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Congratulations! One of the funniest I've read since the end of Exterous's and Rustican's writings. 
Feel kinda silly not posting here until now. Some blasted thing called 'real life' just kept bugging me.
I'd love to say this AAR was a product of some tough choices and complex decisions, but it wasn't. I read the lyric 'I'm Going Slightly Mad' in a webcomic, realized that could be a great comedy AAR, and then picked Bavaria for the Mad King.
A look at the first post will give you a good idea of how I was hoping to play. When Prussia accepted the Frankfurt Assembly, though, it all went nutty.
Can't say I regret that, though. It's definately been a wild ride, and soon, it'll be the first AAR (hell, the first game) I've played to completion. Huzzah!
But, it's time to pass the torch. Now, I know they said to try to avoid staying in the same game, but this AAR kicks so much booty it has to be mentioned.
Give it up for Fire Warms The Northern Lands - A Prussian AAR for Vicky by Rensslaer.
Be warned, that sonuvagun is long. As in 24 pages and over a year in the making long. Still one of the best AARs I've ever read, with a decidedly atypical approach to Prussia (He never becomes Germany, for example).
I'd love to say this AAR was a product of some tough choices and complex decisions, but it wasn't. I read the lyric 'I'm Going Slightly Mad' in a webcomic, realized that could be a great comedy AAR, and then picked Bavaria for the Mad King.
A look at the first post will give you a good idea of how I was hoping to play. When Prussia accepted the Frankfurt Assembly, though, it all went nutty.
Can't say I regret that, though. It's definately been a wild ride, and soon, it'll be the first AAR (hell, the first game) I've played to completion. Huzzah!
But, it's time to pass the torch. Now, I know they said to try to avoid staying in the same game, but this AAR kicks so much booty it has to be mentioned.
Give it up for Fire Warms The Northern Lands - A Prussian AAR for Vicky by Rensslaer.
Be warned, that sonuvagun is long. As in 24 pages and over a year in the making long. Still one of the best AARs I've ever read, with a decidedly atypical approach to Prussia (He never becomes Germany, for example).
All this time and this is only the first showcase? Wow. Well, it certainly is deserving. A terrific read!! Congrats, Renss.
Rocketman, thank you!
However, I am embarrassed to receive such an honor on a week (the second week, even!) when I hadn't even had time to congratulate the previous winners!
SeanB, congratulations on your win!
And Rocketman! Congratulations! You've got quite a tale there... and a sequel now, which I will have to check out. Great work!
I will have to come back later to comment on the AAR and tell some more about it. Must run off to work very soon, here.
Thank you all for your kind comments! And if you haven't already, please do come see the AAR. There's an index linked from the first page if the page count is too daunting.
Rensslaer
However, I am embarrassed to receive such an honor on a week (the second week, even!) when I hadn't even had time to congratulate the previous winners!
SeanB, congratulations on your win!
And Rocketman! Congratulations! You've got quite a tale there... and a sequel now, which I will have to check out. Great work!
I will have to come back later to comment on the AAR and tell some more about it. Must run off to work very soon, here.
Thank you all for your kind comments! And if you haven't already, please do come see the AAR. There's an index linked from the first page if the page count is too daunting.
Rensslaer
Thank you, Catknight, for re-starting this honored thread, and for maintaining an index at the beginning, which will come in handy in avoiding duplicate awards when I pick a successor!
And thank you again, Rocketman, for bestowing this award upon my "life's work" (okay maybe not quite that, but it's almost 50 pages now!).
Naturally, I enjoy writing Fire Warms, or I would not still be at it. But it's also a great incentive to have so many people enjoying the reading of it! And the comments are very much appreciated too.
Others have succeeded well in recent months with mixed-format AARs, but at the time I began writing Fire Warms, it was relatively odd to have an AAR that was expositional history AND dramatic scenes AND diaries AND letters AND screenshots, etc.
It's also different from many others because, while Prussia conquers quite a bit, that's not its raison d'etre. Prussia's history in Fire Warms has been mostly reactive (so far!) to the outside world intruding upon a country that more or less minded its own business! World conquest was not my goal, nor, really, was becoming Germany (though that eventually happened... kind of!). Rather than annexing, my Prussia prefers to satellite other European countries and make them dance to Prussia's tune.
Another way it's different is the people. I must give credit to author Robert K. Massie and his brilliant Victorian history Dreadnought for providing inspiration and insight into the personalities and relationships among the royal families of Europe. He described a yawning gap between Grandmother Empress (Queen Victoria) and Grandson Emperor (Kaiser Wilhelm), among other things. It's led me to research and attempt to portray these (mostly) real Victorian characters as true to life with their motivating philosophies intact (which means Prussia's personality changes with the leader). It's led to some interesting oddities -- who knew that France's Louis Napoleon would become a major character in a Prussian AAR?!
In Fire Warms, Prussia does basically what I think the real Hohenzollerns would have done, given a slightly altered setup.
I know it's (really!) long, but if you care to take a look, I have my favorite updates listed in an annotated index linked from the first post (Warning: Spoilers!). If you get hooked, well, it would be great to have you along!
Rensslaer
And thank you again, Rocketman, for bestowing this award upon my "life's work" (okay maybe not quite that, but it's almost 50 pages now!).
Naturally, I enjoy writing Fire Warms, or I would not still be at it. But it's also a great incentive to have so many people enjoying the reading of it! And the comments are very much appreciated too.
Others have succeeded well in recent months with mixed-format AARs, but at the time I began writing Fire Warms, it was relatively odd to have an AAR that was expositional history AND dramatic scenes AND diaries AND letters AND screenshots, etc.
It's also different from many others because, while Prussia conquers quite a bit, that's not its raison d'etre. Prussia's history in Fire Warms has been mostly reactive (so far!) to the outside world intruding upon a country that more or less minded its own business! World conquest was not my goal, nor, really, was becoming Germany (though that eventually happened... kind of!). Rather than annexing, my Prussia prefers to satellite other European countries and make them dance to Prussia's tune.
Another way it's different is the people. I must give credit to author Robert K. Massie and his brilliant Victorian history Dreadnought for providing inspiration and insight into the personalities and relationships among the royal families of Europe. He described a yawning gap between Grandmother Empress (Queen Victoria) and Grandson Emperor (Kaiser Wilhelm), among other things. It's led me to research and attempt to portray these (mostly) real Victorian characters as true to life with their motivating philosophies intact (which means Prussia's personality changes with the leader). It's led to some interesting oddities -- who knew that France's Louis Napoleon would become a major character in a Prussian AAR?!
In Fire Warms, Prussia does basically what I think the real Hohenzollerns would have done, given a slightly altered setup.
I know it's (really!) long, but if you care to take a look, I have my favorite updates listed in an annotated index linked from the first post (Warning: Spoilers!). If you get hooked, well, it would be great to have you along!
Rensslaer
Thank you again to all those who offered your congratulations! I appreciate praise from so many worthy authors and readers!
It is time to pass on the Weekly AAR Showcase...
The AAR I've chosen to showcase is from the HOI2 forum -- one which I get to occasionally, but infrequently. I took a look at several, and there are plenty very worthy AARs over there. I wanted to choose one that was underway enough to not be a fleeting effort, but which has yet to receive the recognition it deserves, and which clearly deserves highlighting as a talented piece of work.
This one, like mine, mixes the history-book approach with dramatic fiction, with visual aids, etc. It is well researched, and believable in conceptualization and exposition. One gets the impression that this author knows the time and situation of which he writes.
How to describe? Its elements are several, all of which are pulled off well. It has the military thriller style of Tom Clancy, the espionage thriller feel of James Bond, and the political thriller quality of The West Wing (or... what's the British equivalent? Perhaps a 10 Downing Street TV show?)
This is this AARthor's first work, but he is no stranger to AARland. He actually pre-dates me in forum-time, but has been most widely known as a commenting readAAR. In fact, I know him to be widely enough read that I have no doubts as to his ability to make a great choice for successor because he's reading dozens of AARs from multiple forae.
Congratulations to Draco Rexus: For King and Country, an HOI2 British AAR!
It is time to pass on the Weekly AAR Showcase...
The AAR I've chosen to showcase is from the HOI2 forum -- one which I get to occasionally, but infrequently. I took a look at several, and there are plenty very worthy AARs over there. I wanted to choose one that was underway enough to not be a fleeting effort, but which has yet to receive the recognition it deserves, and which clearly deserves highlighting as a talented piece of work.
This one, like mine, mixes the history-book approach with dramatic fiction, with visual aids, etc. It is well researched, and believable in conceptualization and exposition. One gets the impression that this author knows the time and situation of which he writes.
How to describe? Its elements are several, all of which are pulled off well. It has the military thriller style of Tom Clancy, the espionage thriller feel of James Bond, and the political thriller quality of The West Wing (or... what's the British equivalent? Perhaps a 10 Downing Street TV show?)
This is this AARthor's first work, but he is no stranger to AARland. He actually pre-dates me in forum-time, but has been most widely known as a commenting readAAR. In fact, I know him to be widely enough read that I have no doubts as to his ability to make a great choice for successor because he's reading dozens of AARs from multiple forae.
Congratulations to Draco Rexus: For King and Country, an HOI2 British AAR!
A briliant choice Rensslaer. I am proud to say I am a subscriber to both Fire Warms and For King and Country, both are great AAR.
Draco Rexus' masterpiece has everthing that Rens mentioned earlier. James Bond mix with Clancy with a dash of West Wing. A really good AAR for adaption on the big screen.
Cameron, Howard, Spielberg take note.
Draco Rexus' masterpiece has everthing that Rens mentioned earlier. James Bond mix with Clancy with a dash of West Wing. A really good AAR for adaption on the big screen.
Cameron, Howard, Spielberg take note.
Congrats Draco. A splendid choice Renss!
Draco's AAR has a good mix of narrative style writing and dialogue. While the narrative pieces tend to take the story forward more rapidly, dialogue provides a more in-depth picture of certain (chosen) events that tend to influence the narrative in the long run.
In the following sentence the words in CAPITAL letters are really important: The story also has a good sense of realism and dry (in my opinion: very british) humor. This is an encourangement, so get encouraged and get us MORE of those brilliant, detailed, dialo-narrative UPDATES.
Draco's AAR has a good mix of narrative style writing and dialogue. While the narrative pieces tend to take the story forward more rapidly, dialogue provides a more in-depth picture of certain (chosen) events that tend to influence the narrative in the long run.
In the following sentence the words in CAPITAL letters are really important: The story also has a good sense of realism and dry (in my opinion: very british) humor. This is an encourangement, so get encouraged and get us MORE of those brilliant, detailed, dialo-narrative UPDATES.