Fields Of Orange

[Van Engel]

My new AAR, unlike the last ones this will be actually a good one plus a great success (I hope )
This one will be a Dutch AAR, from the AOM scenario, so the Netherlands is already quite strong and thus less work for me .
Also it will be played at Normal/Normal as I'm still scared to go up a level from that and on V. 1.08.
This AAR has already been written (atleast a bit) on the Paradox Fan Forum, so members there get an added bonus of being to read it first

[Van Engel]

Intro


De Republiek Der Verenigd Nederlanden (The Republic of the united Netherlands) in 1617.


On a new years eve in 1617 a teenager by the name of Van Engel was walking alone through the back lanes of Amsterdam when, 2 large men started walking up to him. 1 of the men stopped Van Engel:
‘ Hey you are Dutch right?
‘ Urr well…’
' You are just the person we are looking for!’
‘ But I’m…’
‘ We have designed a new program which you will be first to test, You will indirectly be controlling the whole ‘great’ Dutch Empire ‘
'Didn’t know it was so great…’
'But it will be, so what’s you name boy?’
‘ Henry Van Engel sir’
‘ Ahh, a nice Dutch name’
‘ But I’m not….’
‘ Well if you come with us, you can start straight away!!’
‘ But what do I get outta the deel?’
‘ Well you get to test out the new program, free food, free bed and so on’
‘ Ok sounds cool’
‘ Right lets go’

So off went our brave hero…

[jwolf]

So you just got Shanghaied? Good luck! The dark blue is a bit hard to read, but not too bad. The red is fine.

[labalag]

So you started it here also...

use orange and green instead... better for the eyes...

[Van Engel]

Colours changed, that should be better...

[zacharym87]

There's nothing I like better than a good Dutch AAR. The Netherlands 1617 was my very first EU game and they've always had a soft spot in my heart ever since. Best of luck.

[soral]

Nice a dutch AAR, i'll be following this one.

[Van Engel]

@ Jwolf: Colours are readable now I hope I hope you enjoy it

@Labby: Yep, I thought I should be brave and post it here too

@zacharym87: Cool , I hope I don't ruin your thoughts of them

@soral: thanx and welcome to the forums

[jwolf]

The new colors are great. Now let's have the story!

[Van Engel]

The new colors are great. Now let's have the story!

You are a hard man aren't ya?
Here it is

Chapter 1

Van Engel followed the 2 men all the way to a strip-club/tavern middle in the red-light district, but before they all went in he asked the men:
‘Ur why are we going here? You remember I’m only a teenager…’
‘Yes we know but this is just a cover for the secret program you will be working on’
‘Ah-ha I see…’

One of the men pushed open the door, and Van Engel was amazed at what he saw, a load of computer screens around a massive screen in the middle. Minions scuttled about the room, checking the massive computer was running properly.

‘Wow, that’s big’
‘Yes it is isn’t it and that’s your chair there’

He pointed at a big black armchair placed in front of the largest screen in the middle
‘Wow, cool and you guys trust me with all this stuff?’
‘Well, if you betrayed us you would hate to know what would happen to you’
‘Ah-ha I see’
‘Right you better get started then, do you want anything to drink or eat?’
‘Yeah, a beer would be great thanks’
‘Ok, coming up’

The 2 men left the room, leaving Van Engel to get started. He started clicking around a bit to get used to the program; he thought it was very similar to his old computer game of EU2, so he kind-of knew what to do.

He first checked all the sliders for Holland, moving centralization up 1 and putting full research into trade tech. Then officials were placed all over the place in the old world and Indonesia and merchants were sent to the major COTs in Europe.

Then on to Colonization he thought, he scanned the whole known globe to see what colonies the Dutch owned, a few in America and a few in Indonesia, so he quickly sent 2 colonists to Surinam and Cuyuni to bufmm them up to colonial cities.

Though only through his 2nd year in command and big event box popped up on the main screen and big bangs sounded from the large speakers around the computer, the event was about the kind of Calvinism in the Netherlands the Dutch would follow, Van Engel chose wisely gorisism which pushed down the inno. slider by 3, =1 quality but –1 stab.

All the Explorers in port in Amsterdam were sent out across to explore new and virgin lands, though have way through his voyage, the explorer Van Spilbergen died without even seeing anything but sea! The other explorer F. de houtman had more success, discovering half of the Indonesian archipelago before dieing.

In 1618 Jakarta revolted and massacred the army there, half the army in Holland was mobilized and sent under the Stadhouder Maurice van Nassau’s comand and successfully destroyed the rebels there.

In 1619 a gift was presented to the state of 200d. This was quickly spent to set up a new colony in Sunda and train more soldiers.

In 1625 trade 6 was reached, the next 2 years flew past with no real history made, at this time Van Engel thought it was getting late, he pushed the pause button, finished his coffee and went of to his plain bed in the corner of the room.

[jwolf]

This reminds me of Paranoid Tsar's The PrisonAAR. I wonder what sinister motive the men who recruited you have. And if you will blunder into their foul designs due to your naivety. Good luck.

[stnylan]

Why do the strangers have to have nefarious motives. Can't they simply be por distressed Dutch Patriots who want a little history re-written? oops, I guess that's a nefarious motive. Oh well.

Great start.

[Singleton Mosby]

Nice start of this aar, a bit strange but I will stick around.

I have always liked Dutch AARs but never, even once played a Dutch game myself.

Strange because I am Dutch.....

[sliver legion]

Oh, good you have carried it over. Brilliant nice start Van Engel I'm watching this one to be sure. Good luck and yeah this does remind me of the PisionAAR.

[Van Engel]

@ Jwolf + SL : actually that was the first AAR I ever read here and I have nabbed a few Idea's from it

@ stnylan : No idea, but I like the strange twist to the story too

@ Singleton Mosby : Hmm wierd, I have played England tonnes of times and I'm english... Though even though I have been playing this game for nearly 2 years now, this is the first time I have ever played the Netherlands

[Van Engel]

Chapter 2 (1627-1645)

Van Engel woke up late next morning, to see all the minions running around in a mad confusion.

‘What’s up?’

None of the minions replied but one of the 2 men had just walked into the room and shouted at Van Engel.

‘ What did you do? The whole country outside this building is not-moving?!?!’
‘ I must of put it on pause last night’
‘ You put it on what?!?!’
‘ Pause…. I’m sorry if that’s wrong’
‘ Never ever, ever, ever, put it on pause ok?
‘ Why?’
‘ Coz the real life world outside this building is then paused’
‘ Owh right, sorry’
‘ Just put it on ultra-slow’
‘ Right, ok’
‘ Well you better get started hey!’
‘ Right O’

Van Engel picked up his bowl of cornflakes given to him by 1 of the minions and got started.

He moved the centralization slider up 1 again and kept the trade tech slider at full. This session would go a lot quicker for him, only really placing merchants in Europe and colonizing mainly in the East Indies.

A random explorer came along in 1627 that was sent out to discover Australia and the Pacific Ocean. After reaching Australia, a trading post was set up and the explorer moved onto discovering Kamchaka, China and Manchu. Colonists were sent to Tawoonba (Australia) and the colony in Sunda grew to a colonial city in 1632. Tawoonba reaching city status in the early 1640’s

On the other side of the globe, colonists were sent to Manhattan till it also grew to a colonial city.

In 1635 trade level 7 was reached and the tech slider was set full to land tech.

In 1639 Tasman came alone, which Van Engel sent into the unknown seas in the Pacific, finding Tahiti and Hawaii, a trader was sent to Tahiti. He was then sent into the Atlantic and found the Falklands where also a trader was placed.

Van Engel was just about to save and put it onto Ultra-Ultra slow mode when Bremen (bordering through Oldenburg) DOWed, this amazed him as the Netherlands had great relations with nearly all European Nations, But anyway, Van Engel prepared for war, putting maintenance to full and training 5000 men in Holland. At this point Van Engel had had enough of the screens and wanted to have something more to eat, he set the speed to Ultra-Ultra slow, saved and got up to go to the kitchen.

[The Kingmaker]

Never played as the Netherlands. Does Spain and /or Austria have claims on your lands? Or is the biggest threat France? Good AAR, keep it up

[sliver legion]

Brilliant an update very nice, but where is the screen shot?

[Singleton Mosby]

Never played as the Netherlands. Does Spain and /or Austria have claims on your lands? Or is the biggest threat France? Good AAR, keep it up

No one is a real threat as The Netherlands is one of the most powerfull countries of Europe in this period.
You can go for the Spanish Netherlands (Belgium) and have a nice cot.
Actually, Spain/France/Austria and England are no real threatt on their own but combined they posses a real threat.

Engel, please be sure to discover tasmania and Australia with Able Tasman....

[Heretic]

good stuff,
nice to see a lot of colonisation going on,
perhaps we shall have a fully calvanist australia?
And I trust you have stomped Oldenburg.

Heretic