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Panzerkardinal: thank you sir !
rcduggan: welcome back duggy ! Hope you're doing well !
Petros: Thank you XD . I think someone mentioned before that Sweet was a bit bland so I wanted to spice him up a little XD
Grubnessul: Thank you for your encouragement ! XD Nice theory too though I'm surprised no one has guessed the more sinister possibility especially with Sio-Pan around ...
rcduggan: welcome back duggy ! Hope you're doing well !
Petros: Thank you XD . I think someone mentioned before that Sweet was a bit bland so I wanted to spice him up a little XD
Grubnessul: Thank you for your encouragement ! XD Nice theory too though I'm surprised no one has guessed the more sinister possibility especially with Sio-Pan around ...
Well you said we would see some more of the #2 coolest character around, so the clever escape would be the best possibilty. If sweet is dead and raised by Sio-Pan, that would be a nasty trick by you as we didn't even hear Sweet was dead
Well, since Sweet hardly had any reason to kill the Cardinal, so I really suspect there must be something else happening behind that scene. Hopefully we'll find out before too long 
Sweet's words before the shot likely have some considerable meaning in them. Might this be an attempt to either throw the opposition's plans into confusion or force some of them to slip out into the open by getting rid of the person they've been framing? Awfully realpolitik [EDIT: And rather hare-brained, now that I think about it] for the good guys, but that thought crossed my mind...
There's always the sickening thought of the Cardinal himself being made into Sio-Pan's newest toy. I mean, think about it... the chance to turn a bastion of your opposition ( a mighty one, at that ) into your private toy? A disturbing thought, but nothing is too disturbing for our necromantic friend. It works on several levels;
A: It rids him of a thorn in his side.
B: It gives him a rather powerful instrument to use at his whim.
C: It's the ultimate slap in the face to those whom are " Good. "
And today is the day the world sang in euphoria, just before the infinite silence.
A: It rids him of a thorn in his side.
B: It gives him a rather powerful instrument to use at his whim.
C: It's the ultimate slap in the face to those whom are " Good. "
And today is the day the world sang in euphoria, just before the infinite silence.
Grubnessul: Clever escape is definitely a possibility i'm considering . I do remember someone earlier mentioning how (I think Legolas was the one who mentioned it) Marcus said that no Jimenez has escaped from the House . As you know , Sweet used to work for Nia in the House of the Rose and so his motives might be suspect .
Legolas: Indeed XD well tune in next update to see how it turns out ! This season of characters is almost over I'm a bit sad !!
Sling Shot: Welcome back !!! I'm very glad to see old readers return ! I hope you catch up fast and please please feel free to comment on anything you see in the previous chapters ! I'd love to hear what you think of past chapters !
Judas Maccabeus: a dark yet pragmatic interpretation indeed . I'll have to ponder over that one . Thank you as usual for your patronage , JM ! As the good Doctor Hattori would say : always a pleasure !
Panzerkardinal: The Sio-Pan connection is a very apt one ! But I definitely won't give away any secrets . You've all made great guesses but I think the truth behind all of it will stun all of you XD at least to a little degree I hope !
Also everyone PLEASE PLEASE don't forget to vote (IT'S THE LAST 2 DAYS OF VOTING !!) in the AARland Choice AwAARds Q2 2007 even if you won't be voting for us we hope to get the vote out ! Of course please keep us in mind for the Favourite EU3 (overall) and Favourite EU3 narrative categories !! It'll only take a second to vote and you don't need to vote for all categories just the ones you have an opinion on ! It's going to be a very tight race so please get out the vote and support Timelines !!
Legolas: Indeed XD well tune in next update to see how it turns out ! This season of characters is almost over I'm a bit sad !!
Sling Shot: Welcome back !!! I'm very glad to see old readers return ! I hope you catch up fast and please please feel free to comment on anything you see in the previous chapters ! I'd love to hear what you think of past chapters !
Judas Maccabeus: a dark yet pragmatic interpretation indeed . I'll have to ponder over that one . Thank you as usual for your patronage , JM ! As the good Doctor Hattori would say : always a pleasure !
Panzerkardinal: The Sio-Pan connection is a very apt one ! But I definitely won't give away any secrets . You've all made great guesses but I think the truth behind all of it will stun all of you XD at least to a little degree I hope !
Also everyone PLEASE PLEASE don't forget to vote (IT'S THE LAST 2 DAYS OF VOTING !!) in the AARland Choice AwAARds Q2 2007 even if you won't be voting for us we hope to get the vote out ! Of course please keep us in mind for the Favourite EU3 (overall) and Favourite EU3 narrative categories !! It'll only take a second to vote and you don't need to vote for all categories just the ones you have an opinion on ! It's going to be a very tight race so please get out the vote and support Timelines !!
You've Been Canonized!: El Pip
Hi there everyone and welcome to You’ve Been Canonized ! If you’re new to the series , I am canonized , author of Timelines: What if Spain Failed to Control the World? . As some of you might know , at Timelines we do a weekly interview segment and have been doing so since March and now we’ve been sponsored by the AARLander and have found a happy home here ! Here’s how it works: Each week we interview a friendly patron author who’s stopped by at our thread and ask them about themselves , what they think of Timelines , and their current project whether it’s an AAR , mod , or AARLand community project ! At the beginning of each new month that week’s interview will be featured on the AARLander accompanied by links and descriptions to the other three interviews done by me that month so there is lots to read if you so wish ! This week’s guest is El Pip author of The Butterfly Effect ! Let’s get to the questions .
Part I: Author and Brit
El Pip and I discuss a few things about him !
canonized: First of all , thank you for being on the programme with us ! It's certainly an honour ! I have to admit though that being new to the forum I'm not too familiar with too many of the personalities ; could you tell those of us who might not know you yet how long you've been on the boards and how long you've been writing AARs ?
El Pip: Ohh I've been around must be two years ish. But only active for 18months or so. The only reason I actually did register was to write an AAR as it happens.
canonized: Oh ? Could you tell us the story of how that happened ?
El Pip: Well I'd found the place while looking to answer a question on HoI 1, which I'd picked up on sale. While looking around I found the answer but noticed all these 'Tale of Albanian Aggression' or 'The Lion of Belgium' type sigs which of course got me curious. So I started reading them. I forget which one first, but probably Allenby's epic. If only because I do remember downloading the TGW mod fairly early on. Having read a few I thought; Hey I can do that. So I did and started the back story of 'The Butterfly Effect'
canonized: Would you say that it was at that time that you found your narrative style or would you say that your author's voice developed more so over time ?
El Pip: Oh definitely it developed over time. If you look at the first updates and the last ones the difference is huge. They could be from different AARs almost. I'd also credit the interlude of 'King Haakon and the Fjords' as helping my style. If only for the practice it gave me.
canonized: From what I've noticed of your writing style as well , you have an easy time with historical data that comes across even if it is in a re-formatted alternate setting . Are you a big WW2 era buff ?
El Pip: In any other group yes. On these boards no.
There are people who have personal collections that rival libraries. Or that's the impression they give anyway.canonized: I suppose also , at least for your current work , that your historical acumen is aided by your residence in the UK . Could you tell us how that aspect of your identity has permeated the subjects of your writing and why ?
El Pip: Hmmm that's a good question. I suppose WW2 was the last great Imperial huzzah of Britain which could have really turned out spectacularly different with a few small changes. I guess my Britishness makes me push it towards coming out better for Britain. It's certainly something I know I'll have to keep a check on, make sure Britain does make mistakes and get things wrong.
canonized: I think , indeed , that we writers have our own biases and factions that we like to root for and most often than not we tend to idealize that faction or group to the extent that everything goes smoothly for them . Your writing style , however , is also integrated with instances of failure and conflict which I think as I've read your work also seems to reflect the proud parliamentary tradition of the Isles . Why did you want to display this aspect of your homeland for us ?
El Pip: The easy answer is that I couldn't hide it! If your attempting to be plausibly a-historic you have to portray the appeasers, the anti-war and the self-interested. The more complex answer is that, as you say, writers tend to idealise factions. People make no mistakes and show incredible foresight and vision. Which some people do to be sure, but most don't. And as the wilderness years of Churchill, Amery, et al shows; even if you do have the foresight people won’t want to listen to you. If there is one thing that annoys me in AAR land, it’s the US AAR where the country arms to the teeth from '36 onwards. You know, scraps the rubbish fleet, mass industrialises and nobody complains or argues against. Or if they do they're only strawmen to be knocked back by the visionary leader. Compare that with say CSL_GG's work (there are others, but his is the one I'm reading at the moment) and you'll see the difference. It's just a better more believable read.
canonized: Do you have any plans to expand your literary talents outside of AARland ?
El Pip: People have suggested it, Llwelyn most recently. But in the words of Clint Eastwood 'A man's got to know his limitations.' I'm an engineer, not a writer.
Part II: A New Reader
El Pip tells us what he thinks about Timelines !
canonized: First question , I'm curious as to where you came upon Timelines and how you got interested in it .
El Pip: That would be Llwelyn again. He was showing off about being Canonized in the College of Cardinals thread. Followed it over, read the adjourning chapter to the interview and then decided to go back to the beginning and start from the correct point, not the middle.
canonized: Being someone who's a resident of the HOI2 boards , what would you say is something in Timelines that differentiates it from the AARs you've read so far or what might make it similar ?
El Pip: The twin timeline is different, in as much as its done well and not fallen apart in a self-referencing paradoxical mess. Which while amusing probably wasn't what the author wanted. It's also one of the few where the author has given away the ending, of one timeline anyway. Which is a brave move I must say.
canonized: Oh ? Given away the ending in what sense do you mean ?
El Pip: Well Spain is going to win its global conquest isn't it. While a specific invasion may fail or not the overall result is not in doubt.
canonized: What would you say keeps each encounter fresh despite the ending 'determined' ?
El Pip: Not really sure, in fact I'm probably the worst person to ask that as it's the modern timeline that's my favourite ;-)
canonized: Haha why is it your favourite ?
El Pip: Because it isn't mapped out. I don't know what's going to happen. The modern timeline has that element of uncertainty; it could all go horribly wrong without ruining continuity or the story vanishing up a temporal paradox.
canonized: I know that as a Brit , the Spaniards are probably not that high on the list of good guys you'd root for ; what do you think there is about the story that would appeal to those who would not normally read Spanish AARs ?
El Pip: The epic scope I'd say. Aside from the odd CK to HOI2 I can't think of many AARs that cover such a wide timeframe. It's also interesting that you get to see the 'Results' of the game. Lots of AARs have country 'X' conquering the world or ending up pre-eminent power. This AAR shows what life is like after Spain conquers the world, the 'post-game' future in all its dystopian glory.
canonized: Haha last question of this section then: any guesses on what the elusive Timepiece might be ?
El Pip: Well I do have a theory. It may have been conflicted in parts I've yet to read though.
canonized: go for it
El Pip: Joseph of Aramathea, metal trader, took the young Jesus with him on his trips, including trips to Cornwall for tin. Cornwall being the only good source of tin in Europe at the time. While most of the events were chronicled by William Blake in 'Jerusalem' he missed out the part about the young Messiah being shown down the mines. Moving forward we see King Arthur and Merlin sending out the Knights of the Round Table to find the Holy Grail, which Joseph of Aramathea had returned to Cornwall on the death and resurrection of Christ. Upon discovering the artifact, Merlin is warned by the Lady of the Lake about a future time when England will be imperiled. Heating together fragments of meteorite, Messiah touched Tin and the Holy Grail Merlin forges the Timepiece as an all powerful Deus-Ex-Machina that can reset the world to how it should be. The timepeice, obtained by William the Conqueror, who recognised the threat to his rule, realising he couldn't destroy it dispersed it to the winds, offering parts to traders hoping it would never re-assemble. The mysteries and rumours are such that many have forgotten the true powers of the timepiece and its purpose. Thus we see the final Irony, Imperial Spain is desperately seeking the method of its own destruction.
canonized: Wow , the most elaborate theory I've heard so far !
Part III: Launching the Butterfly
El Pip talks to us about his current project !
canonized: The first question is an obvious one . Clearly , the title is an allusion to the timeline-altering movie , but could you tell us your motivations for creating a world where only a small domain of events were initially altered ?
El Pip: As it happens the title is an allusion to the original chaos theory 'Butterfly Effect'. However as I read about that in Jurassic Park and there aren't any dinosaurs in the AAR your reason fits better. As for the reason, well I wanted to do something realistic and thus small changes were most plausible. Mostly however it was just a general interest in the whole concept. How small a change could I make and still get a dramatic deviation.
canonized: What kind of preparation or pre-writing research did you do for this AAR ?
El Pip: Not a lot really. Just a quick web check on dates and majorities. Given how simple the original updates were that's all that was needed. Those were the days : sighs : The most recent updates are getting demanding research wise.
canonized: Indeed they have been including many fine tuned details of technology of the time , naval doctrines and their explanations , of which you also provide very interesting diagrams ! Would you say that part of the difference in tone in your work is that in the beginning it was more focused on the political while now it's more focused on the militant ?
El Pip: The focus follows the story and goes where the action is. In the beginning politics was the action, who was in power and why. When the war started the politicians took a back seat and the admirals and generals took over. Doing a series of updates on the Anglo-Irish trade pact while Cunningham's carriers were in action just didn't seem right! Now as politics is coming alive again the focus returns there. I'm not going to limit myself to one area so the focus will doubtless shift again.
canonized: That's certainly understandable and considering how things might have changed due to your tinkering with Germany and the other powers there might yet be instances of going back and forth not to mention the potential politico-military questions of South Africa . Have you planned out what will occur or do your narratives rotate around an unexplored area and you're just following the ramifications as they ripple ?
El Pip: Bit of both. I have the basic plot and a few of the big arcs mapped out, there are things I want to cover and events I know are going to trigger in the future.
El Pip: On the other hand I do try and keep in the spirit of the title and I also had a US president die on me, which was a surprise I can tell you, so clearly the Butterfly Effect is in the game engine as well.
canonized: Could you give us any previews for what might be coming next ? Whether it might be something about the Spanish Question currently going on ; what kind of peace Churchill can get with the Italians under such duress over the Simpson question or ... ?
El Pip: Previews... Well Spain is going to be an issue undoubtedly. The Spanish army may have lost the transport but they still want to rebel. Bare in mind that at this stage Mola, Sanjurjo and Sotelo are all alive, Franco has not yet consolidated his position. The right is still factional. There is also the French reaction to consider. In Italy Mussolini knows his position just got a lot stronger. While imports may be blockaded and the army in East Africa about to march into surrender he believes that is the high tide of the British advance. The army on the mainland outnumbers any British/Commonwealth force considerably and moreover would actually want to fight. I've also mentioned rumblings in Greece, elections are coming up there. Plus of course the US elections in November (probably some time in 2010 at my current rate), the 2-26 incident in Japan (which is interestingly late) plus the re-occupation of the Rhineland has been delayed over a month already. There's plenty of events lurking around the next few updates.
canonized: I was always curious , after you having provided such interesting operations such as the blitzkrieg-like amphibious assault on Tobruk in order to draw out the enemy fleet ; how did you come up with these original scenarios which the game obviously cannot engineer ?
El Pip: My method is simple, I just use the game to get results. The how and the when of things happening I create. So for instance the battle with the Italian fleet was actually three or more combats around the time of the landing. All the ships sunk and who sunk them are accurate I just knocked it into one big battle. With a battle result I then worked backwards to why the fleet might have sortied in the first place. Basically the game is a result generating engine, nothing more.
canonized: And lastly , what are your future AAR plans after this one ?
El Pip: As I think I've mentioned I'll be writing this for years. I'm updating considerably slower than real time, with no prospect of speeding up
If I get time I've still got "For King Haakon and The Fjords" to try and finish, or at least bring to a conclusion. And if (when?) I get Victoria I've got a vague idea for a narrative character driven AAR following a mining engineer around the world, chasing the 'Oil/Precious Metal' events.canonized: Well thanks again El Pip ! And thanks again to our audience who tuned in again this week ! We’ll be announcing our next Canonization candidate sometime during the week so please check us out at our home thread for that ! Good night , everyone . If you’re interested in the Canonization series , or interested in helping with the other Timelines projects , please feel free to contact me ! Also , please support the AARLander and talk to anonymous4401 for any questions or comments ! If you would like to read some more interviews please check out this past month’s interviews below !
The first interview of this past month was with Legolas and can be found here ! It’s a pleasure to get to know more about his Pagan culture centered AAR !
Our second interview of the past month was a special return visit with our good friend grayghost and can be found here ! We catch up with grayghost’s AAR and see how his noir epic is shaping up !
Our third interview of the past month was with the quirky bowl of soup and can be found here ! bowl of soup is the person behind his clever Seljuk AAR !
Still want to read more of my interviews ? We’ve been interviewing someone once a week since March 17 , 2007 ! Please come visit the Communion of Saints Canonization index !
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rcduggan said:i have to catch up with this again... damn...
well get to work ! - cracks his whip - XD XD seriously , welcome back !
canonized said:
Fantastic! I can see this getting to 100k views... And the 1000th post is just round the corner as well!
o Three months to catch up on, sure took me a long while.
And awfully much happened in that time. But you said the current cast was ending. Is that only the 'old' cast, or also the 'present' cast?
canonized said:
The referee groaned inwardly. Yet another excellent writAAR falling victim to the siren call of flopping updates in the form of the dreaded placeholder. He fumbled with his shirt pocket while striding towards the great writAAR canonized who was writhing on the ground in apparent agony. Out came the yellow card from the front pocket, surprising the fans and calling forth the outraged catcalls of the capacity crowd. The ref, unperturbed, finished recording canonized number in his little book, and gave the other team the free kick. Folks may not like their star getting booked...but then again, I am the guardian of the game! he thought.
Seriously man...
Just post it when you get it! Otherwise I'll miss it!
Respectfully submitted,
TheExecuter
Petros: Yep ! A little reward too for getting to 30k and 1k for sure !
Avernite: Great to have you back !!! Hope you enjoy catching up ! Please feel free to give your comments on previous chapters ! And it'll be the 16th century cast that will come to an end . the 20th century one will still be there .
rcduggan: thanks !
TheExecuter: I only make the placeholder once a month because I usually make my canonizations on Saturday but since the AARlander comes out at the beginning of the month I accomodate it . Since when I submit the layout I have to include certain links , I need a placeholder to anchor the links back to .
Avernite: Great to have you back !!! Hope you enjoy catching up ! Please feel free to give your comments on previous chapters ! And it'll be the 16th century cast that will come to an end . the 20th century one will still be there .
rcduggan: thanks !
TheExecuter: I only make the placeholder once a month because I usually make my canonizations on Saturday but since the AARlander comes out at the beginning of the month I accomodate it . Since when I submit the layout I have to include certain links , I need a placeholder to anchor the links back to .