This FAQ answers most common questions about Scythe: Digital Edition.
If you cannot find an answer to your question here, you can submit your questions to https://asmodee.helpshift.com/a/asmodee-net/
Can you discuss the automata mode of Scythe? Can you talk about the AI development and what levels of difficulty exist and how challenging they are?
In the Digital Edition, the Automata is fully replaced by artificial intelligences with several difficulty levels. At each round the AI's algorithm evaluates current goals (e.g. "Build a Riverwalk Mech"), use them to assigns priorities for possible actions, then goes for the highest one. During development, we've noticed that each Faction evolves towards different optimum, e.g.: Polania gets the best advantage by building Mine as early as possible, then start exploring Encounters. Saxony is good at gathering power and attacking weak players. These strategies result from different Faction abilities and starting positions, and reflect the optimal strategies followed by human players of the board game. Currently the AI is balanced for beginners & mid-experienced players (the difficulty scales with the number of bots), however we plan to muscle it further during the Early Access thanks to the players' feedback and the next machine learning module for Unity. The goal is to make a victory in the hard mode a real achievement.
Will there be any promo content or expansions released for the game?
All 3 physical expansions (Invaders from Afar, The Wind Gambit and The Rise of Fenris) will be added to the game as DLC. The promo cards and the soundtrack will be included for free in the game. The promo cards will be unlockable through in-game achievements.
Is there any chance for exclusive digital content or digital tournaments in the future?
The excellent music score aside, there won't be any content exclusive to the Digital Edition. Digital tournaments however are certainly something we aim at!
Will leaderboard be available similar to the achievement sheets included in the physical game?
The achievement sheet of the physical edition is a key source of inspiration for the design of the leaderboards and the achievements of the digital edition, however we'll go beyond to build something really fitting for a competitive multiplayer video game.
Does the numbering system still apply on the cards for Scythe?
Yes, the Encounter cards of the Digital Edition use the same numbering system.
Will chat be integrated into the game?
Yes: in the lobby and online multiplayer games
Can you discuss how player matching and synchronous /asynchronous play will be set up?
We won't have an automatic match making system because it does not allow players to have a fine control on the games that they join and on the other players they play with. Instead, we'll have the simple and proven system that you can find in many other Asmodee Digital games that provide a multiplayer mode, like Ticket to Ride: a full lobby where our players see the open games they can join, and chat with other waiting players to set up new games if they want to. You can check the other players' ELO ranking against your own to select an easy or more challenging experience.
Online games created in Scythe are all asynchronous games and use a Player Clock. When a player runs out of Player Clock time, a Bot Hot-Swap will happen and the game will continue for the other players.
How much of the artwork is featured in the digital game?
Lots. In addition to the game itself, the out-of-game menus also include Jakub's artworks.
The game board for Scythe is very large and detailed, with each hex sometimes containing many resources, mechs, a hero, and workers. How will this be adapted to mobile without losing clarity?
We're working on solutions (some of them you'll discover in the PC/Mac version) to offer a good level of legibility on all screen sizes.
Will the game be available on Steam Mac?
Yes
Will the game be available on mobile and tablet?
Yes. We plan to bring the game to smartphones and tablets after the PC / Mac launch.
What about localization to another language?
The game will be available in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Polish at launch