Fire Warms the Northern Lands -- A Prussian AAR

[RisKFactoR]

RiskFactor -- Though I've "spoken" to you by PM, I still want to officially welcome you publicly! I really appreciate your kind words. I am very honored by the tribute you give!

Now, I'm not a huge fan of baseball, but if I ever had time (forlorn hope) I might actually enjoy the more complicated aspects of OOTP -- I love detail if I bother to get into a game. Which is why I enjoyed Victoria so much!

There's another Paradox gamer (some of you may remember ShawnG1) who plays a similar game, but for soccer (football). I don't remember the name of it, but he manages teams against Manchester United and tries to get to the World Cup by building a strong team, etc.

No problem -- I enjoy interludes!

Keep me posted on your thoughts on what you're reading!

Phew! Took a few weeks, but I finally read all the way up to this point!

1. Probably the game you are trying to think of is Football Manager 2009 or something like that. I know such a game is brought up from time to time over on the OOPT forum, and there is one thread dedicated to that game in the OT section there.

2. Even though I would love to see you "publish" the HOI 2 conversion here, you would be much better off trying to publish it IRL, if you can get the permission from Paradox to do so. You should be getting royalties for all the "work" you put into such a great effort!

And last, but not least:

I hold this AAR to such high praise! Stnylan, several pages back, wrote a much better acclaim than I ever could, for words fail me all too easily. And anything I could possibly say, will never do this justice.

P.S

I am rather upset that I ended up reading this as the first (and currently only) AAR on the Paradox forums that I have had the pleasure of reading thus far. I honestly have no idea how anything could top this, and I have a sinking feeling most other works would be a sort of "anti-climax," if you will, after going through this works. But who knows? I cannot judge until after I read a few more AARs, once I am completely through with reading the comments here!

And thanks again, if I haven't already thanked you, for such a great journey over the past month since I purchased my first Paradox game, and discovered this thread!

(I actually "owned" a copy of the first EU game, rather illegally, I am ashamed to admit, about a year after it was first released. I have since decided to make an actual real purchase, in order to patronize all those who have put forth such efforts to this community. Both a real copy of the first EU, and more recently HOI3. I no longer pirate any software and/or music, for I have come to really appreciate such works over the past few year. Anyway, I digress....)

[Rensslaer]

First off, I greatly apologize for having let these comments sit here without response for so long! I have the same problem in my HOI 3 AAR, where I need to respond soon.

Just too much to do! I'm very much occupied, right now, with the sequel to this great game, and am producing a Strategy Guide to go along with it. You should look forward to V2 -- it's going to be a great successor.

Excellent choice, Renss. Glad to hear you are thinking of finding a way to keep this story in mind as a publishable work. There are hurdles but I'm sure it is worth it.

Also great to see this AAR still read and appreciated these years later! It doesn't happen enough with the great work done on this forum and when it does, it brings a smile to my face.

Thank you, Coz! You've been among the most faithful of the faithful since the beginning! I appreciate your support for my plan. Now I just have to find time to put it together.

Well, I wish you luck getting it published, it's always good to try and see AH writers go for this, although I doubt you'd be able to include Vicky screenshots in the book, but some maps would be nice. :P

Just inform us all here in AARland when if/when it get's published.

Thanks, Legosim! Yes, I'd need to modify it somewhat to avoid references to anything game-related, but that shouldn't be too hard. All along I was trying to make the game pretty much invisible in the fiction scenes, as well as in the historybook sections.

Phew! Took a few weeks, but I finally read all the way up to this point!

1. Probably the game you are trying to think of is Football Manager 2009 or something like that. I know such a game is brought up from time to time over on the OOPT forum, and there is one thread dedicated to that game in the OT section there.

2. Even though I would love to see you "publish" the HOI 2 conversion here, you would be much better off trying to publish it IRL, if you can get the permission from Paradox to do so. You should be getting royalties for all the "work" you put into such a great effort!

And last, but not least:

I hold this AAR to such high praise! Stnylan, several pages back, wrote a much better acclaim than I ever could, for words fail me all too easily. And anything I could possibly say, will never do this justice.

P.S

I am rather upset that I ended up reading this as the first (and currently only) AAR on the Paradox forums that I have had the pleasure of reading thus far. I honestly have no idea how anything could top this, and I have a sinking feeling most other works would be a sort of "anti-climax," if you will, after going through this works. But who knows? I cannot judge until after I read a few more AARs, once I am completely through with reading the comments here!

And thanks again, if I haven't already thanked you, for such a great journey over the past month since I purchased my first Paradox game, and discovered this thread!

RiskFactor, thank you again for your readership and kind comments! I'm still always impressed by someone who can go all the way through. I've tried it myself on a number of occasions, and it's daunting!

Yes, Football Manager, probably. Though I think the version was more likely 2003 or so. I was working as a security guard and used the work computer to write an update for this AAR. My coworker (the one who played the Football Manager) saw it and recognized what it was -- turns out he had written EU 1 or EU 2 AARs!

I'm sure that, as you peruse the other AAR sections, and this one also, you will find many AARs to entertain you with magnificent writing or vast scope, or whatever. Maybe not with quite the same character as this one, but with unique ones having value all their own! I've been exceedingly impressed with the collection of highly-talented writers we have here.

Thanks again, everybody! I really appreciate hearing that people still pay attention to this old AAR so long after its completion!

Rensslaer

[Tallfellow]

Well i've done it again (My third... Or is it fourth time), read this amazing AAR, even made me retire HOI3 for awhile so i could play Victoria again... And i'm looking very much forward to V2, think it's going to be great!!

And i ofcourse hope you'll do another AAR for it

But the (in my eyes) best AAR ever made for Victoria!!

[Krogzar]

After a good couple of weeks reading this masterpiece I feel I have to leave a comment. I've been familiar with your work Rensslear by reading a couple of your more recent AAR's, and finally I decided to read these 164 pages (as I guess that since 2006 the amount of posts per pages changed)

I must say it has been one of the best pieces I've read on this forum, and I'm looking forward to read more material from your hand. I'm also very glad in a way that I've started reading it after it was finished so I didn't have to wait for updates (stupid cliffhangers caught me everytime (which actually made my girlfriend drag me to bed by my ear on more than one occassion ;-) ))

Thank you very much for giving me the pleasure of reading this, and I have to say a beautifull game it has been.

/Krogzar

[Blackoberst]

It's 3 AM after a few days of furious reading. My wife is sleeping next to me and if she knew I was reading AAR's instead of sleeping she would probably skin me alive. Just had to say, though, that this work of art is brilliant and may I say 'thank you!'.

[Rensslaer]

Been a long time since I've done feedback over here, but since it's on the front page again I guess it's time...

Well i've done it again (My third... Or is it fourth time), read this amazing AAR, even made me retire HOI3 for awhile so i could play Victoria again... And i'm looking very much forward to V2, think it's going to be great!!

And i ofcourse hope you'll do another AAR for it

But the (in my eyes) best AAR ever made for Victoria!!

Tallfellow, you amaze me! Thanks! I appreciate your kind attention to this story, and humbly accept your flattery -- still my favorite AAR, and my inspiration to write other fiction. V2 is sure a great successor to Vicky 1 too.

After a good couple of weeks reading this masterpiece I feel I have to leave a comment. I've been familiar with your work Rensslear by reading a couple of your more recent AAR's, and finally I decided to read these 164 pages (as I guess that since 2006 the amount of posts per pages changed)

I must say it has been one of the best pieces I've read on this forum, and I'm looking forward to read more material from your hand. I'm also very glad in a way that I've started reading it after it was finished so I didn't have to wait for updates (stupid cliffhangers caught me everytime (which actually made my girlfriend drag me to bed by my ear on more than one occassion ;-) ))

Thank you very much for giving me the pleasure of reading this, and I have to say a beautifull game it has been.

/Krogzar

Thank you, Krogzar! Two weeks, huh? And against passioned opposition! I'm honored! I'm actually in process of writing a prequel to this, following Kaiser Wilhelm I as a young man in the closing years of the Napoleonic Wars. But that would be for actual publication elsewhere -- hopefully the beginning of a new fiction series related to this story. I've also written a scene with Albert Einstein for a sequel to this, and contemplated other scenes to occur after Fire Warms. It's too fun a story to leave sitting!

It's 3 AM after a few days of furious reading. My wife is sleeping next to me and if she knew I was reading AAR's instead of sleeping she would probably skin me alive. Just had to say, though, that this work of art is brilliant and may I say 'thank you!'.

Wow, Blackoberst! Thank you! I really appreciate your kind words!

Welcome to all of you, and any other new readers! Thanks for stopping in to say hello.

Rensslaer

[Krogzar]

Thank you, Krogzar! Two weeks, huh? And against passioned opposition! I'm honored! I'm actually in process of writing a prequel to this, following Kaiser Wilhelm I as a young man in the closing years of the Napoleonic Wars. But that would be for actual publication elsewhere -- hopefully the beginning of a new fiction series related to this story. I've also written a scene with Albert Einstein for a sequel to this, and contemplated other scenes to occur after Fire Warms. It's too fun a story to leave sitting!
Rensslaer

I can't wait to read those!

Oh and in my book a good couple of weeks means a bit less than 2 months ;-)

[Last_Revanant]

I know that no one has posted here in like 9 months, but I just wanted to say that this and some of your other AARs are what prompted me to buy Vicky 2, EU3, and HOI3. I've always liked alternative history, and this was some top-notch stuff.

And yes, I created a forum account for the sole purpose of replying to this thread.

[Rensslaer]

(Krogzar is responding to when I said I was working on a prequel to Fire Warms, starting in the Napoleonic Wars)

I can't wait to read those!

Oh and in my book a good couple of weeks means a bit less than 2 months ;-)

Thanks, Krogzar! I enjoyed putting the outline together, and doing research for it. Amazingly, for such a prominent and important figure, there is precious little information available in English about Wilhelm I. I'm still looking, plus I have some German volumes I want to get once I have the money to do so.

I know that no one has posted here in like 9 months, but I just wanted to say that this and some of your other AARs are what prompted me to buy Vicky 2, EU3, and HOI3. I've always liked alternative history, and this was some top-notch stuff.

And yes, I created a forum account for the sole purpose of replying to this thread.

Last Revenant, I'm sorry I let this comment sit here for so long without comment -- what an honor! Welcome!

This one has a way of winding its way to the top again every once in a while. It can't help but be noticed sometimes, because of its size. I really enjoy the alternate history stuff too, which is what's drawn me so strongly to Paradox games. This AAR allowed me to learn alot more about the 19th Century than I'd known before, which I researched as a means of producing realistic alternatives where the game didn't present them for me. Learning the personalities of the historical figures was the most fun, as you can probably tell from how deep into the characters I got!

Thanks again!

Rensslaer