Mamma Mia! The AAR

**aldriq** · 28-12-2009 19:59

Mamma Mia!
Four Tales of Infambition, Randomadness and Glorytory

An Alternate Game & Play AAR for EUIII - Heir to the Throne

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A Cautionary Note

The author apologises for being under the influence of port, pernod, orujo, Christmas and other continental spirits at the time of conceiving this. The story is based on a true game, the characters are truly fictional. The author assumes no responsibility for the behaviour of the AI. No Abba songs should be played or food ingested after midnight while reading this AAR.

Bristol, Fourth Day of Christmas 2009

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Nothing like an alternate game to play around with HttT, learn a bit and laugh (or cry) a lot. This time I've gone beyond any previous madness and chosen to alternate between 4 countries -that's right, four. Don't expect anything glorious... in fact, expect everything to end up in tears. The countries are (in order of play): Mantua, Manchu, Mali and Maya. They are all just as likely to disappear by the 16th century, so I'll basically play them one by one in 7-year turns until there is only one left or I get bored... The start date is 1 January 1419. I'm playing 4.1.b with all settings to normal (plus Strannik's magnificent HDM mod).
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**C'est Moi** · 28-12-2009 20:58

Why 1419?

**balkanite** · 28-12-2009 21:42

this should be good

**gabor** · 28-12-2009 21:52

can't wait for the real action; and for me this will also be a sneak peek at HttT and its workings;
planning any RM between the 4?

**Malurous** · 28-12-2009 22:07

Really looking forward to this: aldriq, a concept taken probably too far, HttT, and reckless consumption, what could go wrong here?

***Qorten*** · 28-12-2009 23:37

Originally Posted by C'est Moi

Why 1419?

Good question.

Looking forward to your new endeavour, aldriq.

**NACBEAST** · 28-12-2009 23:48

Good to see another AAR by none other than alriq himself. Good luck, and EXCELSIOR!

**EUROO7** · 29-12-2009 00:21

I am utterly confused, yet somehow excited by the first post.

Whatever this is, it's bound to be good.

**Davout** · 29-12-2009 12:42

I must confess, the title filled me with much consternation. Many has been the bastard child conceived from an excess of ABBA and/or alcohol. But my fears were allayed when I saw the name of the author.

Play on, sir, gentle Mantua awaits your guiding hand.

**Sweboy** · 30-12-2009 22:26

As a Swede I can but follow this AAR.

Here we go again

**aldriq** · 31-12-2009 03:18

C'est Moi, Qorten - Welcome! I chose 1419 to have northern Italy a bit more balanced (neither Milan nor Venice being overly powerful), but now I think it was a mistake.

balkanite, Malurous, NACBEAST, Sweboy - Thanks and welcome!

gabor - who knows, I might even inherit Savoy

EUROO7 - Confused-excited is a good state of mind

Davout - I did not consume any Abba music while writing this, the title is merely alliterative

**aldriq** · 31-12-2009 03:45

Act I

Scene I

Music room at the Palazzo Stoppia, Mantova; Lady Francesca Stoppia, aunt of the marquis of Mantua, is playing the lute. Her personal secretary Enzo Carenzi enters with a letter.

ENZO My Lady, I bring worrying news from your nephew... the duke of Provence has declared war on the Pope and the marquis is hesitant to honour Mantua's current vow to protect his Holiness.
LADY STOPPIA I see... the duke is brave enough to call himself rightful king of France and now to claim Avignon for himself. On the other hand my nephew seems to be a coward. Why did my good father have to marry my sister to a Gonzaga?
ENZO The marquis doesn't want to antagonise Tuscany, my lady. Tuscany and Ferrara support Provence, no one but Mantua supports the Holy Father...
LADY STOPPIA Ferrara is an opportunity, Tuscany is not necessarily a problem. Enzo, remind my nephew that it is thanks to my father's money and intercession with the emperor the he has the title of marquis; Mantua will honour each and every guarantee or will not stand free.
ENZO Yes, my lady.

Enzo rushes out, Lady Stoppia continues playing the lute.

Nobody wants to ally Mantua, so I had to make do with guarantees (Savoy, Venice, Papal States) and royal marriages (Savoy, Ferrara). The Pope was quick to annex Urbino and Avignon, but is now on the wrong side of Provence. I honoured, Naples didn't.

Enzo enters with a grave expression, Lady Stoppia stops playing.

ENZO My lady, I'm afraid fortune didn't favour the bold this time; despite an initial victory against Ferrara, the marquis and his army have been defeated by the Tuscans. He withdrew to Verona, where he is negotiating peace directly with Provence.
LADY STOPPIA He is useless! Will we have to pay reparations?
ENZO No, my lady, His Holiness has taken Aix-en-Provence, the duke seems willing to accept a simple end to hostilities at the moment.
LADY STOPPIA Very well, at least Mantua held her promise, the Holy Father will have to handle this on his own from now.
ENZO My lady, the marquis is quite upset about all this, he never wanted to enter this war.
LADY STOPPIA He'll have to learn to live with defeat too, it is part of the bargain.

I escaped with a white peace, the Pope wasn't that lucky, he had to cede Ancona to Siena and Avignon to Provence. Gianfrancesco didn't take the humiliation well though...

Enzo enters with a very old document, Lady Stoppia interrupts her playing, visibly annoyed.

ENZO My lady, one of our informants in Modena has found a very interesting document that proves the old lord of Modena lost his duchy to Gianfrancesco's great-grandfather in a game of cards a hundred years ago.
LADY STOPPIA This is very interesting. In fact, this is what I have been waiting for all these years. This is the opportunity Gianfrancesco needs to redeem himself. Take this document to him, he should take no time to declare war on Modena.
ENZO Yes, my lady.

And so it is finally in 1425 that I get a chance and grab it. Modena is in a personal union with Ferrara, but luckily both have only single-regiment armies.

Enzo enters, a string in Lady Stoppia's lute snaps.

ENZO My lady, both Ferrara and Modena are besieged by our armies. However, the marquis Niccolo d'Este has so far refused to relinquish Modena.
LADY STOPPIA Fool. It's only a matter of time... Send this to the luthier.
ENZO Yes, my lady.

Enzo takes the lute and exits.

The sieges are at 13% and 25% as of December 1425, the end of the 7-year turn. Will the AI be able to finish this off and survive another 21 years? Note Austria has already taken Treviso from Venice...

**CatKnight** · 31-12-2009 04:00

Looks like a fun beginning. Good luck!

**JDMS** · 31-12-2009 05:35

Great work! On to Manchu!

**Malurous** · 31-12-2009 09:38

I don't usually like a format like that (theatre play) but that was done so well that I enjoyed it a lot. Great work!

The interesting thing, compared to your "Europe is our dancefloor" AAR for instance, is that the nations are indeed weak enough that any of them could be dead in 21 years. It's also pretty cool that your countries can't see each other yet - you won't know what's going on elsewhere unless you spy the map.

Looking forward to more!

**Sweboy** · 31-12-2009 11:27

luthier

Methinks you have been back on the port again

**gabor** · 31-12-2009 14:13

i like the format, but something tells me it'll be different with the other countries
now, let's put our faith in AI's skill

(didn't it make you feel sort of sorry to abandon your country in such a critical moment? will there be act II?)

**Johan11** · 01-01-2010 13:43

Well, lets see if this is as good as prawnstars....

Kidding....

Ill be in the opposite of the shadows.

**enkhuush** · 01-01-2010 17:10

ENKHUUSH I hope you won't quit because of bored.

P.S: Currently I'm listening Strauss.

**C'est Moi** · 01-01-2010 17:48

Originally Posted by Johan11

Ill be in the opposite of the shadows.

The swodahs?

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