HistoryDude's Review Corner

[HistoryDude]

Since I am active throughout the forums now, I figured that I could start a review thread. Reviews will be weekly and will cover whatever AAR I want to cover, although I will mainly review AARs with many updates. Hopefully this can help bring a bit more activity to the general discussion area.

Anyway, the format of the reviews will be simple. I shall begin with an AAR's premise and proceed from there, covering such things as the quality of gameplay (for gameplay AARs mainly) and characterization (for narrative AARs mainly). I will briefly cover spelling and grammar, but this won't be a major part of the review because I tend to think that nitpicking those things is useless and prejudiced against people who don't have English as a native language (and I do have English as a native language). I won't grade AARs on any sort of scale, instead leaving quantitative judgements up to the readAAR.

Also, I checked with @Qorten, and this does not count as interactive.

List of AAR Reviews:
The Wars of the Roses by @coz1
Year of Hell by @Macavity116
In the Shadow of the Ancients by @Tommy4ever
From Pendragon to Prominence by @Olden Weiss
The German Century by @Basileus2
Omentide by @The Kingmaker

 

[Tom D.]

May we be blessed with lots of reviews! Looking forward to the first one.

 

[coz1]

Excellent initiative @HistoryDude ! I'll link this thread to the fAARq area that includes past reviews when this truly gets going. Good luck. I'm looking forward to what you produce.

 

[HistoryDude]

Thanks for the interest @Tom D. and @coz1! Here's the first review.

The Wars of the Roses by @coz1:​

The premise of this AAR is exactly what it sounds like. It is an EU4 AAR that covers the Wars of the Roses in England. The style is narrative, and the story is told like a novel.

Gameplay doesn't feature all that much. The focus is on the events of the conflict, so gameplay is only hinted at. It is reflected by the events in France (where England maintains territory and interest) and by a couple of battles. If one wishes to figure out how the game was played, they will need to do a lot of reading between the lines and probably have a decent amount of knowledge of the event chain for the Wars of the Roses (which I don't have, so I can't be certain). The game is used as a backdrop, so any attempt to use it as a tutorial will likely fail.

However, the main strength of the AAR is its narrative - its plot and characterization. The plot is compelling, and the characters feel realistic. Characterization is honestly the main draw, as all of the characters - from Henry "the Kingdom is collapsing around me, and all I'm doing is praying" VI to Queen "I have a thing for Somersets and love cheating on my husband" Margaret to the Dukes of York and Warwick, who present an interesting contrast. The reader is left yelling at the characters for their stupid decisions and cheering them on when they do something smart. Most of the commentators seem to take York's side, which might just be because Margaret is a character that everyone loves to hate.

The AAR is a great tale that leaves the reader waiting for updates. If you're not following it already, I can recommend that you go check it out. The grammar and spelling is great, as expected of a @coz1 AAR. The one thing that could annoy some people is that it takes a while to actually get to the fighting, but that's historically accurate. There still isn't much fighting so far for an AAR that has war in its name, but it looks like that's finally about to change... so hopefully we can see Margaret finally get her comeuppance soon.

 

[coz1]

Having not anticipated that WOTR would be first up to review when I made my previous comment, I am more than appreciative. And I cannot argue with a single word (other than Warwick is but an Earl and not a Duke. )

I must say I rather like @HistoryDude's Corner.

 

[Macavity116]

Fascinating. I saw some of the reviews listed on the fAARq back when I was starting out in 2018, but haven't thought about them since. Kudos for picking up the torch!

 

[HistoryDude]

Thanks for the replies @coz1 and @Macavity116!

Year of Hell by @Macavity116​

The fact that I enjoy the AARs of @Macavity116 should not be news by this point. His newest AAR covers a proxy war set in space... and humans are the proxies between two interstellar factions, and it's a narrative.

Gameplay is not obvious in this AAR, but it is reflected. A portion of this is the fact that Stellaris gameplay can have elements (notably events) incorporated into narrative AARs quite easily. While Year of Hell focuses on battles on the planets (which don't get much focus in the actual game of Stellaris), it does incorporate the lore in interesting ways. It includes methods of interstellar travel (which are plot-relevant), and Macavity notes that these have a history that reflects elements of the game's lore (precursors). Its main background lore is also based on an event chain from one of Stellaris's DLCs. In addition to all of that, the author has stated that he plans to incorporate elements of the DLC Galactic Paragons into the story going forward, which should be interesting.

The real strength of the AAR is not the creative worldbuilding and incorporation of Stellaris lore elements but the characters. Our two protagonists are Alari, a race which has just recently reclaimed their sovereignty, and they're also military. The first protagonist (Cali D'Kara) is an experienced military woman with an interesting past, while the second (Moka D'Bassim) is a newbie to war. Their interactions are interesting, especially given their relationship to each other... which probably counts as a spoiler.

All in all, it's an interesting AAR. There is one major downside, though, which is that it's a sequel to another work (Grand Theft Stellaris), and, while reading the prequel isn't essential to understanding the tale, it does help a lot with stuff that would otherwise be considered Noodle Incidents (including basically all of Cali's past). I don't mind this, but it is something to consider for a first-time readAAR of the AAR.

(Reviewer's Note: Due to the fact that my mouse was being annoying, an incomplete version of this got briefly posted. Sorry about that!)

 

[Midnite Duke]

Great Review. Annoying is one of the nicer things that anyone has ever said about a mouse. Grand Theft is short enough that it is not a major hardship to read that before diving into Year in Hell.

 

[Macavity116]

Oh snap! I kind of figured you would discuss one of my stories at some point, but I was not expecting you to pick the ongoing one! Thanks for the review!

while reading the prequel isn't essential to understanding the tale, it does help a lot with stuff that would otherwise be considered Noodle Incidents

Always a pleasure to meet a fellow Calvin and Hobbes fan.

 

[Rensslaer]

HistoryDude, thanks for undertaking this project! I always enjoy when Forumites highlight each others' work.

I'm reading Wars of the Roses, and very much enjoying it. I'm only at the beginning though.

And I did read the first post of Year of Hell, but did not realize it was a sequel to Grand Theft Stellaris, which I'm also enjoying as I make my way through. Macavity seems to be quite the prolific writer!

Rensslaer

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

Interesting project. Please continue.

 

[coz1]

Good to see another review! Not only am I happy to see the continued effort at this endeavor, I am really pleased to see @Macavity116 continue to write. I admit that I've not looked at the latest work and thus I need to rectify that. Well done both!

 

[Nikolai]

This is, I must say, a most excellent initiative! Thank you kindly for doing it.

 

[HistoryDude]

Thanks to *deep breath* @Midnite Duke, @Macavity116, @Rensslaer, @TheButterflyComposer, @coz1, and @Nikolai for the interest. This week, we're covering a megacampaign because I like them and also because I wanted to cover a Victoria 2 AAR, and this megacampaign is currently in V2.

In the Shadow of the Ancients (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3) by @Tommy4ever
​

Megacampaigns are obviously not a new phenomenon in AARland. This specific megacampaign follows Assyria, which doesn't have a state at the beginning of the Crusader Kings period but used to be a famous and glorious empire. Of course, Assyria is also somewhat controversial for other reasons, but that isn't relevant to this AAR.

This is a history book AAR, so gameplay is reflected in that the different game's events occur, and expansion is written about and shown on maps. The game is never outright referenced as a game, but it does heavily influence the worldbuilding and smaller narratives. I especially like the AAR's interpretation of the Revolutions from EU4, and politics in the V2 portion are also interesting.

The history book format means that the characterization isn't as deep as a narrative AAR, but the characters covered are still fascinating. I especially liked the characterization of the alternate Napoleon-esque figure (the military general Malik Abaya), who is honestly one of the most interesting characters. His influence pervades the subsequent chapters of the AAR, both in the EU4 section and the Victoria 2 section. I won't spoil any more of the AAR in my review here, but the historically significant characters that the AAR covers are fascinating.

All in all, this megacampaign is a convincing alternate history of a nation. I especially liked the role of religion (particularly in the EU4 period), as I feel like it adds to the realism. Of course, I'm probably biased there. The AAR also conveniently has summaries of each previous installment, which helps ensure that reading all three portions of the AAR isn't necessary. Of course, merely reading the summaries detracts from the enjoyment of the characterization of specific individuals, but it's still an option. If I had to critique anything, it would be that I don't fully like how the transition from EU4 to Victoria 2 was handled, as its results make me question the plausibility of certain events in the early Victoria portions (it has to do with Assyria's Westernization levels). This is both a minor thing and a matter of personal preference, though, and it doesn't detract from my enjoyment that much.

 

[Midnite Duke]

The mega campaign is fantastic. The V2 gameplay is definitely off the main stage.

 

[HistoryDude]

Thanks to @Midnite Duke for the support!

From Pendragon to Prominence by @Olden Weiss​

This AAR is the most recently started AAR that I've covered, and it charts the course of a custom dynasty that is allegedly descended from King Arthur. Currently, it has just finished the reign of its first earl and gone on temporary hiatus, but I'm confident that it'll return soon. These descendants of King Arthur have lost a lot of authority and only command a small earldom that answers to the Petty Kings of Mercia.

As a narrative, this AAR is rather good. I especially appreciate the characterization of the main characters - chiefly the Earl of Lindsey (who is the player character) and the Petty King (later Duke) of Mercia. Their relations with each other are fascinating and realistic and have multiple relations, including... actually, I won't tell you that. It's too much of a spoiler. Another thing that adds interesting dimensions to this AAR is the fact that it is written as an in-universe chronicle, and the (fictional) writer's views are reflected in the text. It adds a layer of bias to the tale that makes it feel more like an actual historical document.

The gameplay is less prominent, as it is seamlessly incorporated into the narrative. Events are incorporated into the story well. The potential issue with this is that, like most non-gameplay AARs, it can't exactly be used as a guide on how to play the game. The AI also does a lot of interesting things during the AAR, especially on the British Isles.

Overall, I appreciate the AAR due to the style and the implied gameplay. This isn't one of those AARs where a small ruler immediately begins on a conquest of large territories, instead focusing on a small earldom that hasn't really expanded yet. Similarly, the style is rather unique due to the implied bias and being written like the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. It also features excerpts from other documents about the time period, which help cover details that the main source doesn't go over in detail. However, I do see a few small flaws. These are minor, but... I'm a reviewer right now - and that means harping on small details. Anyway, for an Arthurian-inspired AAR, there is very few mentions of Arthurian legend, and the characters are shockingly friendly with the Anglo-Saxons, which takes away some interactions that could prove interesting (especially due to a major event that is a massive spoiler). I'd appreciate more references to the legend.

I can still definitely recommend it, though.

 

[Midnite Duke]

Great read! Who does not want to be a knight of the round table?

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

Love it when you have an in universe narrator. Albion had one, and a lot of 2016 projects did come to think. Ck2 was good for that sort of thing.

 

[El Pip]

An interesting review indeed, certainly one to add to the reading list (tries not to look at the length of said list).

 

[HistoryDude]

I'll respond to the comments in the post after this.

The German Century by @Basileus2
​

I'm not that active over in the HoI forums (which I need to fix), but I did manage to follow this AAR. It's a Kaiserreich AAR, which drew my interest since I've been interested in Kaiserreich for a while but haven't managed to play it due to inexperience with HoI4. Anyway, this AAR follows the German Empire, but it is no mere tale of unbroken victories. Instead, it is a constant struggle for survival against the Syndicalist aspiration for a world revolution (and there are also Russians).

It's a history book, so there isn't much narrative content. Still, a few very important characters do get their personalities somewhat explored, notably Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, who is apparently based on his OTL counterpart. He definitely has shades of Churchill and Roosevelt here, though - or I'm seeing some similarities at the very least. The narrative interludes are also intriguing.

The real draw here is the gameplay. Initially, Germany starts out in an amazing position since this is Kaiserreich, but things initially quickly go downhill for them. The Syndicalists of France and Britain begin the war against the Reich and advance quickly. Meanwhile, Germany's allies are faced with internal problems, which proves problematic. This is not helped by the intervention of the nationalist Russians, who are quite salty about how World War I (or the First Weltkrieg) ended. Faced with a two front war and the internal troubles of their allies, things go predictably poorly at first. Whether or not the situation is recoverable is part of the story's draw in my opinion, so I won't spoil that (I've spoiled enough already).

All in all, this is one of my favorite AARs that isn't (completely) a narrative. Its interludes (which are narrative segments) also help to give a feel for what the world is like and sometimes even how factions other than the Germans see things. I liked that perspective a lot. There are a few problems - the most annoying one of these is probably the lack of threadmarks, although there is a table of contents on the first post. I just find threadmarks more convenient for navigation. That's pretty nitpicky, though, and I have no problems with the actual content.