You may send me save files ( and any other stuff too) at :
fatalyearssup@yahoo.fr
Time to go professional, when you have such a nice surprise to discover FY is well suited both against AI and PBEM, with plausible results. Hey, I believe in facts rather than words. ANd the best award for my work of fY is to feel how good FY is for some, and for me. Maybe it’s the key: I love playing FY.
Objective screen:
Siberian Whites are close to break with a nM low at 23. German Freikorps is very low too ( as in reality). Southern Whites are at 107, Reds at 80, these 2 figures being not outrageous considering the current positions.
Reds are winning in points. Siberian Whites are second but should crumble soon. Southern Whites are until now distanced in points but could close the gap by seizing some key objectives.
Works remain about Victory conditions and balance, but the current FY basis is IMHO rather good.
Last, Siberian Whites. Confirm they are yet a bit overpowered but the current situation isn’t too so much in disfavour of Bolsheviks who hold Perm and Orenburg.Green revolts seems to become more frequent.
And now, the Southern White advance to ward Moscow.
Tzaritsynis yet in Red hands. I will not develop how much this situation is close to the real Orel climax in October 19 in the real RCW
Here a Green revolt in Boshvik Sovpedia. Green revolts in FY are yet more random than in the official game. A pain in your ass
Same Game: Balt area, a disputed one. Are here depicted part of the Freikorps, this German “Army” operating in the area and folliwing mainly his own agenda.
In FY, Freikorps is an independant faction ruled by AI, and eveidently with some success. Oppsed both to Reds and Whites
Here some screens of a current Fatal Years PBEM game.
The turn is September 19.
First Ukraine:
You will note the Anarchist positions to be rather close of the historical ones. And it’s the AI leading the Anarchist faction…
As the point has surfaced lately on the AGEOD official board, a few points:
- When I began FY, I wasn’t sure my vision of RCW was a good one; since, I’ve got sufficiently positive returns to know FY has its merits. Work in progress, yes, unachieved but definitely progress for some. It wasn’t so evident.
- I’ve in my background real universitary diploms. Not in itself a proof of competence, but anyway I studied history and the way to learn it.
- I’m modding on AGE engine since 2007. One day I will have to explain why this very moddable, if complex, engine has given so few real modders ( I could name only a few of real modders on AGE engine).
- among all, until now, I’ve been the only one to really learn how to improve AI. It gives results. After all the official RUS AI is done with my events file too, The ROP one has a primitive version of mine.
-The official RUS is ,in its current version, less historical than the release one. Just an example: requisitions and recruitment is now only possible in areas where loyalty to your faction is at least 51 %. You can’t do requisition in enemy regions you have conquered…Funny, but a little unhistorical. This change has been done for balance sake. I prefer tweak AI and rules in other ways. Some will prefer the first solution. For me, it’s just a big reason to scrap a game. I’ve not a fan of the helmet colour which is sometimes the reason of grognard complaints, but some standard about historical treatment is needed for my wargaming enjoyment. If not, I play GTA IV ( not kidding, I play GTAIV and Red Dead Redemption too).
- FY and the official version will never merge. I don’t care if FY is played by 25, 250, 2500. I care about my pleasure to play FY. If an idea is pleasing me, I adopt and adapt it. If I’m wrong, I change the feature ( several times). If some would come with scripts for RUS, I would read them and if agreeing adopting them. AGEOD will not even think about a merge, and I’m not sad about. AGEOD is for me past. AGE engine is a very good one, unfortunately a good engine isn’t sufficient to produce great games. Design and testing are much more important.
- For the rest, I’ve confidence those talking endlessly on official boards and doing almost nothing for improving the official version will finally be considered as their ideas, like the one promoting teamwork and writing obstusely about MAkhno and Aaarchist idolatry, in a way showing beyond political wishful thinking a complete lack of historical sense and method. I will just add soome whe are mourning today the commercial RUS failure were the same posting critical posts about RUS in the month following its release, when I was in the official team almost alone to solve bugs and try to promote the game. I’ve done during this months much more for RUS ( and freely) than they will ever do. I don’t regret any of my reactions. Double mindness, laziness, certitude to be right aren’t on my side IMHO .
So, what’s up? I’m happy. FY is alive. The official version of RUS is free to do differently, better or worser. I’m not the one in charge of it. I don’t feel why I should be in this team anymore; If I had , such ideas like the ones developed about requisitions would have hindered FY development.Sinee one year, official RUS is done without my participation. More than words, only facts matter in the end. I’m confident in the final result.
Back to work 
Play FY. Like it or trash it. I don’t need to be the winner of a race between Official RUS and FY. I develop my own version and I’m always pleased if some have a good play experience with FY. The official version will get the success it deserves. Or not That’s not even a footnote in my mind.
Balance is a very complex question in wargame, and a bit more for computer wargame.
It’s really difficult to assess balance for 2 obvious reasons: first, you have to get extensive testings by several playtesters or players first, because all players aren’t evenly matched, and each has his own strategy. Only multiple results may give insurance about balance.
Then, there’s the way to balance a game which is critical. Let’s take a very unbalanced historical situation, like Germany in 1945: is balance signifying Red Army will capture Berlin half of the time? Or to win Red Army must capture Berlin before May 1945? Or capture Berlin with lower losses than in reality? Or capture Both Berlin and Hitler alive? And so on…
This choice belongs to the vision dev has about historical situations and possibilities of the unknown and discussed what-if…
In computer field, the duality PBEM/singleplay against AI just adds to the difficulty. AI can’t generally be as good than the average player and balance must be obtained by 2 different ways…
So, what’s my take about FY?
Red victory was probable, not sure, let’s say 70 against 30. Shoutern Whites had a better chance than Siberian to win the Civil War.Bolsheviks won between May 1920 and November 1920 the war.
So, as I’ve yet begun to implement as work in progress, Red human player must win before May 1920. I don’t want to oversize by tricks and casual historical deformations White side. On the contrary, Whites must win, which is a result over the grim defeat they faced. from the report I’ve got until now, White players wins against AI in 1921, ie at the end of the GC, which isn’t too bad as result for an AI.
Work in progress, I don’t despair to improve the AI and the victory rules need refinement; Siberian Whites are yet unbalanced and I’m working on that since a few days.
