The Eternal Exile: A Nation Hopping AAR

[Peregrinus]

Since the story is a personal journey through the world then the consolidation of powers probably offers a good chance to develop the progress = bigger wars theme. This would also fit pretty well with going to the new world and then getting that state crushed by the Europeans.

A bit like Kurosawa, eh?

[Mr. Sometimes]

I just found this thread, and I can say that I'm close to suicidal over not finding it earlier!

This was the most exciting, thrilling, addicting aar I've ever read (not that I have read that many tbph)

Can't wait until you continue with it!

[Ashantai]

Good news! Thanks in part to Boris, and getting more time I am going to continue this.

However, there are going to be some changes, at least in the short term. I don't have the time or desire to play the game, especially since I had over a century from HTTT which is now redundant.

So this is going to become a more narrative story. With pictures still included of course, and maps, but for the moment not much gameplay. I'm sorry.

I hope to rectify this in the future. Starting soon I'll start posting updates. Thank you all for your support and I hope you will enjoy part 2 of The Eternal Exile!

[Sather]

First to say: YAY, It's coming back
^^

[blsteen]

First to say: YAY, It's coming back
^^

Okey dokey then...
We'll see Talena go all Jack Bauer on someone then...soon...right?

[Chris Taylor]

Good news! Thanks in part to Boris, and getting more time I am going to continue this.

Yay! The story lives on. Looking forward to the next update!

[Ashantai]

Thanks! I've decided on my method, which should mean quicker updates in a different style, but hopefully as enjoyable.

[Mr. Sometimes]

Awesome, can't wait!

[morningSIDEr]

Very good news. I look forward to seeing this restart/resume/begin again (delete as appropriate)!

[Boris ze Spider]

Its interesting to see how the line progresses, can't wait for part two in my favorite aar.

[Ashantai]

Boris: Thanks! You're in no small part responsible for me restarting this project!

PART 1.5 – What Might Have Been

Section 1 – Aztec and England

This section will be unique in that it will be written entirely Out of Character, and will describe my plans and results of the time between 1533 and 1600. This was played under HTTT, and since I updated to DW there is no easy way to recover it. So instead I will describe what I planned to happen here, using game screenshots.

Well, after playing Ming I had a choice of going back west or continuing east. Japan in HTTT wasn’t as interesting as it is in DW, so I decided to go across the see to Aztec. I hoped that Europeans would swarm me and I could have some fun that way. Sadly, all the European powers were at war and had lost all their fleets and/or hadn’t discovered me. Even when I tag changed they wouldn’t attack. Finally in 1540 I gave up and moved to England.



England had done rather well so far. Despite losing its French holdings to me they had gained big in Italy and especially in the north. They also had a few colonies in North America. Along with that was an explorer with a 6* Manoeuvre value! The plan was for Talena to meet him and then journey with him before returning to England.





One of my first priorities was the creation of a COT and stabilising the rampant inflation which the AI is great at accumulating. Additionally the AI had issues in a big way with the Reformation, and this fitted well into my story, since the King was a minor when he took the throne when I started playing.



This was my march into the hinterland…mainly to give me something to do while I waited for the King to grow up!



The AI had actually done a reasonable job with sliders, and it all sort of played to my advantage.

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/lordvalentai/AAR%20Nations/Diversion%20Pi
cs/D6EnglandRulers.jpg[/IMG]

I found it amusing that this Henry VIII would be coming to the throne with similar stats and near the same time as the historical one. I resolved to make this a conversion time.



And this was the perfect trigger for me, IC, I was going to have Talena persuade him to convert and then seize the monasteries. I have to say I was rather more successful then the real Henry VIII!





And here we are. The conversion and the claiming of DOTF. Since there were only a couple of Protestant nations around this was pretty easy. I also intervened in numerous wars on the continent, always force converting to Protestantism as would have been done by the character.



And this was a great thing too. So at the end of this section all was going well, and I’d have further success with England before the end with Henry VIII.

[Boris ze Spider]

Nice to see England succeeding.

[Ashantai]

Agreed!

Section 1b – England

So, as I converted my provinces and enemies on the continent and explored most of the world I received this message.



Yup, I called it. It didn’t take them long to ruin my legacy. I didn’t have any pics of it, since it was still TI, but it seems Wu and other states broke off. Oh Ming….



I’ve seen some silly wars, but declaring war on an admittedly weak Burgundy who happens to have France and England as allies lacks sense of any sort! It was rather sad actually.



As a Protestant this was just perfect! Among other Italian possessions (since I got CBs on heretics) I grabbed Rome. Perfect story-wise to have the great heretic and Protestant marching into Rome and ousting the Papacy! I actually went and beat up the second Papacy later on too.



In America I invaded and conquered Huron. It was kind of fun really. This battle just shows what happens to natives when there’s a 20 tech level difference!



And finally the King died with all but one province now Protestant. I still couldn’t form Great Britain though…this was done later!



Good progress, and one of the best Reformations I’ve seen!

[Chicken]

Yesyesyesyesyes! It's Baaaaaaack!

Good to see you back writing this again!

[Boris ze Spider]

Actually it is two that have not converted.

[blsteen]

Intriguing

[Ashantai]

Section 2a – Austria

Let me preface this section by saying that this was part of the reason why country changing games get annoying later. Austria was a TOTAL mess. They had 50 infamy, were gaining 2 a year from unlawful territory, and it was scattered. For instance they had stuffed 20,000 troops into Neva, which I sold to the Russians for 550 gold. The inflation was unbelievable because they’d hired dozen of mercenary units and couldn’t pay them.
I had to cheat, if only to make it playable. My first move was the rather bizarre one of…



After selling provinces and reducing the armies and infamy down I could actually start playing.



After a few years I could finally fight against Poland, who was HRE for some reason. It was a pretty frantic war, but I gained the ascendancy and won pretty easily in the end.





Later I retook Tirol and other territories I had a core. Castile had a province at Cherson which I wanted. And so I had to invade Spain itself by land and force a victory.



This was my final war, and the results was a unified and powerful Austrian state. I’m quite impressed to be honest, since Austria was one step from collapse before I took over!



And for the hell of it…being called Kaiser is always worth it!

[Boris ze Spider]

When will we get narrative?

[Chris Taylor]

Seeing these maps now, I am sorry we won't get to read Talena's adventures through those events. I'm sure you would have done a great job with the English Reformation, Sack of Rome and correction of the Habsburg lands.

Is the plan still to resume from a 1533 DW start? (What makes 1533 special, by the way?)

[Ashantai]

There's one more episode and then we go back to the narrative.

Yeah, it is a shame, but on the other hand there wouldn't have been much point.

1533 is partly important since it marks one key event, my first to get involved in!

Now, does anyone have any key historical events they'd want me to weave in somehow? Part 2 will be following (more or less) the historical narrative with my own twist. Any dates/events up to 1648 will be considered.

And thank you all again!