Why a Review AAR
There are two good reasons I am writing this. First of all, you'll have to wait for another week until the game is released and this can be hell if there's nothing to read and no new screenies to watch.
Secondly this AAR is, I think, the first with the final-build of the game (not a beta-version) and thus we will see some differences with the beta-AARs. The game has to be reviewed and what's a better way to do so then as an as-we-go review of the things I come across: how much fun is it, how easy is it to get into, can the automators be trusted, how is the game compared to V1 (you'll have to make that comparison yourself), how is the game speed and are there any bugs.
There is a third reason as well. I always resented not liking Victoria 1, I just hope this time thing will be different and what better way to find out by writing an AAR about my experiences.
My personal Vicky history
Just like Jarkko Suvinen I bought Victoria1 on release anticipating yet another great Paradox-experience. Just like him, I was bored after quite soon and gave up. Mine is still standing the shelf together with all other Paradox games but in contrast, it is not installed on my pc. A good friend of mine occasionally bothered me with his experiences in V1: “I am going to conquere a good chunck of China and make the Chinese POP imigrate to the US Westcoast, more laborers for my factories.” I couldn't care less, Victoria 1 was a closed book for me.
Two games were all I played, two games and then I gave up. The American Civil War-scenario was not to my liking (never is good enough actually) and I just didn't see the point of it all. Of course I got never into it and with no fond memories this experience, this first game, will be quite different then the first ones played with EU2 and HOI3 when I had these great memories of previous instalments. Thus, this will be quite different from my previous preview and review AARs, let's get this going.
Index
Introduction
Chapter I: Here I come Japan!
Chapter II: Un-Civilized
Chapter III: Preparations; two steps forward, one step back
Chapter IV: The Invasion of Korea- Part I
Chapter V: In the meantime, back in Japan
Chapter VI: The Invasion of Korea - Part II
Chapter VII: The spoils of War
Chapter VIII: The Western Wind
Chapter IX: Unhappy POPs
Chapter X: The Storm from the West
Chapter XI: The Chinese gather
Chapter XII: The long road ahead
Chapter XIII: Civilized, at last
Chapter XIV: The first factories
Chapter XV: “Thick-headed capitalists”
Chapter XVI: Railroads and rebels
Chapter XVII: Troubles in Korea and the Chinese question
Chapter XVIII: Preparing for War
Chapter XIX: On to Beijing!
Chapter XX: “I love it when a plan....falls apart”
Chapter XXI: Heroes don't die, heroes run!
Chapter XXII: Storming the gates of China
Chapter XXIII: Re-visiting the fields of Jilin
Chapter XXIV: On to Beijing! Again...
Chapter XXV: Towards Tibet, Afghanistan and Vietnam
Chapter XXVI: The rebellions
Chapter XXVII: China vanquished
Chapter XXVIII: The spoils or the burden?
Chapter XXIX: The partitioning of China
Chapter XXX: Civilizing China
Chapter XXXI: Trouble is brewing in Chinatown
Chapter XXXII: So much for the trouble
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