Changes in COSMOS Fantasy basic game rules from September 2000 to November 2004

This document describes the rule changes in the November 2004 edition of the COSMOS Fantasy basic game rules. For the benefit of those who have never played under the previous (May 2002, October 2003 or November 2003) rules, changes in all editions since September 2000 are also documented. Most recent editions are listed first.

Changes in COSMOS Fantasy basic game rules from November 2003 to November 2004

There is one actual rules change, a few rules that have been in effect for some time but have not been documented before, and some minor corrections and clarifications.
  1. Rules change: Units can now in some cases be blocked even when trying to move out of locations.
    If enemy units are trying to get into your city and you are blocking them at the gates, it makes sense that you cannot use the gates to get out of the city. Section 11.7.4.
  2. Documented: Blocking of units moving in the opposite direction is not only for hex-to-hex moves.
    If enemy units move outside their city and you attempt to move inside in the same phase, they will still block you. Section 11.7.2.
  3. Documented: Moves may be delayed by an impending battle.
    If it looks like your force will be in a battle at their present position they will delay their move. Section 11.6 and 4.2 (delayed moves have a different order priority than normal moves).
  4. Documented: Hidden units have halved effective presence.
    Sections 2.3.2 and 18.2.
  5. Documented: Hidden units are better at blocking.
    They will become unhidden if required to block. Section 11.7.1.
  6. Documented: Farmove to unexplored hexes may not result in the optimal path.
    Units do not know the terrain of hexes you have never seen. Section 11.
  7. Documented: Farmove along sea lanes to unexplored hexes requires hex-by-hex specification of the movement path.
    So farmove is not really a "far" move in this case. Section 12.

Changes in COSMOS Fantasy basic game rules from October 2003 to November 2003

There is one important rule change which was made in February 2003 and mentioned in the player's forum but never documented in the rule book before now. There are also minor clarifications for some location orders.
  1. The behaviour of the "waitallsig", "waitonesig", "waitforone" and "waitforall" orders when non-existing units are specified is now correctly documented.
    These orders are no longer unconditionally triggered by non-existing units in the list of IDs to wait for. Section 21.2.
  2. It is now clearly documented how the presence of enemy units affect some location orders. The orders are "expand", "improve", "remove" and "repair". Sections 13.1, 16.2 and 16.3.
  3. It is now documented that "expand" can only be done in an owned hex.
    Section 13.1.

Changes in COSMOS Fantasy basic game rules from February 2003 to October 2003

There are a few minor changes and some clarifications:
  1. The "mytactics" order.
    The "mytactics" order which was introduced in the previous edition of the rules is now free, meaning it does not count against order allowances and your administration limit. "Mytactics" may be used by "stupid" units. Sections 15.6 and 3.1.
  2. The "tactics" order can no longer be executed by stupid units.
    Stupid units can only do "mytactics". Section 3.1.
  3. The world is no longer a torus.
    The map does not wrap around at the edges anymore (at least not in the current scenarios). Section 2.1.
  4. Major characters are protected from sudden death.
    Major characters in military mode may not receive more than half their full wound point total in damage in one attack unless atacked by another major character. Section 2.3.3.
  5. The timing of sieges relative to movement and battles is better documented.
    Sections 4 and 17.1.
  6. "Neighbours" in the context of the "control" order is better documented.
    Both for controllers requiring owned neighbouring hexes or locations and for the reduction in control time for owning neighbours. Sections 14 and 14.2.
  7. It is now documented how allied forces can help to prevent the obstruction of a control attempt.
    Section 14.1.
  8. The order in which units must be engaged in melee depending on their tactics is now documented.
    Section 15.4.

Changes in COSMOS Fantasy basic game rules from May 2002 to February 2003

There is one new order, changed questing rules and a few clarifications in the February 2003 rule book:
  1. There is a "mytactics" order.
    This is a new order for changing the tactics of just one unit (regardless of type), useful when you want to set the tactics of e.g. a scout directly in the recruit order. Section 15.6.
  2. Changing between questing and military mode can now also be done in allied locations.
    Section 20.1.
  3. "Critical hits" have been documented.
    Critical hits have been around for years but somehow had never actually been documented in the rule book. Section 15.2.
  4. It is now documented that destroyed cities are converted to ruins.
    Section 13.1.
  5. "Flee" is now correctly identified as the default tactics for leaders.
    Way back this was "avoid", but it has been "flee" for some time now. Section 15.2.

Changes in COSMOS Fantasy basic game rules from July 2001 to May 2002

There are three rules changes and one section of improved documentation from July 2001 to May 2002:
  1. It is now possible to hide and sneak.
    This feature used to be in the "advanced" game but has now made it into the basic game as well. Basically you can make yuor units harder to spot by moving at half normal speed. Section 18.2.
  2. Scheduling of actions within a phase has changed.
    There used to be just two kinds of orders: meta orders and ordinary orders. Meta orders were executed before ordinary orders and otherwise everything was in initiative order. To resolve certain timing issues an order priority has now been introduced, so it is now in many cases possible to predict "who goes first", specifically in the important cases move/control and move/strike spell. Sections 4.2 and 4.3.
  3. Resource transfers with transfer is now more expensive.
    The transport cost in gold is now 5 plus 3 times the transport distance (rather than 5 plus 1 time the transport distance). To make it easier to calculate transport costs you now get a list of the transport cost to/from each of your allies with every turn report. Section 6.7.
  4. Movement to/from non-surface positions specified as relative positions is now documented.
    You can specify things like "move osw os os" for a flying unit to move one hex southwest and two hexes south at the "over" positions. Section 11.2.1.

Changes in COSMOS Fantasy basic game rules from September 2000 to July 2001

There are two rules changes in the July 2001 edition of the COSMOS Fantasy basic game rules:
  1. The rules for blocking moving units have changed.
    • The definition of blocking size has changed so that now it is only the number of individuals that matters, not the size of those individuals. Section 11.6.1.
    • The maximum blocking size of units that can be kept out of a location is now 4 times the blocking size of the units inside for unfortified locations, and for fortified locations it depends on the fortification rating. This used to be 10 times the blocking factor of units inside for all locations. Sections 11.6.3 and 16.
  2. Size 1 cities under siege are no longer destroyed
    Size 1 cities used to be destroyed by a siege when they could not meet their food upkeep but they are now left at size 1. Every turn without food reduces the size by 1 as always except if the city is size 1 and under siege. If it is not under siege but lacks food anyway it will be destroyed (or rather: ruined). Section 17.1.
In addition to these changes there are a number of things which have been in effect all the time but which were not documented in the old rule book. There were also a few things which were unclear and have been clarified in the new edition:
  • It is now documented that individuals who are fleeing do not produce resources (so a spellcaster will not produce mana while fleeing).
  • It is now documented that the resource production of individuals is reduced when they are wounded (it is proportional to their combat efficiency factor).
  • It is now documented that flying units can fly over walls in battles and therefore are not affected by fortifications.
  • The unit type tables and the fact that you do not get full blurbs for "normal" unit types is mentioned.
  • It is now mentioned that stupid units may receive the "insert" order.
  • It is now mentioned that locations may receive the "insert" and "embed" orders.
  • It is now documented that you may use the two-letter nation codes when referring to a nation in an order.
  • It is now documented that you may use the name of a unit type rather than its number in the "recruit" order if you enclose the name in quotes.
Finally, the rules about the major character limit which are in both War of the Dark God and Throne of Cofain have now been included in the rule book (section 2.3.3) and have been removed from the two scenario descriptions.