Timelines: What if Spain Failed to Control the World?

ColossusCrusher said:

Canonized, crazy scientists with crazy experiments...
that kind of stuff is banned in the HOI forums...

Click to expand...

Shhh .. I'll let the imaginations churn !

Legolas said:

So, is the Lord of Acid in 2007 the same Sio-Pan as the one in the 16th century? He was referred to as "immortal", IIRC, so that may very well be the case.
And I also wonder whether Cardinal deWitt will make an appearance in the modern times - he's "gone missing" in 1582, so he cannot really reappear in history, unless we are dealing with different timelines already. On the other hand, the Nia Obidos in the present said that no Jimenez ever survived an encounter with the House of the Rose, but Antonio apparently did. Unless, of course, the Nia Obidos of the past is still working secretly for the Chinese and will kill Antonio when the time is right.
Oh, and somehow I don't feel like Carlos is actually trying to harm Tom. He's only testing him for some greater reason, isn't he?

Click to expand...

Legolas , you really are a gem =) . I'm so glad you're reading you have such wonderful things to comment on !!

As for being the same Sio-Pan now , we don't really know if that Chinese scientist is Sio-Pan at all ! Intentional mystery to get you guys to read the next update =)

As for the Panzerkardinal I will say that he will return . In an unexpected corner he will return . Well maybe expected we'll see XD

Oh and It's Ms. Obidos in the present . We don't know her first name and Marcus was the one who said that no Jimenez ever escaped from the House without dying . It's an ominous prediction that still hasn't been resolved =) .

As for Carlos you're very perceptive . Yes , he wants to test Tom somehow . His intentions are not necessarily bad but his methods are damaging . We'll see more on that in the next update !

Thanks again Legolas for your patronage I love great questions !

Chief Ragusa: Haha , A Cid , that's pretty clever XD . As far as which is the good Timelines ours or Spain's i've actually thought about that a lot when I was writing this and the resolution of that question will be one of my goals for the end of this project !

Judas Maccabeus: Haha very true ! No rest for the wicked and the righteous don't need it !

Panzerkardinal said:

That crazy ole' Sio-Pan ! For some reason he reminds me of a warped, twisted version of the Trix rabbit. Instead of seeking out cereal, however, he is obsessively seeking out a relic with powers that are hardly fathomable.

"Silly Sio-Pan! Timepieces are for Christians !"

Unlike our dear rabbit friend, however, I hope he gets his bell rung someday down the road if you catch my drift.

Ew ! I wouldn't merge with you to form a Twilight Archon even if we were the last Templars on Shakuras !

Click to expand...

Haha XD yeah that crazy Sio-Pan . I think he turned out to be a fun villain to be sure , though , and definitely one of the nastiest ones around !

Status Report:

Working on the latest chapter ! Also , had a great brainstorm today and wrote down a few notes about some of the final portions of this Arc ! Yep that's right , this generation of characters is soon to come to a close so I hope you all enjoyed them so far ! Leave me any notes so that I can learn anything for the next generation ! ^^ Thanks again to everyone for their patronage !

Swiftthistle: Thanks XD XD !

grayghost: Harrumph ! Get caught up soon !

Grubnessul: Gosh , you too ? JM must be on to something .

Status Report: So sorry for being late with the update , everyone ! Had a long week and summer is definitely taking its toll on the updates ! Don't worry , next update coming 12 hours or so and the interview as well so both coming very soon !

Panzerkardinal said:

Hey, it's YOUR story. No need to apologize. I think the audience has proven that it'll be here no matter how long it takes for an update to come. We're not going anywhere!

We were borne from nothing more than handfuls of dirt; to handfuls of dirt may we return.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the encouragement , buddy ! Unfortunately I don't think I can get the next update up until Tuesday or so . I'm doing the last stretch of paperwork with my University in order to transfer schools so I'm going back and forth between the school and home so I've had minimal time to work on it ! After the paperwork is done I'll be more on track thanks again !

Welcome everyone to this week’s edition of You’ve Been Canonized! our weekly installment here on Timelines where we interview a patron author and get to know about them personally , about their thoughts on our work , and about their current project ! If you’re new to the show I’m your host canonized author of Timelines: What if Spain Failed to Control the World? and today’s guest is our good friend bowl of soup author of Why God Does Not Play Dice: A Seljuk AAR (with handicap) . This will be our first time interviewing an interactive type AAR so I hope you all enjoy !

Part I: Miso or French Onion?
Let’s get to know more about Bowl of Soup !

canonized: Welcome to the show glad to have you on . What I was always curious when I would first see you on the boards is why be a Bowl of Soup ? Haha , could you explain to us a little about your name ?

bowl of soup: Well I was expecting that question. I probably could explain it somewhat, but wouldn't help you. Let's see. As a child I was nicknamed Soe (pronounced Sue) for no apparent reason. It didn't hold any meaning whatsoever. Soe would become Soep which is Soup in English. Now I never could think of a cool name on internet sites or they would involve numbers because they were already taken. Then it hit me and I use 'bowl of soup' ever since. So now you know.

canonized: Haha certainly a unique story to a name ! How long have you been on the paradox forums and how long have you been writing AARs ?

bowl of soup: The exact join date is 25th of June 2006 (I checked). But I haven't been active for that long: probably around October or something that I really started using the forum. My first AAR was in April this year. But I had a small contribution in the Collage of CAARdinals before that.

canonized: As a relatively new writer , what got you interested in writing AARs ?

bowl of soup: What really sparked my engagement in the forum itself were the great/cool/funny stories on it, known as the AAR. I just had to comment on some so I did. Gradually I began wondering: 'Wouldn't it be cool to write something myself?'. However I was petrified just to think of such a huge task. Months of dedication and what not. Then I noticed Llywelyn's project with the aforementioned Collage of CAARdinals. And thought this was just the thing for me. No great pressure and no need to keep going at since it could be done within a week, if that. So I did and I really enjoyed it. I started contemplating what I could do next when Llywelyn held some craze vote where the readers decided what they wanted me to do. So naturally I just had to do that.

canonized: When you first began formulating ideas for an AAR , did you already have a storytelling style in mind or would you say this is an experiment for you ?

bowl of soup: Well I wanted to write a story (however bad I am at it), so when the vote turned out it should be an AAR about the Seljuks (the handicap was RGB's idea), I had to think of a story behind it. So I asked myself how I could possibly make a plausible story with handicaps. Then the idea of a cosmic game where God and Allah were playing games and the humans would be the peons of said game.

canonized: I suppose then that the idea of interactivity was present even from the very beginning of your current AAR ! Do you think you enjoy interactive AARs the best ?

bowl of soup: Yes the idea was mostly forced on me. But I liked the idea too! Otherwise I wouldn't have done it. I do like the idea of interactivity for a number of reasons. For one this particular form of interactivity points in the direction where to go and react to what the readers are saying. Secondly if you're doing something wrong in the eyes of your readers, you'll get punished for them immediately.....

canonized: As part of the interactive field of AARs , it's a great opportunity for the community to get involved in your AAR . What do you think of the community here at Paradox and how they've influenced your writing ?

bowl of soup: The community on these forums is great! I've yet to come across something similar on the net. It's a great bunch of individuals ranging from very intellectual to very witty. There are no endless flame wars about nothing only good discussions, and of course slightly less serious ones, but if things get too derailed there will always be a mod around to set things straight. As for the readers and participant on my AAR, I must say they have pointed my AAR in a direction I had not imagined. As you know they give handicaps which I must endure for a week. They influence the direction of my AAR but not the writing. I enjoy a great bunch of AARs but I can't say any have influenced mine except for the idea to start one. [sarcasm]I was born with the talent I think[/sarcasm]. Seriously though, I just write what I imagine and is good for the story; sometimes with bad judgment.

Part II: As a Reader
Bowl of Soup and I stir the spoon on his thoughts on Timelines .

canonized: So where did you come upon Timelines ?

bowl of soup: I think I first saw your AAR when I was reading Thrashing Mad's. He posted the link to his canonization and there I saw it. Back then I thought the idea of interviews a great thing. But I must honestly say that I didn't start reading then because of the size of the updates. Then I believe there were the AARland choice awards which you won indisputably. Then I read the first update. But when you too starred on the Collage of CAARdinals I just had to read it. So it's been a bit on and off. But I'm getting there.

canonized: Haha yeah , the updates are a bit bulky . Do you think the updates ought to be smaller ?

bowl of soup: No. You would just update more often it wouldn't help. Also the way you're telling the story would only be marred by shorter updates. You're telling a great story you shouldn't change anything about it.

canonized: Well thank you ! What is it about Timelines that appeals to you the most ?

bowl of soup: Well actually I'm just in for the canonization just to hang around with the cool kids. Haha! But seriously it's one of those stories where a lot of thought has gone into. The link between and now. What would the world look like now if things went differently then. Also the character are really diverse. Some you will grow to love, some you will hate. A lot will make you either smile or laugh at the familiarity.

canonized: Which characters would you say have impacted you and why ?

bowl of soup: I really like the Cardinal. His size is so well illustrated. Like when he was at that university of Salamanca. He had to find a large seat that had room enough for him. Though I do think he's a bit over powered with that armour. Two chains to hold on to that Ming merchant ship, it almost ripped Spiderman apart. Cool nonetheless though!

canonized: Haha and I suppose you were a bit more familiar with the Cardinal in my tenure at the Collage of CAARdinals . What are your thoughts of that non-canonical side story at Collage anyway ?

bowl of soup: Well yeah that's probably right. It's a small time ago but I do thought it was a good story. Certainly the Collage needed something a bit more serious. (Which was of course immediately brought to an all time low after you finished, not pointing any fingers). From what I've read from Timelines and your Collage part, I must say that the later was a bit darker. With the plague felling one of the... characters and the loneliness of the Pope when the Cardinal left. As I say this I must say that Timelines is turning a bit darker too at parts of the story (e.g. Academy Chapter).

canonized: Yes indeed , we're also nearing the end of this generation's tenure (although they'll go on for a few chapters more) . What do you think you'll miss most about this cast of characters in this timeframe ?

bowl of soup: Well let me think... most probably the cardinal again. I think the way they interacted was quite good. But I think that by the time you finish this part (and I finish reading it) We'll need some new ones. Right now I couldn't part without knowing exactly what was going on!

canonized: And last of this section any guesses on what the elusive Timepiece is ?

bowl of soup: I've wondered about that. I don't think it could actually exist, but hey it's a story. What I thought up is that at some point Tom will wake up in class and slowly become to realize he had dreamed it all, all along, and he'll find himself in this timeline with no such things as timepieces or Spain controlling the world. Or... if it is a real thing all I can think of is some antique which can be set to time and place.

Part III: No Dice Here
Let’s look at Bowl of Soup’s latest project !

canonized: We've already seen how you were voted to choose Seljuks and the handicap , but for those who might be new to your AAR could you explain how you work your handicap system into your AAR ?

bowl of soup: Ah yes. Well I try to hold a vote each Monday (I'm not always diligent) and let that go for about 24 hours probably more. The idea for a handicap with the most supporters is the handicap I'll take on for that week. Now this handicap can be anything. An example is that I couldn't use any other armies than those from my personal domain. Then I'll start playing for about 3 to 6 years in game and doing the best I can while still holding true to the handicap. When I've done that I'll think of a how that handicap came to be, via God and Allah's game or something else, and what it does to characters. Mostly it's just me rambling though.

canonized: Well your system of introducing the handicaps is certainly clever if not a big blasphemous , haha . How did you come up with the idea of using a Divine wager ?

bowl of soup: Hit a soft spot have I? hehe. Well I didn't mean to be blasphemous or hurt people. I just thought: How am I ever going to get this in the story? Some of the handicaps are just not logical. I played some bar game with dice that when you throw a certain number you had do to something, like sing a song or something like that. Then there was Einstein's quote: 'God does not play dice'. Putting that together I thought of God playing dice with Allah and there you have it.

canonized: I know you mentioned the handicap of not using vassal armies . Would you say this was your hardest handicap or was there one that you thought was even a greater challenge ?

bowl of soup: Well there was no way I could win a war with that handicap, and the enemy couldn't do much to me. So at some point the enemy offered peace and I accepted, to the chagrin of my readers. So next thing there was the no the advisors handicap. (in CK you've got to have advisors!) This caused a civil war which tore my empire apart. While the no vassal armies was probably the hardest the no advisors did the most damage.

canonized: Speaking of damage; not only mechanically do you have an interesting setup but you also give us the story of the poor Seljuk dynasty with some hilarity slipped in there . Where does the inspiration for the voices of the different mortal characters come from ?

bowl of soup: The best characters in my opinion (and probably also in that of the readers). Were Alp Arslan and Terkan. To explain Alp Arslan I will have to explain Terkan first. Terkan is this Armenian girl of 14 at the beginning of the story. Alp is nearing his 40th birthday. The two are married. This is not something I made up just something the game presented me with. So what does an underage girl have to do with a much older guy. So I came up with the 'young girl is hopelessly in love with older guy and makes his life more miserable than it already is'-theme. This allowed for some funny moments in the story. Now Alp was in real life a great warrior and an honourable man. However as the story progressed and with the handicaps this didn't seem an option. Now there is this Terkan who's bugging him all the time. He basically reacts like I'd imagine reacting if something like that happened to me. Then of course there are the handicaps. Now how would one react to some divine presence speaking to you. First of he cowers in fear but as he becomes more familiar with the spirit, he far more fears the things he'll say than the sight of him.

canonized: Well as far as fears go , you've also recently introduced a new character carrying the namesake of our Collage of CAARdinals director and he definitely instills fear into many of us prompting even thrashing mad to make a hilarious CK portrait of him . Could you tell us a little about this new addition to your story ?

bowl of soup: This Welsh dude (let's not give him a name) thought it would be nice to make Terkan's then latest upcoming child the Welsh culture. I first didn't want to do it but then thought of making him the collective object of fear and resentment by making him the 'anti-Christ'. Unfortunately he doesn't seem to mind. What is eerie though that as one of the least probable character in game to do anything he managed to get hold on to an empire (granted I gave him that but still).

canonized: And lastly , what other AAR plans do you have for the future ?

bowl of soup: Well I do have ideas for an AAR, but I'm currently a bit occupied. I won't start that till I end this one or find more time. I'm not saying too much but things work out like I mean them too, fans of Alp will probably like it.

canonized: Well thank you again for being on the show, Bowl of Soup, and we once again we thank the audience for their attention this week ! I’d like to remind everyone that it’s still season for the AARland Choice AwAARds and we hope you keep bowl of soup and myself in mind when you go out to vote ! Next week will be the AARlander edition of You’ve Been Canonized and this month’s guest will be El Pip ! So look out for that edition when the AARlander comes out and have a great week !

thrashing mad said:

Congrats BoS and canonized Great interview!

(how original )

Click to expand...

Haha , thanks XD