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Nikolai

Basileus Romaion
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Jun 17, 2001
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Hi all, here comes a short mini AAR of my first Menander AAR, which crashed and burned after a promising start when a bug wrecked the game completely. If you read to the end, I think you can guess what happened. ;) It made for a decent small story, though. So here it is:

---------------------------------------------

The Republic has fallen.

What will replace it, I do not know.

All I know, is the Old Order is gone.

Forever.

As I write this, the usurper’s men are closing in.

I have not long time left.

I should flee, yet I fear there is no use.

My world is shattered.

Rome, or at least the Rome I knew, is gone.

My name is not important.

Not anymore.

But if my words can preserve the Republic’s memory, and warn future generations, it has not been entirely in vain.

1597342005354.png


It started in January 486 AUC.

After incredible successes on the battlefield, Rome had united most of Italy under her rule.

With success, came greed.

With greed, came the first civil war.

With the first civil war, came the end – or at least the beginnings of it.

1597342016804.png

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The young Lucius Julius Libo, himself an upstart, became Consul.

He was a Populares, and popular he was.

His Co-Consul Gnaeus Ogulnius was a mere pawn.

Not long after the election, the greedy men of power tried to seize the Consulship, claiming Libo to be a danger to the Republic.
1597342199019.png


A danger he was, but not before these foolish men turned on him.

It gave him the excuses needed to entrench himself.

The rebels almost took Rome itself in the initial phases, but the Legion close to it remained loyal to Libo.

With the threat to Rome imminent, the Consul instated wide reaching reforms.

1597342044973.png

First came the Claudian Reforms to the military.

This one increased the military might of the republic, and had it stopped there, all would have been well.
1597342056370.png


Then the laws of Assembly changed.

The Centuriate Assembly again gave might to the military, which in itself could have been okay.

But the changes continued.
1597342078080.png

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The Consul got emergency powers, well beyond even the title of Dictator.

The Consul became First Citizen – Princeps Civitatis – and in reality was now a king.

The fearful men of Rome gave up the keys to the Republic willingly and easily.

1597342091417.png


Then the Civil War ended.

And nothing was ever the same again.

All rebels died, horrible deaths – none were spared.

Then all offices was filled with Populares, men of Libo.
1597342099113.png


He had total control.

It could have ended there.

A kingdom with a ferniss of republicanism.



But then the trials started.

First was Decimus Cornelius Arvina.
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An outspoken critic of the new regime.

He stood no chance.



Then came his collegue, Sevisu Fabius Sophus.

Another critic, silenced.

1597342124270.png

Then, finally, the First Citizen overreached.

Statius Cornelius Arvina stood trial, and the trial ended in war.

Another civil war.

The war that would change the world.

The war that would end all that once was Rome.

1597342136955.png

1597342151883.png


For as the Legions of the First Citizens marched, and the rebels lost, Rome lost it all.

When Libo and his men met the rebels for negotiations, promising leniency this time, they knew not that their time had come.

In secrecy, men had assembled to take power.

These men were led by a young man, only 29 years old.

Pallus Fabius was ambitious – and ruthless.
1597342165415.png


Men and women, children even, of the old families were killed.

Or, in best case, exiled.

Most were killed and never seen again.

When Fabius’ killing spree was over, only he and his upstart friends were left.

None of the great families of old were left.

None.



He didn’t even pretend to care for the Republic’s laws.

He took no Co-Consul.

He kept the First Citizen title.

He placed his own men of no noble line, in power.

The old order, he proclaimed, were to burn.

And burn it did.

There is nothing left of the Republic.

My dear, dear Republic.



As I prepare my sword for a final stand, I weep for what is lost – never to return.
 
What was the bug?

This is interesting. I especially like the POV of an old man proclaiming his regrets...
 
What was the bug?

This is interesting. I especially like the POV of an old man proclaiming his regrets...
Thanks. :)

The bug was simply that whatever I did on the end of the second civil war, all my characters save two (the young Consul and a kid) just died, whatever I did. The moment the end of the civil war fired, everyone died. Every. One.
 
Good grief. That's dark as hell even from a game perspective.
 
Good grief. That's dark as hell even from a game perspective.
The moment the civil war ended, I went through like 10? 15? (at least!) messages about newly elected Consuls. My dictator didn't even survive to show up at the event for what to do with the losers...
 
So what happens when everyone dies?
 
So what happens when everyone dies?
Apparently some young dude takes over with no Co-Consul, and he and some kid his dynasty is the only ones left. Once every month I got new families to choose from, but the game was basically done for. I lost enormous amounts of money suddenly, had no one to place in the various offices and bankrupcy meant I couldn't safely go to war...
That is an unfortunate bug. The ancient world's most feared band of assassins?
Must be. :p
 
Wow this is kinda poetic
I always love to see an old man talk bout the good ol days

I personally once wrote a story about a wild west bandit of the 1880s and 1890s who came back to his bandit camp in 1950, now an old man of 90 years. He was surprised to see that a resort had cashed in on his gang's notoriety and started a new resort named as 'Mchaven's camp'.

Cool AAR
I liked it very much
 
Wow this is kinda poetic
I always love to see an old man talk bout the good ol days

I personally once wrote a story about a wild west bandit of the 1880s and 1890s who came back to his bandit camp in 1950, now an old man of 90 years. He was surprised to see that a resort had cashed in on his gang's notoriety and started a new resort named as 'Mchaven's camp'.

Cool AAR
I liked it very much
Glad you liked it. :) You should post that story, it would be best posted in OT I think, if it's not related to one of the games covered in here. :) If you like old men talking about the good, old days, you should check out one of my previous I:R AARs (this is my fifth! :eek: ): https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/threads/the-lucanian-wars-a-short-narrative-story.1190194/
 
In an oddly perverse way: the end was appropriate! :p

Sometimes surprises make for fun write ups and reading. Especially as a reminder not all AARs need to be giant unfinishable projects! Thanks for informing Nikolai, especially since my presence is often in and out nowadays due to time conflicts.
 
In an oddly perverse way: the end was appropriate! :p

Sometimes surprises make for fun write ups and reading. Especially as a reminder not all AARs need to be giant unfinishable projects! Thanks for informing Nikolai, especially since my presence is often in and out nowadays due to time conflicts.
Haha, yeah it served them right I guess. ;)
 
Unlucky but you RP'd it. I guess...because I have not had any real threats to the Republic since the early days. Where I had to hurry and end Wars of expansion and use every trick in the book/game to end the threat...but never Trial or imprisoning.

In my run I am in the 460's and am about where Rome was after the First Punic War. Most of Italy (except the NE and NW corners) and Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily.

and now I have 90% Senate approval...from all 3 parties.
 
Unlucky but you RP'd it. I guess...because I have not had any real threats to the Republic since the early days. Where I had to hurry and end Wars of expansion and use every trick in the book/game to end the threat...but never Trial or imprisoning.

In my run I am in the 460's and am about where Rome was after the First Punic War. Most of Italy (except the NE and NW corners) and Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily.

and now I have 90% Senate approval...from all 3 parties.
Helps that I have little idea what I'm doing. :D I still can't figure out how to adopt a new culture. I can give privileges, but can't find a button to adopt it. Whatever though, as it gives more challenge and better stories. :p
 
Helps that I have little idea what I'm doing. :D I still can't figure out how to adopt a new culture. I can give privileges, but can't find a button to adopt it. Whatever though, as it gives more challenge and better stories. :p

If it helps I know nothing about Culture other than Roman Culture is Superior. I should click on that button called culture at the top of the screen sometime...
 
Neat little write-up
 
Neat little write-up
Thanks my friend. :)

I played on this campaignfrom an earlier save with the new hotfix patch that came the other day. Avoided civil war so far. In this alternative world, I got DoWed by both Carthage and Macedon separately at the same time. SomehowI won both wars amd expanded a lot. :D But this is the canon still. ;)