You've Been Canonized!: Rensslaer
Welcome guests and hello once again to our weekly interview segment here on Timelines ! For those of you new to our programme , I'm canonized author of
Timelines: What if Spain Failed to Control the World? and this is our weekly bonus feature where we take one of the authors who have subscribed to our AAR and feature them in an interview ! This week's author is one of the celebrities on the board , Rensslaer author of
Sforza!!!: A Milan AAR amongst many other works ! Let's begin with the interview !
Part I: Authorship
We'll begin by getting some insight into the Author and Pillar of the Community known as Rensslaer .
canonized: First thing I'd like to talk about , Mr. Rens , is that you mentioned to me the other day about being generationally a part of the "New Guard" could you tell us how long you've been around on the boards and what this terminology might mean ?
Rensslaer I guess I see the Paradox Forums as having three or four generations now. There are the oldest folks, from the beginning of the decade, when EU 1, EU 2 and HOI 1 were around. Many of these folks have either moved on, or graduated to being moderators. They might have joined in 2001-2002. I think Coz1 and Stnylan are perhaps still part of this first generation, though they also had an "old guard" who welcomed them. The newest generation, of course, is here now for EU 3. But there's another generation of mid-range folks like me. I joined in 2004, and immediately began writing an AAR which took me 2 years to write. The older generation like Coz1 and Stnylan helped encourage me. I guess I see it as our role now to encourage the newest generation.
canonized: Being someone who does participate in the encouraging institutions of the AAR community , what kind of advice would you give to writers who just joined us or those who are on the fence about attempting AARs ?
Rensslaer First, I would say "don't be put off" -- not daunted by the task, nor unwilling to face feedback, nor afraid to learn and grow. Second, I would say "prepare". There are many "writAAR aids" here on the forums, and warnings as to pitfalls that should be avoided. A good AAR, done right, can be thoroughly enjoyable. But some "misfire", and it's just best to listen to advice on how not to do things. These AARs do involve a lot of work, so it's best to know what you're getting into. Spend time to do it right. One thing I would suggest to anybody who wants to write professionally -- who thinks they might have the knack -- is to try it. There's incredible talent here. Many writers either "learn the craft" here, or hone their pre-existing skills. There's probably no place better to learn.
canonized: As for yourself, you've experimented quite many times with different AARs . You've written in almost epic length AARs for Victoria and now for EU3 . What brought you to start writing ?
Rensslaer Wow. I was born writing, I think. I wrote a play when I was 4, and performed it with friends for the neighborhood. I wrote 2 long stories in elementary school, and went to short stories when I was in high school. Then I started to get the idea I could write professionally, and worked toward many different ideas, many of which I'm still working on, hoping to get them published. Fire Warms the Northern Lands was a landmark for me -- the first long story I'd really finished, and put enough quality into that I felt I could finish and publish another project. It gave me the confidence to realize I could really do it. Castles in the Sky is more of a fun project for me, so I can enjoy writing and keep my skills up.
canonized: Speaking of these works , they encompass a great deal of experimentation stylistically as well . Fire Warms the Northern Lands , for example , encompasses a combination of narrative and gameplay aspects while Castles in the Sky adds some intrigue to your writing repertoire . Was this pastiche mode you adopted intentional ?
Rensslaer When I first came to the forums, I felt it was easy to categorize AARs -- narrative, gameplay, history book, etc. But I just had a sense when I started Fire Warms that, even though I most enjoyed writing fiction, I should use whichever different format would best convey exactly the portion of the story I wanted to convey. So I meander through fiction, intrigue, history-book, diaries, letters, modern-day classrooms, etc. And I loved the freedom to use illustrations, too. The experimentation was valuable .
canonized:: I also remember looking into your profile and seeing how you’ve identified yourself as a political activist as well as a Conservative Republican . How is this political identification important to you both as a writer ?
Rensslaer Ahh... Well, I'm actually beginning to think the Republican Party has moved toward the mushy middle, and starting to lose faith. But I'm best termed a conservative activist. Perhaps a conservative Christian activist. Politics has always been important to me, because I'm a student of history and I can see how deeply politics impacts history. I was 5 years old when I first campaigned for someone! Since then, I went left for a while, was a moderate liberal in high school and college, but then came back. I've had the good fortune to combine my two loves -- politics/history & writing -- as a political writer. I was speechwriter for a state Governor, and have had a number of other writing jobs in politics.
canonized: Has this diverse political background influenced your writing , and similarly , has your Christian faith inspired parts of your work at all ?
Rensslaer I enjoy writing what is believable. By knowing both sides of the issues personally -- from both a conservative and liberal perspective -- I can construct believable, two-sided arguments in my stories. I present the two sides, and can then either show why the "wrong" side prevails (misleading by demagogues) or show why the right side should or does prevail. I do have Christian elements in my stories too, whether simple prayer, or an occasional pro-Christian or anti-evolution statement on rare occasions. I would not say that any of my stories are overtly Christian, though I do have a couple of Christian stories in the works which I hope to publish outside of the Forum
canonized: One other thing one would notice about your writings is that you've chosen quite a large array of different areas : Prussia , The American West , Renaissance Milan ; how did you come about to choosing such places to focus your stories ?
Rensslaer Renaissance Milan is a fluke -- since I was writing the Strategy Guide, I wanted to experience leadership of a Mediterranean trading power, so I tried out Milan, and fell in love with it. I really had no idea that trading would be nearly impossible in the release version, so my Sforza!!! AAR has turned into a more traditional regional superpower AAR, rather than focusing on trading. The American West (or Colonial America) AAR (Castles) is because of my long historical research into this period of history, and its people, the American Founding Fathers. I did my senior college paper on Alexander Hamilton, so he fits in centrally. As for Prussia (Fire Warms), I didn't know a whole lot about central European history in the 19th century when I started, but I wanted to. So the AAR became my excuse to learn! My historical interests generally center upon 1770-1945, so Victoria was a natural game for me to prefer.
Part II: Readership
Rens and I discuss his thoughts on Timelines
canonized: You mentioned to me the other day something about how you sensed a sophistication of world view in Timelines , could you clarify what you mean for us ?
Rensslaer I think I meant more the sophistication of the story's world, and its structure. You have three basic "worlds" in your story -- the unified present, the disparate ("our world") present, and the past, where the battle seems primarily to be occurring, though the battle spills into different times. How you fit each of these elements together in a believable fashion amazes and excites me. I guess I'm still trying to figure out whether that "disparate (our world) present" exists anywhere but in Tom's mind, but it seems he's not the only one who seeks it.
canonized: One of the first comments you left for us on the thread was about the premise of the setting ; what are your thoughts on the execution of the alternate-history past and present as devices for the narrative ?
Rensslaer This kind of switching between times is really hard to pull off. Stnylan and Coz1 have both done it, to great effect, but I don't know if I have the skill to keep everything straight if I were to try it! You're doing a great job with it, I think. I'm further amazed that your scenes from "the past" relate so well with the accompanying "the present" scenes in each update. And I like the unique "Timelines" division in each post, which allows us to see both past and present
canonized: One of the things that's different about Timelines is that the main focus of the story is not with the monarchs , in fact it greatly resembles the initial premise of the EU series where the player embodies the Gray Eminence that controls the country behind the scenes , what do you think of this approach taken in the story ?
Rensslaer I think that's always the fun stuff -- watching the people who actually implement history, rather than the ones who decide how it should play out. It's tough to keep interest in a story that always takes place in a "cabinet room", but you've got so much action going on here that it makes it a really viable and interesting story
canonized: Speaking of the action of the story , do you have a favourite part or arc ?
Rensslaer I'm a sucker for well-done romance scenes -- action scenes are a dime a dozen in this forum. But I think it takes real skill to pull off a good, subtle romance, and the interaction between Antonio and Isabella is really well done. I'm thinking particularly of the scene with the easel -- the "Mulder and Scully" scene where the reader wants them to kiss but it's just a false alarm. And more recently, when Antonio was waking up from his injuries, and the tender touch.
canonized: Mulder and Scully , now there's a compliment if I ever saw one for someone trying to write romantic tension haha . I'm glad, though, that the peripheral activities stand out as much as the main plot . Speaking of the main plot , one of the things Timelines attempts to do is make world conquest merely a byproduct of a mysterious agenda while still maintaining the facets of battle and intrigue that make many AARs engaging . What are your thoughts so far on the grand schemes of the different nations presented in the story ?
Rensslaer I'm amused that it's Meissen that's going to save the world! :rofl: But the rest of it is interesting too. It appears to be as much a conflict between the Lutherans and Catholics, though I'm anxious to find out how Tom fits in, since he thinks he's from a Lutheran family, and yet he seems to be the Catholic "key" to safeguarding the keys from the Lutherans! A universal Spanish empire is an interesting choice -- back in the day, it was perhaps closer to happening than with any other country
canonized: It's true that religion plays a large role in the plot of the story and there are many Catholic themes that come out in the work : stewardship , divine authority , prayers of intercession , universality , and the harmony of faith and science . As a fellow Christian , what are your thoughts on these elements of the story ?
Rensslaer Naturally, I approve. It is a very different worldview than the one which dominates our society today. I find it interesting that some "bad" characters -- Marcus, for instance -- wish to destroy the Spanish/Catholic hegemony, but also that Tom does too -- for entirely different reasons, I would gather. It puts in question, for me, which side will ultimately prevail. It seems rather more complex than stories where one side -- the "right" side -- will be brought to victory by the main character. I'm neither sure which character is the main character (if there is one), nor which side is right! That's assuming -- from a Protestant perspective -- that the Catholics aren't necessarily right.
canonized: Aside from fellow Christians such as yourself, Timelines also is encouraged by its readership by non-Christians such as Jews and Muslims but also by some non-religious at all . Despite being a Catholic-intertwined work , what would you say also gives the story a broad appeal ?
Rensslaer Well, the writing is the most obvious answer. You do seem to have a gift for writing, and it seems like you have been practicing long enough to develop that skill very well. I think you'll continue to improve -- in fact, I think you've improved even since you started the story, which is typical. But the characters are a major draw, too. You have interesting characters and complicated plotlines
canonized: Lastly about the story , I'd like to ask what you think the Timepiece is .
Rensslaer I had a weird notion early on that the Timepiece was a copy of EU 3 that somehow really controlled the world. And the keys, maybe, were the different presets for each game. But now I have really no idea!
canonized: Haha , talk about highly original , I kind of like that idea
Rensslaer It came about from the scenes in the silent rooms, where messages would pop in, kind of like the popup screens in EU 3
canonized: yep ! I'm glad you got that feeling , it'll be important for the story later on !
Rensslaer (Speaking of the Silent Rooms) It reminded me of an old movie called the Last Starfighter, where a kid was trained to fly a starfighter with a video game and I liked your reference to Wargames .
canonized: It was my favourite movie growing up , always stayed up till 3 in the morning just to watch it over and over again even if it's a school night . Oh and Last Starfighter , good grief , going down memory lane are we ? haha . Any final comments about Timelines you’d like to add ?
Rensslaer I'm enjoying all the little easter eggs you leave in your story. Most of them are very subtly inserted -- things like the Ceylon Base Ship, or the Wargames reference. I've noticed others which I can't recall right now, but there are quite a few of them! Oh, and I also wanted to add this -- you've put an impressive amount of authentic-seeming Japanese culture into the story. I also sense a style that is reminiscent of various Japanese anime that I've watched. It's something about the story elements, and the timing. In fact, I think your story would be very adaptable to a live-action anime format!
Part III: Rensslaer!!! AARS to be reckoned with.
Lastly , we'll be taking a look at Rens' current projects !
canonized: First question I have to ask about Sforza when I first began to read it is , how did you get away with all those vassalizations so early on ? Haha
Rensslaer I just got lucky, I think! Actually, a better answer is I kept trying. That was one of my primary goals in the early stages of the game -- to vassalize my neighbors, and eventually diploannex them. And then, when I went to war, Venice, Tuscany and Aragon were obvious targets.
canonized: So you hinted a little bit early on about making a strategy guide for Milan and that's how you came upon starting this particular AAR , any other reasons for choosing this Italian State ?
Rensslaer Well, for a trading power, Venice was too obvious, and was too near to the Ottomans early on, in any case. I wanted a good Italian trading power with good positioning and a historical trading niche. It was either Milan or Savoy, and Savoy was too near to France for comfort.
canonized: Speaking of trading , you also noted that you had to change a little bit of your plans because of how the game engine treated trading , how would you say this particular AAR experience has shaped your view of EU3 ?
Rensslaer This particular trading situation is patch-related. I was in the beta, and I've seen patches where trade is very much like EU 2, so I have confidence that trading will be lots easier in future patches. I haven't actually tried the 1.2 yet, so I don't know how it compares. It's just a matter of values changing, up and down. It's too bad it affected my AAR so.
canonized: As anyone in the EU3 section of AARs will know , your Sforza AAR is wildly popular partly I'm sure to the well coordinated representations of the various wars of the underdog Milanese and your acumen at expansion . To that end it has even been called the Flagship of the EU3 AARs , what do you think of all this success ?
Rensslaer I'm excited! Flattered, but also humbled. It's not really that great, and others are putting much more work and talent into their AARs. Mine does not deserve to be so well regarded. Perhaps it is partly the readership I built up with Fire Warms, and partly the experience of relating wars in Fire Warms, synthesizing them so they're enjoyable for the reader and make sense.
canonized: What would you say is was your biggest challenge as Milan and where would you like to take her in the future ?
Rensslaer Well, I'm really looking forward to facing off against the Ottomans, but I'm not comfortable yet with my frontiers with 1) France, 2) Castille, 3) Burgundy, and 4) Austria! Way too much to worry about "back home" to turn my attentions too seriously toward the Balkans, Asia Minor and elsewhere.
canonized: Yes I saw , the Kingdom seems pretty fragmented here and there so it'll be hard to mount a unified campaign through all those lands ! I mean you even have a port city in nothern Germany ! Could you tell us a little about the other AARs you're currently updating ? For those of your fans who may only know you from Sforza .
Rensslaer Fire Warms the Northern Lands is my magnum opus, of which I am most proud. But I'm having a lot of fun with Castles in the Sky. It's an entirely narrative twist to a historical event when the Vice President, Aaron Burr, left Washington in disgrace and meant to split the western United States (or, some say Spanish Mexico) off from its mother country and form it into his own empire. Alexander Hamilton (Burr's historical nemesis) survives the duel which killed him in our timeline, and goes off to stop Burr. Many have asked about a sequel to Fire Warms, which will take the same Prussian characters into World War II as the defender of western democracy against the Soviets and the Fascist Italians and French. But I also might try an experimental EU 3 AAR based very loosely upon the Babylon 5 model. Either would require time, which I don't yet have, so... We'll see!
canonized: Talk about a cliffhanger of a preview , Babylon 5 model , I'm sure you made a good portion of us jump off the cliff in anticipation right there , haha . Somehow I imagine the Azores or Malta populated by a quarter of a million of the world's peoples . In any case , thanks so much for the interview and good luck also on this quarter of the AARland Choice Awards ! I would also like to thank all the fans who’ve been reading along and I hope that this interview has inspired many of you readers both of my work and Rens’ to explore the various other AARs out there ! Remember to vote for your favourites in the AARland Choice Awards and next week we will be having everyone’s most celebrated Nepalian (is that even a word ?) rcduggan on the programme so please look out for that ! Remember if you’re a subscriber of Timelines and an author of your own and wish to come on the programme please contact me any time via private message !
