Hi,
I’ve worked the last days to create the new Semenov independent faction. Of course, such a change is never easy. Moreover, the underdeveloped representation of Siberian events in the official RUS, a feature I’ve never until now altered in FY, has forced me to read a lot about, conclude on the impossibility to portray all nuances, and try to put as much as possible of historical flavour in next FY version.
Semenov faction will control Japanese units, solving many problems of the official version, the primary ones being the cancellation of any movement for the Japan divisions. Now they are under AI control, Japan units will move and fight in the far East, without risking to see these troops travelling to the Volga.
Other Allied troops in Siberia will remain under WH3 control and fixed. As much as possible, I’m trying to remove from White hands Allied units ( French and Greek troops in Ukraine are an independent faction in FY 1.085) but this way is only commendable when the force is sizeable and pursuing a different agenda than the White one.
On the contrary, scattered Allied battalions can’t be placed under AI control. They can’t by themselves do much and are doomed to garrison posture, a state reflecting well relunctance of Allied power to join the fight. In the same way, the Murmansk/Arkhangelsk situation can’t be delegated to AI, as the larger Allied forces were acting, even for the wrong reasons, in the general White strategy, trying less than more , but trying indeed, to link Arkhangelsk to Omsk.
Semenov new independence will be followed by events troubling the Rail transportation, of course 😉
Modder Corner 
So much for the reliable transport of supplies from Vladivostok! 😀
I hope there’ll be some options to make concessions to pacify Semyonov & friends. Playing as the Siberian faction shouldn’t be too easy, obviously, but such options would make things more interesting.
I’ve just scripted the option allowing Siberian Whites to declare war on Semenov 😉 It was a real possibility and things ggot very close in Deceber 1918 when Semenov cut rail and telegraph. However, Japan threatened to join the fight and Kolchak didn’t passed through…
Another Siberian option will be to activate Allied pressure on Japan ( as in reality, loosy results have to be expected). And, of course, another option to warm up a bit relations; however, much of the problem wasn’t political, but “economical” in the sense Semenov was building his wealth by customs and fines on supplies travelling his realm. He used to a part of the available rail assets to allow Japanases merchandise traffic, useless for military, but providing large funds when they were sold to civilians. So it’s rather difficult to believe Semenov would have relinquished his greedinessfor political aims. However, we may suppose Kolchak naming him to important functions in exchange of some peace on the Transsiberian, with a cost in Allied Support Level, as these concessions would have identified yet more Kolchak with the sadistic warbands named OMO and OKO.