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RESPONSES

Willum: You're not kidding. That's one medieval experience I'm perfectly happy to have missed out on.

Taiisatai64: My sincerest thanks. I'm truly honored. Please see this link for my full response.

General_BT: Thank you! Let's hope your prediction comes true and Barbarossa avoids pulling a Saleph.

Legendary Bard: Yes it is, and thank you sir!

morningSIDEr: Thanks! I'm glad to know that I was able to successfully convey the feeling of anxiety for the Kingdom.

Nikolai: Thank you, that's most kind of you to say.

Holy.Death: Oh, I don't disagree. What I meant by "a new generation" was essentially the point you made about a new crop of boys filling the ranks, although it would still take several years to completely replenish a fallen army through that method alone. Fortunately, Jerusalem has the added advantage of being a draw for both the adventurous and the devout, and as you pointed out, these new arrivals could be an added source as well. As for the Hundred Years War, my understanding is that it certainly wasn't one long conflict from 1337-1453, but rather a long series of repeated armed conflicts based around the same central goal.

FrozenWall: Indeed, I think that's also a very good point. I think it's also important to note that the game has a mechanism to simulate all those conditions you mentioned that were adverse to the mustering of levies. When the army was butchered at Ascalon in-game, there were still plenty of soldiers in the levies that were held back by their feudal overlords, as there's a host of different factors that affect the percentage of troops a vassal is willing to contribute.
 
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The difference between the real life Horns of Hattin and your in game Ascalon is that the army ofthe Kingdom was wiped out to the last man, whereas at Ascalon your army was doing quite well until Balian was wounded and captured with the levies leaving the battlefield. You also acted to disband surviving levies, which means they had your approval to go home and await a recall to the colours. You weren't treating them as deserters.
 
Chief Ragusa: Very true, plus the debacle at Ascalon also left Saladin's armies in a bad way, whereas after the real life Battle of Hattin that was not the case. Thank goodness the survivors got out of there, or they could have been captured and really emulated the Horns of Hattin.
 
Really a great read. Thank God for the emperor to come to your rescue.

BTW, just a little advice regarding the music. Wouldn't it be better if you put it at the beginning of your posts and not at the end? When I reach the link I've already read the post. :D
 
Kurospidey: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. Re: the music clips, sometimes they're meant to be spoilers for the next update, and sometimes they're just meant to add to the general mood. I'm not really intending for you to always listen to the music while reading the updates. It's meant sort of as an added bonus.
 
Just brilliant. Thou hast bereft me of much sleep and I am at this time getting goosebumps by the final sentence. Simply brilliant.

I always seem to buckle under greater numbers, but I guess Lionheart really turns the tide
 
Hurrah Barbarossa! I can't wait to read more of this AAR. Consider me subscribed!
 
You know , it's rather nice to see how well the course of the game is so well integrated into a believable story that it almost feels like you planned this dramatic arrival of *potential* relief from the beginning . It really demonstrates the power of making otherwise trivial game calculations into something that would pass into legend XD
 
henkalv: Thanks very much. :D I'm pleased to hear you're enjoying the story. As for Richard, the last time I checked I think he had a martial score of like 21 or 22. The definitely makes a difference in battles that would otherwise be very close.

Andrzej I: Thanks! Glad to have you aboard (and nice to see Barbarossa has some fans out there too).

canonized: Indeed, I think the key to good AAR writing has got to be weaving the game's disparate events into a coherent, believable plotline. As always, thanks for your patronage. :)
 
Aha, old Redbeard. Don't worry, he's not enough.
 
I have to say this is the coolest CKII aar I have read, and I have read a staggering amount of 1!

From the time you wanted fo find a suitable husband for Sybilla, got some English prince, and it was Richard the Lionheart, through the time your vassal wanted to have an assasination contest, and he chose Hashashin up untill the only Arab who answered Jihad was Saladin and the only King who answered the Crusade was Frederick f****** Barbarossa, I just could not keep my laughter.

And what was the most awesome was the fact that each of these characters in the game had the about the same personalities as in real life and made a suprisingly beliaveble story (it would be a bit sad if Richard did nothing but still got famous because he was Richard in an alternate timeline, but this fate does not threaten him anymore ;)). If not my utter distrust of buying games online, I would order CKII this very day, and as it is I'll go straigt to a store to buy it.

I am looking foreward with a mixture of anticipation and worry to the time you run out of historical characters. I somewhat worry that there will be no more cool comeos, but can't wait who will develop to be legends in this timeline :)
 
So you are saved, provided there are no rivers between Germany and Jerusalem.
 
No rivers but a big bloody sea.
 
Saithis: Ah, but is he the only one coming?

Memento Mori: Wow, that's quite a flattering tribute. I'm very happy to hear that you've enjoyed the story so far and I hope to continue to please. As for future cameos, never fear. I already have some things in mind. :D

Estonianzulu: Assuming he takes the land route. ;)

Kurt_Steiner: I imagine it's quite a bit easier to drown at sea than on land. Let's hope Barbarossa doesn't wear his armor while on deck.
 
So how does the crusade event thing work out? What happens ingame? You get reinforcements or does a real army pop up?

I like this AAR very much, really interesting how things work out :)

Tim
 
Timmie0307: Thanks for dropping by. :) When crusades occur, you get a message that the Pope has called a new crusade to retake province 'x'. Then hopefully a whole bunch of crusader armies from across Europe show up to retake said province. Active crusades give every Catholic lord a free casus belli on whoever owns the province in question.


A note to all: The next update will probably have to wait until the weekend, as I am currently embroiled in a writing project that takes priority, namely a graduate school research paper.
 
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