St. Petersburg is wonderful in the spring. The rain of winter has eased off, the sun is shining, and the wine is blowing ever so gently, politely complimenting the practically balmy temperatures of 11 degrees Celsius. I have just come out of a meeting with Mr. Aleksey Fyodorovich Orlov, the Chairman of the Imperial Council of Ministers of the Russian Empire, having signed with him a defensive alliance between the Empire and the Danubian Federation, and am now strolling somewhat aimlessly down a well-kept street in one of the city's more affluent neighbourhoods. My name is Wolfram Liberalen, revolutionary writer, copious drinker of coffee, and serial intellectual. I'm also a diplomat, and an on-and-off politician.
Or so I would have you believe.*On the 15th of February, I took a leap of faith and entered into a foreign world - that of the interactive AAR. I had never before even considered doing such. I had never really done anything that could be called 'roleplaying' prior to this, and as such felt slightly overwhelmed at the thought of having to deal with all of the poltical nuances and backroom dealings that accompany such an AAR. Before entering the fray, I had read the main updates and rules, and very little else. I didn't really have a hope in hell of understanding what was going on, and therefore declined on being an all-out politician. And I'm glad I did.
The Danubian Federation as imagined by my fellow roleplayAARs is an incredible place. In its twelve year existence, the Federation has experienced revolution, assassination, political suicide (literally, that is,) and year upon year of war with someone or other - be the enemy a foreign power or an internal one. In short, it's a fantastic muse - and Liberalen is a writer.
Within my small corner of the
Crusader Kings 2 AAR forum, I rarely get to write about anything that happened post 15th century, which is a shame. I write three AARs already, and I think I'm probably slightly foolish - or at least being imprudent - for doing so, so a fourth is out of the question. Yet there is so much of history about which I can write. The Danube offers an intriguing middle ground. As Liberalen, I have written six essays, an open letter, three pieces of lyric (four of you count one verse of a Radical marching song,) interviewed three people, and even produced a work of satire.
Normally, I wouldn't have imagined that I'd be able to be so prolific. Anyone who had ever read any of my work will appreciate that I'm not exactly the fastest updates out there. Yet, provided with this - though I am loath to use the word - dynamic stimulus, I am able to reel off work like fish and chip paper. I'm not saying that I get bored by 'conventional' AARs - not by any stretch if the imagination - merely that being part of an interactive AAR has provided a welcome break form writing.
It's as if, in participating, I've revitalised myself in writing terms. I certainly feel refreshed having this new diversion in which to immerse myself. I will admit, there have been times during my hitherto relatively short AARing 'career,' if you will, where I have been somewhat reluctant to begin work on an update. I think the problem here was being constrained by certain topics and events. When I am writing about very similar things all of the time, I feel like my work stagnates. Grinding out update after update in which a battle occurs can be hard work - ultimately rewarding, but nonetheless hard. With this 'diversion,' however, I am safe in the knowledge that I have an output for varied writing. I never dreamed that I'd be writing essays on Hungarian separatist movements, yet here I am. It is this variety that I feel has been really beneficial to me as a writer.
Though I'd be telling a rather obvious lie if I tried to convince you that that is all there is to these interactive AARs. That certainly isn't the case, and there are many people I know of involved in such things that have never written an AAR of their own. Evidently, then, the refreshing nature of such AARs is not universal in its appeal.
So why would you take the plunge and sign up? Keeping up can be a large commitment, and the time that some people put into developing the stories is nothing to be scoffed at. Yet participating can be a very rewarding experience. I'm still not entirely sure why I decided to create a character, but - to reel off a cliché - I'm glad that I did. My experience of interactive AARing has been a lighthearted one. I have been able contribute and follow the story in a really pleasant atmosphere, which is always a bonus. I think this is really the crux of such AARs' appeal. I can't imagine that the genre would have taken off so much if it consisted of endless political debate. It is often the witty references or in-jokes that make the thread - out of character goings on are in some ways just as interesting as the actual in character meat of the AAR.
I think perhaps there may have been another factor, and this is one that'll always apply to a certain type of person. I'm not sure whether or not I should be concerned that I seem to be such a person. Playing a character affords someone a level of power over things that he wouldn't usually get. I can only speak for myself, but I'm not actually a cabinet minister. The idea of being able to exert some control and influence over things on a large scale appeals to me - so much so that I was genuinely excited when I read that Liberalen was to be Foreign Minister. To some people, things will always be more enjoyable when one has some influence over what is going on. It definately added an intersting facet to my experience in the genre.
And then there is the story itself. Being friendly and powerful is all well and good, but without anything interesting actually happening it accounts for pretty much nought. I've always enjoyed alternate histories, and the world as it is known to the Federation is certainly an interesting place. Coups and revolts and war may be a pain if you have to deal with them, but they certainly make for interesting reading. Affording the story such fluidity allows for some really interesting things to pop up. A trading company seizing control of Tunisia, for example, or a general declaring himself Emperor of the Danube. Having entertaining updates-proper is good for any AAR. But then there is also what goes on behind these updates. Loads of really well done player generated content really gives the AAR flavour, and I always like seeing what other people have to offer - as with conventional AARs. The bonus with an interactive AAR, however, is the abundance of writing talent present that makes reading the things made by my fellow participants a pleasure. Reading a well written AAR - or anything by a talented writer, for that matter - is always enjoyable. Interactive AARs are wonderful in that they serve as repositories for the work of dozens of talented writers, and, with a guarenteed audience, there are few places better to show off your abilities.
Though I've talked about the Federation long enough. As you may have gleaned from my signature, I am involved in two interactive AARs,the second being Avindian's
Tukhachevsky's Army and the Politburo, which is completely different. In this AAR, we, the participants, play as important members of the Soviet Union's political and military echelons. It is interesting, for me at least, to consider the differences between the two AARs - this and the Federation - which demonstrates the range of ways in which the genre can manifest itself.
Perhaps the most noticeable difference is to do with the way in which participation is handled. In
A Federation of "Equals", anyone and everyone can become a councillor or deputy, and therefore have a voice in the goings in of the game, and direct influence over what happens. With Tukhachevsky, only a select group are really afforded such rights - simulating the rigid nature of the Soviet Union's political system. This makes for a rather unique experience.
Whereas the Federation moves freely in its discussion, the Politburo are somewhat more constrained - or that is the impression I get, at least. I would imagine that this draws largely from the fact that debate only really*rages between eleven people, compared to the Federation's thirty eight, allowing for the more natural development of topics and talking points between a larger number of people. When you add to this the fact that the Soviet Union wasn't exactly a democracy, with points discussed very functional, you get an interesting contrast. In the Politburo, what would be the bills and acts of the Federation are orders for military units, or how the budget should be spent. I would imagine this relates to Hearts of Iron - a game of which I have very little real knowledge, save what I've picked up from other AARs. In fact, there are three Politburo positions which, to hold, one must have
Hearts of Iron: Their Finest Hour. This is an AAR firmly rooted (or so I have picked up,) in deciding how the game will progress, as opposed to concerning itself with the fluff that goes on behind what the game tells you.
Though, as may be apparent from my probably obvious lack of Hearts of Iron knowledge, I am not a member of the elite group responsible for making such decisions. I am one of the 'candidate members' [of the Politburo,] a unique group of people who, essentially, have little to do aside from waiting for the day that they are elected by Stalin to become 'full members.' This usually comes about as a result of another key feature of this AAR - and, indeed, of the actual USSR: backroom pacts, plots, and politicking. So far in my relatively uneventful tenure as Prosecutor General of the Soviet Union, I have been the instigator of a plot aimed at bringing about the downfall of another member, and almost been elected to the immensely exciting position of Commissar of Agriculture. You've got to amuse yourself somehow when your on,y real duty is to wait - why not have some fun in the process?
And I think that probably is the main point of these interactive AARs - to have some fun. There are those who would argue that, actually, interactive AARs aren't AARs at all, but instead RPGs, but, for all intents and purposes, take that they are as a moot point. What we have is a rare species that presents us as AARlanders a unique way in which to enjoy ourselves on our boards. That to me almost exemplifies the essence of AARland - to have fun in a unique and enjoyable environment. I'm not saying that we should overrun AARland with the things à la the RPG forum, but I would similarly hate to see the abandoning of the genre.
But I've talked enough, and I fear I'm running late for a meeting with Mr. Orlov. Good day to you all.