• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
Congratulations, Rensslaer! And again good luck with your new professional ventures...


That's an odd way to go about things... Normally I find that AARs tend to get better as they go along anyway.

True, but the one advantage of reading it backwards is that you can join in and comment meaningfully straight away, rather than having to wait until you've caught up reading.

as to a 'Momento' style AAR, try Ashantai's Grey Eminence, how many EU3 AARs dare to open with the world map of 1821?

I will check it out.
 
Last edited:
Great choice, Tanzhang. Rensslaer has been a mainstay of AARland for a number of years now, both as a fan and writer extraordinaire. His thoughtful feedback and, just as important, his encouragement to the new blood are what makes these forums and its members so special. A tip of the mead horn to you, Renss!
 
Congrats Rensslaer! I for one wouldn't even be posting without your earlier efforts here, and it's great that you're still keeping it up. :)
 
An excellent choice always! Congratulations old friend!
 
Well deserved! Congrats!
 
Congrats Rensslaer.
 
Sorry! It hasn't been my intent to ignore this thread all week. In fact, every day I really meant to say hi and thank you. But as some of you know I've been in the process of being laid off this week, and that's tended to occupy my attention far more fully. Not to worry -- I'm going to try to turn this opportunity into the beginning of a self-employed writing career (fiction, freelance, strategy guides, non-fiction, etc.)! This might be the perfect time to undertake what I've really wanted to do for decades.

I'm not going to reply to everyone individually, but some of you mentioned things I'd like to respond to. I definitely appreciate the congratulations of every one of you! :)

Anyway, I think I've hogged this one long enough. Thanks once more to Densley for awarding me and to everyone else who has stopped by to send their congratulations. I had a few names in mind for the title, all veteran contributors with a slew of awards already so they don't exactly need it, but by God do each of them deserve it! I thought the only fair thing to do in a tiebreaker situation like this was to pass on the award to the person who won it longest ago, and therefore without further ado, I name Rensslaer as the next Fan of the Week. I think we can all agree he deserves it, but especially I'd like to highlight for his efforts in commenting on many new author's AARs. Congrats!

Thank you, Tanzhang (譚張)! I really appreciate this! My time is still limited, but I do enjoy popping into AARs of new writers to provide encouragement. Even into forum areas where not a lot of people frequent, like Rome or Sengoku. There are some gems out there, and it's too bad the writers/authors lose inspiration, sometimes, because there seems to be no one reading.

Great choice, Tanzhang. Rensslaer has been a mainstay of AARland for a number of years now, both as a fan and writer extraordinaire. His thoughtful feedback and, just as important, his encouragement to the new blood are what makes these forums and its members so special. A tip of the mead horn to you, Renss!

Thank you, LD! I always appreciate your encouragement too, which -- your encouragement -- is partly why I have confidence and determination to go out there, now, and get something published!

As for feedback, I always have considered the feedback from readers and the author's feedback-to-feedback to be part of every AAR. Often there is so much more rich detail that is shared in the comments and responses to comments that it's worth reading them all.

Thanks for the mead! :D

Congrats Rensslaer! I for one wouldn't even be posting without your earlier efforts here, and it's great that you're still keeping it up. :)

Thanks! That means a lot to me! :) I'm always happy when I find that I've encouraged someone to become a part of the forums, or even to write! You, for one, have definitely made your mark on these fora, so I'm happy to have had a part in that!

Congratulations! Still trucking along with far too many simultaneous AARs for any sane person (;)) and always available for encouragement, advice and plain old good commenting. :)

Stuyvesant, I've said this before, but I know I'm not the only one who appreciates your involved feedback -- the kind of comment that makes you think more deeply about what you're writing or playing, and which sticks in your mind. Always appreciated! :)

My felicitations to all of you!
May someone one day beat me! ;)

Ha! I don't think anyone is near to that! You've always been the unbelievably prolific commenter, and 20,000 is pretty amazing! ;) Thanks!

__________________________________

Okay, so to pass this along....

As with Tanzhang, I often look for veterans who've been pillars of the forum for a long time. Also for people who haven't won in a while. I'd actually picked out someone who I knew met those requirements, and hasn't received this award in a year and a half... But then as I was providing feedback here, I realized I was missing another obvious choice who has not won since 2009, and who definitely deserves to be highlighted again.

An excellent choice always! Congratulations old friend!

Coz1, my old friend! While we're on the subject that Malurous brought up, YOU are the one -- the first one, of several, but definitely the first -- who played that role for me. You encouraged me as I began to write, and continued to support me over the years, and it's been very valuable for me. Thank you! :)

And so, Coz1, I'd like to congratulate you as the new Fan of the Week! ;)

Coz1 has been around for a long, LONG time (not as long as LD, or some others, but long enough for me to have considered him a veteran when -I- first joined the Forum). His was the advice, and the encouragement, which was most meaningful to me in those first weeks of starting an AAR, way back in 2004.

In later years, he became a Moderator, and also tended to comment in just about everyone's AAR! These two periods of time weren't necessarily the same -- as a Moderator, he really was too busy to comment as much as he used to, which is something to think about when you see a Moderator -- it's NOT an easy job!

Today, I know he's not quite as active in commenting as he used to be. But he's been involved in "higher level" encouragement -- things like congratulating award winners, providing encouragement for major forum efforts (such as the AARLander, or various contests, etc.), and he's recently resurrected an old favorite of mine, the Guess the Author Challenge, where it just so happens there are 4 newly-posted fiction scenes from anonymous authors who I know would LOVE to have you (yes, YOU! ;)) stop by, read, and provide constructive criticism -- to do so, please go here. :)

So, Coz1, thanks for your decade-long, continuing, efforts to build and contribute to the concept of "AARLand!" :D

Rensslaer
 
Last edited:
Very well deserved - many congratulations Coz1! Thanks for resurrecting "GtA." I've only been here for two rounds, but I really enjoy reading the entries. Thanks - and congrats - again.
 
Congratulations, coz1!
 
Congrats Coz1! I'm heading over to check out GtA right now...