the other one is attacked by the Central Powers.

- Azerbaijan will mobilize 50% if Ottoman units invade Armenia and another 50% if they invade Georgia and are within one hex of Tiflis. Azerbaijan will fully mobilize if Ottoman units invade Persia and are within four hexes of Tabriz, or within two hexes of Elisabethpol in Azerbaijan.

- The U.K. decision event to form Dunsterforce to assist in the defence of the trans-Caucasian republics has been strengthened. The force now consists of a half strength cavalry corps with full research and a half strength HQ for General Dunsterville. These units will mobilize in Astara on the Azerbaijan / Persian border if Azerbaijan is fully mobilized and the Entente controls all the road hexes between Astara and Tehran inclusive.

- Armenia now only forms after Russia withdraws from the war. Thus, the territory of northern Persia that transfers to Russian control through a Decision Event (Persian Azerbaijan) is now directly annexed by Russia (rather than placed under Armenian control). Tabriz - which is the major resource center in this region - is now a town rather than a city (so that it only reaches a maximum of 8 supply when it is annexed by Russia). The two Armenian volunteer detachments that can mobilize for Russia early in the war now form as Russian units.

- If Russia has withdrawn from the war, the Persian cossack corps that mobilized on Tehran now has a 50% chance of defecting to the U.K, if the Entente decides to attack Persia.

8. Changes to U.S.A. mobilization:

- If Germany is practicing unrestricted naval warfare the trigger for a protest by the U.S.A. has been raised from 75% to 100%, however the potential swing to the Entente per turn has been reduced from 1- 4% from 1-3%.

- If Britain leaks the Zimmerman telegram and Wilson does not believe it, it negates the effect of Britain's investment in the Preparedness Movement in the U.S.A (i.e. a 1-2% swing towards the Entente per turn). However, if Russia withdraws from the war or surrenders, the U.S.A. will start to swing by 4-6% per turn towards the Entente.

- The same applies if the U.S.A chooses to send a punitive expedition to Mexico, in response to Mexico joining the Central Powers. This offset to the swing from the Preparedness Movement only applies as long as the punitive expedition is in the field. Once there is a cease-fire with Mexico, it ceases.

9. Other changes:

- Austro-Hungarian units no longer suffer desertions on the Italian front.

- The morale boost for Entente units on the Western Front if three U.S.A corps are within 8 hexes of Paris has been doubled from 10%-20%; this also applies to the morale boost when there are six U.S.A. corps within 8 hexes of Paris.

- The build capacity for torpedo boat for all powers (except Serbia and the USA) remains at 2. However, torpedo boats cannot be upgraded with naval weapons and their maximum ASW capacity has been capped at 1. Their defence strength against attack by naval units has been reduced to 0.

- The half strength regular Ottoman corps that can spawn in Libya in response to an Ottoman DE is now a half-strength division and the cost of this DE has been reduced accordingly.

- An additional partisan spawning hex has been added to Morocco south of Rabat.

10. Changes that apply only to the 1916 Campaign:

- Salonika has been made a French Primary Supply Centre.

- All of the front-line Russian units facing Austria-Hungary in Galicia start at full strength. Russia receives an extra corps at full strength and full research on March 25, 1916.

- The Entente starts the campaign with two diplomacy chits invested in Romania: one Russian and one French.

- Each turn that there are two Russian units within three hexes of Lemberg there is a 50% chance of Romania swinging 4-6% towards the Entente.

11. German stormtroopers in the 1916 campaign in Version 7.1 are built in a different way than in the 1914 Icarus campaign. They are essentially a super-elite upgrade to existing corps that have already achieved one point of experience.

- Assault Infantry tech is not used in this campaign. Instead, in January 1917, Germany receives a DE which allows it to establish two stormtrooper training centres in Cologne and Mannheim, near the Western Front. This DE costs 4 X 50 MPPs. As of September 15, 1917, the two centres are operational. If a German corps with full research and at least one point of experience is moved onto Cologne or Mannheim, the unit is automatically removed and replaced at the start of the next CP turn with a new Stormtrooper corps, with 11 strength points, full research and one point of experience. This process requires the CP player to observe a house rule that only corps that already have one point of experience and full research will be placed on these two centres for upgrading to become Stormtroopers.

- Up to eight Stormtrooper corps can be built at rate of two per turn, arriving between the beginning of October and the end of December 1917. If destroyed in combat, they can be bought back at 70% of full cost. Germany has a base build capacity of four Stormtrooper corps, so if more than four are built using the upgrading procedure described above, the surplus cannot be replaced if destroyed. This build capacity can be increased by two Stormtrooper corps per increment of Infantry Warfare tech to a maximum of eight corps at level 4.

- Stormtroopers have most of same advantages over regular corps in terms of prepared attack bonus, ability to evade losses on attack and demoralization effects as in the 1914 campaign. However, they do not receive a 1 point attack bonus over regular corps when Shock Infantry tech reaches level 4. They do however gain experience faster than regular corps. In effect, they are super-elite infantry units.

Comments: The majority of the changes listed above will benefit the Entente more than the Central Powers. My own recent play-tests and comments from other players indicate that the Central Powers could accumulate too many advantages early in the war for the Entente to overcome. This was especially true in terms of the experience gained by the superior German HQs and the NM gains from capturing enemy majors' resources (specifically in Russia and France). I have tried to reduce these advantages without eliminating them in this update.

I have reworked what happens in Trans-Caucasia to make it a more interesting and competitive theatre of conflict in the late stages of the game after Russia has withdrawn from the war. This is a tempting theatre for the Ottomans to invade after Russia collapses, as Tiflis is worth 1000 NM points and Baku 2000 points, plus there are two very valuable oil wells in Azerbaijan. The Trans-Caucasian Republic which appears in the regular game only existed for a month before it collapsed into three separate republics. So dividing it up into three not only is more realistic, but also more resilient as the existing Trans-Caucasian republic only had one capital in Tiflis which was easily captured. Reworking these three republics into three British minors, also gave me a reason to turn the very obscure British DE to create Dunsterforce into something more credible: it now provides a half strength British HQ which can be reinforced to command the forces of the three trans-Caucasian minors. To get there however, the Entente will have to have occupied Persia before Russia withdraws - thus creating more reasons to bring Persia into the war.

I have also experimented with making some changes in the 1916 mod that do not apply to the 1914 mod. This is true for the extra provisions that will strengthen a Russian Brusilov offensive in Galicia in the winter and spring of 1916, and increased chances of Romania entering the war (as happened historically in August 1916). As an experiment, I have introduced a very different way of treating German stormtroopers in the 1916 campaign, as explained above. This responds to comments from other players about the unrealistic feel of having stormtroopers arrive as new units with zero experience. This approach does require players to observe a house rule about which German corps can be upgraded this way, as the game engine can not measure whether a unit has a given level of strength, tech or experience.

In my two recent games against Old Crow, we used a house rule that the Central Powers could not send corps-sized units (infantry or cavalry) to the Ottoman Empire, apart from the two Expeditionary Corps that arrive through decision events. However, other CP units could be sent, including detachments, aircraft and field artillery. I would encourage players to use this house rule (it could even be expanded to other unit types). I would include a prohibition on either side sending heavy artillery units to fight in the Ottoman Empire. As before, I also recommend that all European minors, including free Serbian units, be excluded from the Ottoman Empire, apart from Portuguese units and Greek units in Turkey proper.

As always, I look forward to feedback and comments from players in this forum.

Michael (mdsmall)

[Cfant]

I'm surprised you strenghtned the Entente even further. My impression would be the CP are weakened already compared to Vanilla. The Russians keep high morale longer, the CP can't get rid of the Serbian Front early and it's harder for the CP to get ahead in arty-science, because arty can deentranch from the start. Take the much weaker Ottomans into account as the sure US entry into the war and it's harder to win as the CP (always speaking of a match against an opponent of equal strength). At least that's my thoughts on this, but I still have to learn a lot about the mod and also have to play more often.

By the way, the CP were really (and unhistorically) strong in Vanilla. The Mod makes it a much more realistic simulation of WW1 - but on cost of the very balanced game of Vanilla. Maybe test players should play mirror games to see if a result is because of the mod or different experience status?

[mdsmall]

Hi Cfant,

It's interesting that you say that as the majority of the feedback I received from other experienced players who had worked with the mod was that it was still too easy for the CP to gain an insuperable advantage in the opening year of the war. Many of the specific changes were ones that occurred to me as either fair, or likely to make the game even more interesting, after playing two back to back test-matches as the Central Powers.

You are right, the real test would be to have mirror matches between comparable players. I will be very interested to hear feedback from you and others about game balance after people have had a chance to play-test version 7.1.

Cheers,

Michael

[Cfant]

I see - there are really good player out there. I'm not one of them - I stand no chance agains pro players. On a discord chanel there is a statistic of 56 games with the CP only winning 20 and the Entente 36, so about 1/3 victories of the CP.
I lost Icarus as the CP against teletabicus, although in 1914/early 1915 the loss ratio was 1:4 in my favour, which would be crippling in Vanilla.
I really think for "normal" players it's not so easy to succeed with the CP in Vanilla and even more so with the MOD. You played as CP against Balthazar, maybe you should do a rematch with side reversed

[mdsmall]

I have now updated all of my documentation for Icarus Version 7.1 and uploaded these Word documents to my Dropbox. If you have not looked at them before, I recommend downloading the compendia of Decision Events, National Morale events and Mobilization events for Icarus. Even though it is now 95 pages long (!), I also recommend downloading the latest version of the Guide to the mod, as it spells out every new feature in the mod and has an easy to use detailed table of contents.

Cheers,

Michael

[Beriand]

It seems Serbians get HQ from production queue and also from their decision, so have 3 HQs (or 2 + 1 for Montenegro)?

Also, so Russians do not get decision units in Azerbaijan anymore?

[mdsmall]

Hi Beriand - thanks for the question about Serbian HQs. Yes, Serbia is allowed to build two HQs and Montenegro one (as in the regular game), but there was a small glitch in the 1914 campaign with the second Serbian HQ which I have now corrected. See my next post on this thread.

I think by decision units in Azerbaijan you mean Armenian units. The Russians still get two Armenian volunteer detachments in decision events. But in Version 7.1. they arrive as Russian units labelled "Armenian volunteers". Armenia proper will mobilize as one of the new minors formed out of the break-up of Imperial Russia after the Treaty of Brest-Livosk.

Cheers,

Michael

[Beriand]

Hello, no, I meant units near Tabriz. Some garrisons spawned there for most of previous versions, but nothing this time.

Also, Greece can enter the war much before their date limits for production of units. So enemy can smash Salonika and press further, but Athens cannot build or even rebuild infantry units to defend itself. Ofc some other Entente units could be sent.

[mdsmall]

Hello, no, I meant units near Tabriz. Some garrisons spawned there for most of previous versions, but nothing this time.

Also, Greece can enter the war much before their date limits for production of units. So enemy can smash Salonika and press further, but Athens cannot build or even rebuild infantry units to defend itself. Ofc some other Entente units could be sent.

Hi Beriand - I checked and you are right. A Russian division should spawn in Tabriz if the Russians annex Persian Azerbaijan. There was a glitch in Version 7.1 due to my decision to remove Armenia as an independent minor, prior to the treaty of Brest-Litovsk. I have now fixed that.

On Greece, two Greek corps immediately spawn in Salonika and Kavalla in northern Greece if war is declared on Greece, along with a detachment in Athens and a Greek HQ. So they can't be smashed without being able to defend themselves. But you are right - the delay in being able to build new units until 1916 prevents them from rebuilding destroyed units before then. The delay was meant to replicate Greece's slow entry into the war, but it obviously causes other problems I had not anticipated. So, I have now deleted that as well. If Greece enters the war, it can build or rebuild units like any other minor.

Cheers,

Michael

[mdsmall]

Corrections and Updates to Icarus Version 7.1

Recent play-testing by Beriand and myself have revealed a few issues that need correction in both campaigns of Icarus Version 7.1. Since I had to correct the files for both campaigns, I have made a couple of other specific updates as well, as follows:

Corrections:

- Romanian mobilization scripts now fire as expected if Russian captures specific NM objectives in Austria-Hungary.
- Russian division now spawns as expected in Tabriz if Russia occupies Persian Azerbaijan through a DE.
- Second Serbian HQ (Misic) removed from the production queue for Serbia in August, 1914. Instead, Serbia has the option through a DE to build a HQ for Misic, or a Montenegrin HQ under General Jankovic.
- Italy receives a DE to build an Albanian legion, if Italy annexes Albania or if Albania joins the Entente.
- French DE to occupy Corfu now fires regardless of whether Italy has annexed Albania or not.
- German build delay for submarines in the 1916 campaign corrected.
- Cost for UK to build Dunsterforce in Azerbaijan corrected in the 1914 campaign.
- Cost for Ottomans to build a regular division in Libya corrected in the 1916 campaign.

Updates:

- The HQ for T.E. Lawrence now arrives in Arabia in a new way. Instead of requiring the Arab partisans to capture first one of five resources in Arabia, Lawrence spawns in Cairo and then arrives automatically at the beginning of the next friendly turn in one of the empty hexes that have already joined the Arab Revolt. This eliminates the risk of Lawrence spawning at the end of the Entente turn in a resource hex next to an Ottoman unit, making his HQ easy to destroy.
- Russia now loses 1000 NM points if Minsk is captured (rather than 2000 points). This partially offsets the addition in previous versions of Icarus of two new Russian NM objectives, in Revel (Estonia) and Vinnitsa (Ukraine).
- The Russian DE to build a Czech corps now fires on a 33% chance anytime from February 24, 1917 onward, provided the First Revolution has already occurred.
- Greece is no longer prevented from building units before April 1916. They can build or rebuild units normally as soon as they join the war.
- Hex 185,101 on the border between Albania and Montenegro is now a hill hex, rather than a mountain hex. This will make it slightly easier for Entente units to retreat into Albania from Montenegro, and easier for CP units to attack into Albania from Montenegro.

These updated versions for both the 1914 and 1916 campaigns can be found in the Icarus Version 7.1 folder my dropbox here:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wnunwfdz ... 3bjgb&dl=0

[mdsmall]

Hi - I have just made a minor adjustment to the files for Version 7.1. T.E. Lawrence now arrives in Beni Suef, rather than Cairo. This avoids the small risk of having the loop script transport to Arabia a different UK unit that might be defending Cairo, before the Lawrence HQ can spawn. The latest versions of the .cgn file for both campaigns are dated May 7, 2026 in my Dropbox.

[Beriand]

At least in the version I have, you got #TYPE= 3 in Ottomans 40% NM decision, and probably also in 25% NM Italian decision. So I think they do not work, which is a big hit for Ottos.

[mdsmall]

At least in the version I have, you got #TYPE= 3 in Ottomans 40% NM decision, and probably also in 25% NM Italian decision. So I think they do not work, which is a big hit for Ottos.

Thank Beriand for catching those two glitches. I checked and they were only present in the 1914 campaign, not the 1916 campaign, I don't know how they crept in but I have now corrected both of them. The latest version of the files for Icarus 7.1 are now in that folder in my dropbox (see link above), dated May 14, 2026.

I also took the opportunity to make the following two small adjustments to both campaigns:

- T.E.Lawrence's HQ now arrives in Cairo. The loop script which sends him to Arabia will only fire when that exact unit is on Cairo, so if the hex is occupied by another friendly unit when the DE fires, Lawrence can move there on the next turn.

- The armoured car unit which the U.K can send to Russia in 1916 now deploys as an Indian army unit (it looks like a British unit, but if you click on it, it says India). This will allow it to be commanded by Russian HQs as well as British ones, or any other Entente HQ.

Cheers,

Michael

[Stephan4921]

I'm surprised you strenghtned the Entente even further. My impression would be the CP are weakened already compared to Vanilla. The Russians keep high morale longer, the CP can't get rid of the Serbian Front early and it's harder for the CP to get ahead in arty-science, because arty can deentranch from the start. Take the much weaker Ottomans into account as the sure US entry into the war and it's harder to win as the CP (always speaking of a match against an opponent of equal strength). At least that's my thoughts on this, but I still have to learn a lot about the mod and also have to play more often.

By the way, the CP were really (and unhistorically) strong in Vanilla. The Mod makes it a much more realistic simulation of WW1 - but on cost of the very balanced game of Vanilla. Maybe test players should play mirror games to see if a result is because of the mod or different experience status?

Honestly since after Icarus 4.0 I feel the CP has a larger advantage than the Entente. For content previously I felt Germany, as it should be, was extremely strong with enough units for both fronts, but the ottomans and austrians would collapse/fail on the russian-uk front by 1916. This usually then ended in either Germany kicking out one of the Entente members and possibly winning, or the French-Uk-Russia either killing the CP allies (like irl) or gaining a major arty advantage and winning. Currently in my past few games from 6.3+ its been somewhat one sided towards the CP after 1915 as they both get an arty advantage, and the Austrians/Ottomans gain enough troops to defend against all sides, and even sometimes take basra if they run units down there with an hq from t1. Excited to do another playthrough to confirm this though as ive only played 1-2 matches in 7.0, but significantly more in-between 6-7

[Beriand]

and the Austrians/Ottomans gain enough troops to defend against all sides, and even sometimes take basra if they run units down there with an hq from t1.

In my experience, Ottos situation depend on whether Russians are able to push in Caucasus? Good Russian HQ with early arty + several mountaineers units are non-trivial to stop. And certainly Ottos don't have enough troops to alone block Russians, UK in Egypt, possible amphibs, Arab revolt and Basra forces.
You mean that Basra can be taken if UK does not reinforce it? But it is relatively easy to send 3-4 weak British units there, I think.

Austrian situation is very variable, depending on CP player, yeah. Very hard to judge for me. These NM targets and +NM gains each turn are biiig. It seems that Austria in 1915 can easily be both >95% or <75% NM, depending on Galicia and Italy situation. Early captures seems to snowball, more than usual, due to close NM thresholds. This affects AH quality a lot. But I am not confident I fully understand this situation [']

My recents tests are usually positive, with Russians falling at the cost of ceding some initiative to Ents in the West. Then comes the final phase with German push while US starts to pour in and AH/Ottos decline. Which is interesting.
Whenever Russia falls without any Ent progress in France, then it is just a slaughter later, yeah. It used to be like that previously, but looks slightly different with Serbia/Greece/Ents artillery/etc. from recent changes. Dunno if enough.

My last remaining big sticking point is, well, Romania. It's irritatingly random, because timings are super-sensitive. In early 1915, Serbia still hangs on, Italy joins, and Greece also joins. If Ents get lucky surprising Romania +20% mobilisation roll in say December 1914, then if Romania also joins in mid 1916... it gets bad for CP for a second, sooo many fronts need units all at once.
On the other hand, if Romania joins later, say 1916, it's not much of a thing.
Maybe Romanians could be dealt with like Italy? Say starting with 20% lower mobilisation, so rushed diplo is much less possible; but in early 1916 French can pay them in 'Treaty of Bucharest (1916)' or something, to quickly mobilise and join Ents? Such a derandomisation would be a boon, I think.

[mdsmall]

Honestly since after Icarus 4.0 I feel the CP has a larger advantage than the Entente. For content previously I felt Germany, as it should be, was extremely strong with enough units for both fronts, but the ottomans and austrians would collapse/fail on the russian-uk front by 1916. This usually then ended in either Germany kicking out one of the Entente members and possibly winning, or the French-Uk-Russia either killing the CP allies (like irl) or gaining a major arty advantage and winning. Currently in my past few games from 6.3+ its been somewhat one sided towards the CP after 1915 as they both get an arty advantage, and the Austrians/Ottomans gain enough troops to defend against all sides, and even sometimes take basra if they run units down there with an hq from t1. Excited to do another playthrough to confirm this though as ive only played 1-2 matches in 7.0, but significantly more in-between 6-7

Hi Stephan - I'm impressed by how steadily you have been playing the mod over the past few years. I had to go back and look up when I first posted Icarus 4.0 - it was sometime in 2023.

I find perceptions of game balance depend a great deal on the experience of both sides playing the game. I will be interested to hear about your experience playing Version 7.1 as most of the changes in the latest version relative to 7.0 and before were intended to strengthen the Entente.

Cheers,

Michael

[mdsmall]

Maybe Romanians could be dealt with like Italy? Say starting with 20% lower mobilisation, so rushed diplo is much less possible; but in early 1916 French can pay them in 'Treaty of Bucharest (1916)' or something, to quickly mobilise and join Ents? Such a derandomisation would be a boon, I think.

Hi Beriand - Your overall comments on how the mod has played out for you are much appreciated. You make an interesting suggestion about Romania. It is something I will consider for a future update. I would be interested to know other players experiences with Romania entering the war. In my experience, it happens relatively rarely in the 1914 campaign. In Version 7.1 of the 1916 campaign, I have made it much more likely by adding a mobilization trigger for Romania based on the Russians making modest gains in advancing towards Lemberg. This provides the Russians with a strong motivation to launch and sustain the Brusilov offensive against Austria-Hungary, which changes the feel of the campaign, compared to the Russians just playing defensively against Germany and Austria-Hungary in the East.

Cheers,

Michael

[mdsmall]

I have made a two very small corrections to both 1914 and 1916 Icarus Version 7.1.

The idea of having Lawrence arrive in Arabia via a loop script from Cairo (see above) was causing more problems than it solved, so I have gone back to the familiar settings from Version 7.0 and before. He spawns in one of five resources in Arabia whenever the Entente manage to liberate one of them.

The date for the British Armoured Car Expeditionary Force DE has been pushed back by one turn, so it does not overlap with the DE to build the Australian Lihgt Horse. I find it is better to space out these discretionary Decision Events.

The .cgn files for latest versions of the mod are dated may 17, 2026. Use the link above to my Dropbox to download them.

Michael