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Good evening and welcome to You've Been Canonized, the weekly interview segment we usually host on Timelines but tonight, on the AARlander, we bring you EUROO7, author of
The Papal State : A Mission AAR, join us in welcoming and getting to know the rising star of EU3 gamplay, I'm your host, canonized, author of
Timelines: What if Spain Failed to Control the World? and without further ado, lets begin!
Part I: The names OO7, EUROO7
Getting to know the man behind the mission
canonized - First of all , welcome to the programme and thank you very much for being on ! Could you introduce yourself for our audience please ?
EUROO7 -Sure thing. I am EUROO7, and I am an EU III addict. I have been on these forums since I got the game for Christmas last year and I like hats!
canonized - I'm sure a lot of people are curious as am I about some aspects of the person behind the name . As your name suggests you do have a bit of a secrecy streak ! Could you tell us something about the air of mystery you keep about you and to what purpose ?
EUROO7 -Well, I've always liked those spy shows from the twentieth century, and I actually wanted to be a spy when I was a kid. I just find mysteriousness so exciting!
canonized - So you're a relatively new face to AARlander ; how has your experience been so far ?
EUROO7 -Excellent! I love AARland and it's inhabitants. I find it is one of the most relaxed places in the Paradox Forums. The people are nice and always supportive .
canonized - At the time of this interview you're one of the front runners of for winning the Favourite New Writer category in the AARland Choice AwAARds ! How does it feel being part of this AARland activity ?
EUROO7 - I am very excited! With my "Mission AAR" being one of the favorites among the readers, it only encourages me to keep writing.
canonized - You've written in the gameplay format which is always a perennial favourite in AARland . Why that particular style ? And any inspirations for your work ?
EUROO7 - Gameplay because it's the easiest to do. Plus I love editing screenshots in funny ways. But as the "Mission AAR" progressed, I tried to introduce a new Narrative section into the AAR. It was received well, and I have continued in both styles.
canonized - As you progress and mature as an AARlander and writer , where do you think you see yourself a few months from now ?
EUROO7 - I think by the end of the year, I may be starting a purely Narrative AAR. That would be after I finish another AAR I have on hold. Bavaria: A German Culture AAR, which is supposed to be comedy! XD
Part II: Who doesn't love the Silent Rooms?
EUROO7 and Timelines
canonized - So reading through Timelines , what were your first impressions ?
EUROO7 - Well, Timelines was one of the first AARs that lured me to AARland. However, when I saw the immense number of pages, I gave up. I started reading other AARs, but recently I have started reading again. I must say, it truly is one of the best in AARland.
canonized - Thank you ! As someone coming from a gameplay background who is also experimenting in narrative writing , how has Timelines' narrative impacted you ?
EUROO7 - I try to look for things that represent gameplay happenings and I do the same in my attempts to write. For every chapter of Timelines, I look for things that are familiar to me, based on my gameplay knowledge. From there, I just enjoy the great writing!
canonized - We've just ended Season II in Timelines just the other day and we're now in the inter-season showcase and have recently started adding chapter summaries to help people catch up as bonuses . How have the bonuses you've gone through so far helped your experience of the story ?
EUROO7 - They explain some of the finer details that I might have missed, as well as show the main points of each chapter. They are a great help for those of us stuck below the one hundred page mark!
canonized - Of the adventures you've been exposed to thus far , do you have any favourite places ?
EUROO7 - Yes, I love the Silent Rooms! They have so much mystery in their essence. I also like the German Panzercardinal. But I guess you hear that alot!
canonized - Haha yes , he's one of our all time favourite characters . Anything in particular with the Panzerkardinal that you enjoyed ?
EUROO7 - I like the authority he portays. And I just like everything that deals with the Roman Church. From the Pope to your local Cathedral.
canonized - Lastly from this section , do you have any thoughts on what the Mysterious Timepiece is ?
EUROO7 - Well, maybe someday we'll find out. But for now, I believe it is a device that, when in the wrong hands, leads to disaster and when in the right hands, it leads to balance. I'm probably wrong though.
Part III: OO7's mission briefing !
We take a look at EUROO7's AARs
canonized - In the beginning you actually had people vote for which nation they'd like you to play ! Tell us a little bit about that time and how you AAR first began to take shape , please .
EUROO7 - Well, I had originally planned to do an Austrian AAR. Then I found out In Nomine was going to be released, and I didn't want to have to start over, so I waited. When it came out, I found the new Mission System very interesting. From there I got the idea to start an AAR based on that whole system. So I started my game as Austria. It went terrible! I was crushed by Bohemian troops within two years. From there, I decided to just let the AARlanders decide what country I would play. They chose The Papal State, and here we are today!
canonized - And how do you feel about this unique state to play and tell us a little bit about your challenges and triumphs in writing about the states of the Church ?
EUROO7 - Well, there's just something about the Papal State that everyone likes. I guess it's the power it represents as the leader of Christianity. But one of my favorite experiences writing and playing as the Papal State, was a mission which I had. It was to bring Italy back to the Catholic faith. This mission is special because it took me one hundred and fifty years to complete!
canonized - Indeed ! Let's talk about the Mission system you've adopted . Tell us a little bit about this way of 'formalizing' , if you will , your gameplay stance . How did you come to take on this role and how has it been going so far ?
EUROO7 - Since this is my first AAR, it's always hard to choose an objective for the whole game. The Mission System provides everchanging objectives that are always random. That is until the original missions ended. When missions became dull, like building manufacturies and building up troops, I decided to let the readers submit custom missions which I've been doing from seventeen hundred onwards.
canonized - You've definitely kept up the reader participation and it's made your AAR one of the most popular in the EU3 section ! Do you think IN has made a huge impact on the way you can execute this AAR specifically ?
EUROO7 - Yes. A tremendous impact. Firstly, the Mission AAR wouldn't be about missions, since they were introduced in In Nomine. Second, everyone like to read gameplay AARs for tips on how to play. Since most readers are up to date with the expansions and patches, they look for In Nomine AARs.
canonized - You did mention that you also enjoyed tinkering with screenshots and sometimes they're quite hilarious such as painting little boats on top of sea provinces ! Talk to us a little bit about your use of screenshots and how they've factored into your AAR ?
EUROO7 - Ah yes, the art of editing screenshots. Well, I have an uncanny tendency to notice thing most people don't. For example: Hats. Have you ever noticed how hats impact the game? The better you are, the taller your hat is. Then there's the random boat or comment that must be included to show readers what you're doing. I find those details let the readers have a look into the inner machinations of the writer's mind.
canonized - Haha , well lastly from this section , you already mentioned that you're planning a narrative AAR after you're finished ; can you give us any sneak previews on what it might be like ?
EUROO7 - Well, I'm thinking of something to do with the life of a mad king. He'll be your average early modern era monarch, with a double personality that will blow your mind away with his actions!
canonized - And that about wraps it up ! Thank you very much for being on the show EUROO7 , and thank you to all those who joined us today and tuned in ! If you would like to see more interviews , join us in Timelines for our regular weekly interview segment . Thank you once again , and goodnight !