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Introduction and Mechanics

El Pip

Lord of Slower-than-real-time
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Dec 13, 2005
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Read All About It!
The year is 1889 and all is not well in the world. War rages in Eastern Europe, Arabia and South America, reactionaries and revolutionaries are toppling governments and being toppled themselves and a diplomatic crisis is brewing in Central Europe that threatens further conflict. In these turbulent times who can the educated man about time turn to for wisdom, explanation and cold hard fact? I've no idea so it appears we will all have to make do with the Newspapers.

Welcome to Read All About It, a shared world project set in a very different late Victorian era. There is a discussion about it in a thread in the General Discussion area, but the basic idea is multiple authors writing newspaper reports about the same game events from different perspectives.

Writers

There is no limit on who can join in or what perspective you write from; underground fascist newspapers, state run communists press, independent papers, gutter yellow press, anything goes. Articles do not have to focus on the big wars, if you want to do a local paper far from the conflict then go for it.

There is a list of existing publications / papers;
https://drive.google.com/open?id=13NhOQ64XppRAaC3fYofT32OzBXDktzNAILKKiM9NE-c

List means you can check if someone is already writing from the same perspective. To be clear it's perfectly fine to have a dozen slightly different French Communist newspapers (some would say it is historically accurate ;) ) but if you want to be a unique voice this should be a way to check.

The list also contains the list of leaders/characters, so if you want to give a name to the Empress of Austria-Hungary (or whoever) stick it in there and then everyone else can be consistent.

There's a brief bit of background to the world in the Game Update post below, major events and the big wars, but if you need more detail please drop me a PM and I'll see what I can do.

Mechanics / Schedule
Game is being played in Victoria II with all the DLC. I will be playing the game to my own inscrutable plan and/or letting the AI do it's own crazy thing. If you do have a specific request for an event please send it by PM and do not post it the thread

I'm hoping to run a two week schedule. I will play the game over the weekend, upload the save Sunday night and put a link in the thread. Everyone gets two weeks to write their update, then two weeks later I play the next session, upload the new save and we repeat. Links to the save file are in the next post and will be updated as I go.

Rules

As this project looks a bit like an Interactive AAR I have checked with Mr. Capiatlist and it does have mod approval. The one definite rule is;
  • If you want to do a Letters to the Editor type update, castigating/praising/responding to a previous update/article by another author, then that would have to be sent through to me by Private Message so it could be cleared first.
 
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Game Updates and History of the World
Game Updates
First 1899 Starting save;

https://drive.google.com/open?id=11tEGlt5fYLO2Kqhk4y0LCVECuj2yWjB7

The relevant save game folder (for me anyway) is hidden away in the user directories;
C:\Users\{your user name here}\Documents\Paradox Interactive\Victoria II\save games

If you want to know how things ended up this way, I've attempted to summarise it below. But as I say, if your writing/newspaper would be improved by some more history please drop me a PM and I'll see what I can do.

Jan 1859 - Nov 1861 - The US Civil War. The CSA used it's control of King Cotton and it's strong financial position to force the US to a White Peace, the US going bankrupt shortly after the war.

Summer of 1867 - War of Ukrainian Independence (technically Ukraine becomes free via Crisis, but war break out the month after). Russia + Ottomans vs Ukraine and NGF. NGF wins and takes the Wielko Polske province off Russia and Ukraine survives. This sets up the massive instability in Central/Eastern Europe that will last the rest of the century.

October 1870 - Dec 1871 - The Second War of the Brothers. This time NGF wins and becomes the German Empire and Slovakia gets liberated.

Dec 1871 - Dec 1872 - The Second Franco-German War, this time France wins and gets Alsace Lorraine back. This basically settles that dispute and Germany no longer wants A-L back.

August 73 - Spring 75 - Second War of Ukrainian Independence. Russia + Ottomans + UK vs Germany + Ukraine + Denmark. Germany loses and Poland-Lithuania is independent, Iceland also breaks free but Ukraine still survives. This just makes everything worse as everyone hates the PLC and will keep attacking it.

Aug 75 - Summer 77 - US 2nd war of Californian Liberation against Mexico (they obviously lost the first). This goes incredibly badly as the CSA joins Mexico, so it ends in Mexico reclaiming Utah and New England being released from the US.

June 1876 - Italy and Austro-Hungary appear in the same week, a Garibaldi in Parma event (?). This is widely seen as a bad idea.

May 78 - Early 1881 - UK war of containment on France. An absolute pile on off the UK, Pol-Lith, Greece, Netherlands, Jap, CSA, New England, USCA, Transv, all Ind minors vs France, Italy, Swiss, Argentina. This goes very badly for France, but worse for Italy as it gets broken up again and Two Sicilies and Papal States reappear. Also known as “The War of Italy was a Bad Idea”. also gives the CSA and Greece colonies in Africa and New England Guyana.

Mar 83 - Feb 88 Ukraine goes after PLC. Ends up massive Great Power conflict as allies are called and people jump in. PLC + Spain + Scandanavia + A/H + Netherlands vs Germany and Ukraine. This ends badly as Spain claims huge chunk of German North West Africa, Bohemia and Bayern to A-H, Hannover to NED, Posen to PLC, Schleswig-Holstein and Congo/Equater colonies to Scandies

June 83 - Jan 85 CSA war on USA. New Eng joins CAS. US loses Missouri / West Virginia/ Maryland to CSA. New England gets New York. US drops out of 2ndry Power list! Also at some point the CSA outlawed Slavery.

Jun 84 - Jan 88 3rd War of the Pacific - Chile + Para vs Peru, Argentine, Bolivia, Venezuela. Chile/Para win. Chiles gets Arequipa from Peru and a chunk of central Argentina, which is now split into two bits by Chile.

April 85 - Ecuador war on Peru to liberate Pastaza. Ecuador+Colombia vs Peru + Bolivia + Venezula. War still ongoing, but Ecuador is winning.

Oct 86 - Sept 87. Papal war on Italy, also known as "The War of Italy is Still a Bad Idea." Venice, Papal and Two Sicilies versus a rump Italy full of Anarcho-LIberal rebels. Two sicilies got Sardinia, Pope got Rome, Venice got a part of Moden and Luca. Then Rump Italy had Anarcho-Lib Revolution and went Dictatorship. Then it got invaded by the Swiss who took Piemonte area and liberated Modena (Venice is currently justifying on Modena to complete it's set). Life has not gone well for Italy.

Feb 88 - PLC attacked by Russia + Persia (but not Slovakia) trying to liberate Brest. Spain joins defence of PLC again, as do A-H and Scandinavia. War still ongoing.

Dec 88 - Arabia attacks Oman. Which brings in Egypt. Belgium hovers nervously.

April 89 - A Crisis starts brewing about Bulgarian liberation from the Ottomans. France backs the Ottomans, Germany the Bulgars. The other Great Powers are still on the fence.

1847 - The North German Federation appeared

Jan 1859 - Nov 1861 - The US Civil War. The CSA used it's control of King Cotton and it's strong financial position to force the US to a White Peace, the US going bankrupt shortly after the war.

April 1859 - The Franco-Prussian War (well the Franco-North German Federation War technically). Ends up as France+Russia+puppets vs NGF + UK + Spain + Danes + Dutch. Germany reclaims Alsace Lorraine by early 1862.

Sept 1861 - Geneva Convention

July 1852 - Karl Marx writes Das Capital in Japan. Communism with Japanese Characteristics.

November 1864 - NGF vs Austria, the First Brothers War. Austria does well, until Russia intervenes. Ends in a White Peace, so NGF remains NGF.

Summer of 1867 - War of Ukrainian Independence (technically Ukraine becomes free via Crisis, but war break out the month after). Russia + Ottomans vs Ukraine and NGF. NGF wins and takes the Wielko Polske province off Russia and Ukraine survives. This sets up the massive instability in Central/Eastern Europe that will last the rest of the century.

October 1870 - Dec 1871 - The Second War of the Brothers. This time NGF wins and becomes the German Empire and Slovakia gets liberated.

Dec 1871 - Dec 1872 - The Franco-German War, this time France wins and gets Alsace Lorraine back. This basically settles that dispute and Germany no longer wants A-L back.

August 73 - Spring 75 - Second War of Ukrainian Independence. Russia + Ottomans + UK vs Germany + Ukraine + Denmark. Germany loses and Poland-Lithuania is independent, Iceland also breaks free but Ukraine still survives. This just makes everything worse as everyone hates the PLC and will keep attacking it.

Oct 73 - May 78 Belgium helps Egypt to attack Ethiopia, marking it's main colonial effort. They lose and Ethiopia annexes Eritrea. Belgium gives up on colonialism after this. They did discover the source of the Nile in 1872 but that was it.

Aug 75 - summer 77 - US 2nd war of Californian Liberation against Mexico (they obviously lost the first). This goes incredibly badly as the CSA joins Mexico, so it ends in Mexico reclaiming Utah and New England being released from the US.

June 1876 - Italy and Austria-Hungary appear in the same week, a Garibaldi in Parma event (?). This is widely seen as a bad idea.

October 76 - Jan 79 - Second War of the Pacific. Brazil/Chile/Para vs Peru/Bolivia/Argentina. The Brazilian-Chilean alliance won and further messed up the South American map, denying Bolivia a coast. Again.

May 78 - Australia, NZ and British Colombia appear as Dominions of Britain. No Canada and it never will appear.

May 78 - Early 1881 - UK war of containment on France. An absolute pile on off the UK, PLC, Greece, Netherlands, Jap, CSA, New England, USCA, Transval, all India minors vs France, Italy, Swiss, Argentina. This goes very badly for France, but worse for Italy as it gets broken up again and Two Sicilies and Papal States reappear. Also known as “The War of Italy was a Bad Idea”. also gives the CSA and Greece colonies in Africa and New England Guyana.

Jan 1880 - Netherlands falls to rebels and goes Dictatorship of proletariat. This is perhaps not an economic success as the country is bankrupt by December.

Apr 1880 - Scandinavia randomly forms

Aug 1880 - UK builds the Panama Canal (which is in Colombia)

Jan 81 - South Africa, Confederation of Hereroland and Namaqualand appear as British Dominions. Also Miskantonic University in Arkham and the Book of Eibon appeared in New England

Mar 81 - Mar 83 - Egypt war on Ottoman, Russia backs Ottomans so Egypt loses Aleppos and Syria to Ottomans. Russian Lebanon now exists which remains odd.

July 82 - Hedjazi-Nejd War - Hedj finally wins in July 84 - Then forms Arabia

August 22nd 1882 - Anarcho-Liberal Revolution in France - Bourgeois Dictatorship formed in Paris

Dec 82 - Suez canal built by the British

Feb 83 - British attack Punjab, war is won by July 83. So in Aug 83 they declare Victoria to be Empress of India.

Mar 83 - Feb 88 Ukraine goes after PLC. Ends up massive Great Power conflict as allies are called and people jump in. PLC + Spain + Scandinavia + A/H + Netherlands vs Germany and Ukraine. This ends badly as Spain claims huge chunk of German North West Africa, Bohemia and Bayern to A-H, Hanover to NED, Posen to PLC, Schleswig-Holstein and Congo/Equater colonies to Scandies

June 83 - Jan 85 CSA war on USA. New Eng joins CAS. US loses Missouri / West Virginia/ Maryland to CSA. New England gets New York. US drops out of 2ndry Power list! Also at some point the CSA outlawed Slavery.

September 1883 - The Great Financial Crisis - Ukraine, Portugal, Tuscany and Cuba all bankrupt on the same day

Sept 83 - Krakatoa Eruption

Jan 84 - Augst 84 Two Sicilies declare on Ottomans. UK and Papal States joined, Russia did not back Ottos. Two Sicilies won and took Triploi, we also ended up with Papal Syria.

Jun 84 - Jan 88 3rd War of the Pacific - Chile + Para vs Peru, Argentine, Bolivia, Venezuela. Chile/Para win. Chiles gets Arequipa from Peru and a chunk of central Argentina, which is now split into two bits by Chile.

Sept 84 - Cuban Communist Revolution. Because tradition.

March 85 - Boxer Rebellion China. Nothing happened.

April 85 - Russian Reactionary Revolution.

April 85 - Ecuador war on Peru to liberate Pastaza. Ecuador+Colombia vs Peru + Bolivia + Venezula. War still ongoing, but Ecuador is winning.

July 85 - Jacobin Revolution in France

April 86 - May 88 - Japan invades Korea. The Chinese empire tries to defend Korea, but after some epic massacres (Japan is a fully westernised Great Power) Japan Annexes Korea.

Oct 86 - Sept 87. Papal war on Italy, also known as "The War of Italy is Still a Bad Idea." Venice, Papal and Two Sicilies versus a rump Italy full of Anarcho-LIberal rebels. Two sicilies got Sardinia, Pope got Rome, Venice got a part of Moden and Luca. Then Rump Italy had Anarcho-Lib Revolution and went Dictatorship. Then it got invaded by the Swiss who took Piemonte area and liberated Modena (Venice is currently justifying on Modena to complete it's set). Life has not gone well for Italy.

Feb 88 - PLC attacked by Russia + Persia (but not Slovakia) trying to liberate Brest. Spain joins defence of PLC again, as do A-H and Scandinavia. War still ongoing.

Dec 88 - Arabia attacks Oman. Which brings in Egypt. Belgium hovers nervously.

April 89 - A Crisis starts brewing about Bulgarian liberation from the Ottomans. France backs the Ottomans, Germany the Bulgars. The other Great Powers are still on the fence.
 
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Damn, this world is messed up, where to even start :eek:? Will be looking forward to what others will write about events and this world!
 
I will make sure to write something as soon as I have time, seems like a fruitful field to take from. :eek:
 
Oh wow, some of the colonies are really messed up! I've also never seen Switzerland go on the offensive but that's an interesting environment to write in.
PS. Should we PM you our paper titles/perspectives before uploading or how does that work?
 
Oh wow, some of the colonies are really messed up! I've also never seen Switzerland go on the offensive but that's an interesting environment to write in.
PS. Should we PM you our paper titles/perspectives before uploading or how does that work?
You were supposed to be able to edit the list, but I now see I mucked that up a bit. Sorry. :oops:

I'm fairly certain the Paper List is now editable for everyone, so you can either fill in that or drop me a PM, whichever is easier.
 
I have two questions

1)Where to post my article, or should I pm it to you ?
2)Also why can't I read any of you folk's papers in that spreadsheet?

Edit: Both questions answered
 
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El Pip, do you have established political/military leaders in mind, do we come up with them, or should we stick to stuff like 'the Tsar' or 'the King of Poland-Lithuania'?



 
Absolutely love this timeline, i want to even live there :D

I already added my Paper on the Paper List!, and i'll begin to work on it.
 
El Pip, do you have established political/military leaders in mind, do we come up with them, or should we stick to stuff like 'the Tsar' or 'the King of Poland-Lithuania'?
Another excellent point I'd not thought of. Can you tell I've not tried to run anything like this before? :)

I've updated the shared doc, it now has a tab for 'Leaders / Characters'. So if you do make up a name for the Tsar (or whoever) stick it on the list so everyone else can see and be consistent. It will be first come, first served so everyone please give it a quick check before posting to make sure we don't give the Tsar multiple, different names. ;)
 
Dominion Review #1
Dominion Review

Editorial by the Founder

Dear friends, it comes a time in life when a man must choose sides. I found that true for myself in 1859 when our great founding came into being. I found it again in the election of 1866 when I was convinced to run as your President. Now at this date, it comes the time again. I have deeply considered the role of a former President to keep silent as the new finds their path, but events of these past few years have caused in me such great turmoil and worry that I can no longer keep silent. Thus it is that I found this newsprint named after my country the Dominion of Virginia and do create a thing with which good men may print their honest views about the world that goes on around us.

As I sit to my front porch at Arlington, I am forced with some few tears to watch the sleepy town of Washington just over the horizon. Yes, it is true. They remain our cousins to this great land and yet they remain an enemy as they have provided proof many times over. I should not need to recount them for the reader, but facts are certain. This great and fertile land was invaded in 1859 for reasons still unclear to any and all. Let there be no doubt that President Buchanan of the U.S. felt need to show strength such was his many other failings, yet all do know that it was merely a ploy to shoulder away the rights of these many states and peoples such that our neighbor just over the hill might be paramount. Providence proved to us all that such a thing was misguided and we were rewarded with a country of our own. We remain still and should ever be vigilant.

And yet, my friends, what have we gained? Some few colonies? An alliance with Mexico to the south? A New England free and clear to choose their own path? Yes, these are all fine accomplishments and as your President for three terms, I worked many hours and sleepless nights to make them so. Yet I am gone from office since 1879 and in these past ten years, I wonder what those efforts meant. I held many high hopes for my Vice President that followed after me as your leader, but President Pierre Taylor proved not up to the task in carrying forward the vision of our great nation. I could not support a man such as that, who was and remains, a coward. That is a strong word, but true. I can no longer hold my tongue. Further to that, his administration caused yet another crises with our cousins to the north and made the election of Cadmus Breckenridge inevitable. While I did admire his implacable nature in the face of looming war, I could not shake the thought that he was unfit for the office I held after Presidents Davis and Stephens. My friends, we deserve better than this.

It is said that the great Benjamin Franklin once quipped, “It is a republic...if you can keep it.” He referred to the founding of the United States of America. No less could be said of our journey and what has been achieved or conceivably lost if we do not heed this advice. The Confederate States of America should find pride in what has been done and yet we now see the threats of dual devils. Satan arrives in the hands of both populists and anarchists and it cannot be allowed. You may look the world over and see the filthy work of this beast done. There are so-called communists to our south in Cuba. A rise once more of Jacobin revivalists in France. Anarchists make war upon Italy and destroy that fine country. All in the name of freedom which we know all too well. We fought for nothing less and gained it. Should we choose to forgo it now?

Within these last ten years, the rise of both populists and anarchists is such that our own Senate is ruled by the former and the lower House finding near parity between these fire brands and our Whig party. May we say that we have lost sight? Why was the war fought and won if not to keep ourselves free? Twice over, in fact, we have won only to find ourselves now listless and prey to too liberal sensibilities. I would be the first to say that I did not care for our habits of slavery, and yet what was one to do? I would have preferred a gradual lessening of such restrictions on another peoples and advocated for such when your President. Yet many states disagreed and as my charter called for, I could not force the matter. It is, or was, ingrained within our Constitution. Instead, the current President Ambrose Pettigrew forced through Congress and signed into law the destruction of what we have known as life for these last many years.

Believing in Providence, I pray for these souls that are now thrown to the wilderness without the proper training or ability that other good men find. I hold no doubt that they will persevere for they too are children of faith, yet they must now weather the great storm of this changed world and who will be their keeper? President Pettigrew that caused their misfortune? The populist Congress that cares for them not? The good men and women from all over our great nation forced to greet a new reality? It was a thing done poorly and we are like to reap the lack of benefits of such for many years to come.

And now brings me to a thing most painful. I am forced, and begin this periodical for such purpose, to go against a man that I once loved. No finer General did I find in those days when it all meant our life or death. No man could be considered more Christian than he. And yet, he falls into the ranks of these populists and I know not why? Thomas Jackson is a good man, let it be said. With that, it remains that I cannot support his run for the Presidency of this nation in our coming election. We fought together and both know the perils of war. Yet his changed nature does give me pause.

A crises brews to the east with great powers the world over looking on. In our own country, a truce made with our northern cousins is due to lapse within the year. I do not advocate for war in either case, but we must have a President willing and capable of acting should it need be so. General Jackson was once a fighting man. A believer in God and Providence. Now I see him take to the field of battle in another sense. Embracing our populist sensibilities, he speaks of no war, and more of peace with our northern cousins. It is understood that our nation wishes no more struggle, but as is seen the world over, people wish to be free. And freedom is not kept in the hand for no one to see. It is fought for and gained. General Jackson should know that. His masterful campaign upon the peninsula proves such.

I am an old man now. I served when we were unioned and I served when we were made free. In all my time in office, whether General or President, my aim was to always serve the better good of our country. Mine of Virginia and all else that makes this nation great from Texas all the way to Maryland and Missouri. Our northern cousins are not content with their lot, and why should they be? A loss in war is a loss in pride. General Jackson should know this as he runs for my former office as should those that succeeded me. Presidents Taylor, Breckenridge and our current President Pettigrew have trod the path of lesser men. For the respect I still hold for Jackson, I hope that he will not be swayed anymore by these populists. He will not and never would hold to anarchy, but it rises within our ranks.

I begin this newsprint so that good men will hold a voice in our coming elections and will continue to speak to the issues of our day. I do so with caution, as I have always been a private man. Yet when one does not speak, poor things may happen. I hope that our writers remain true to the vision and that each reader finds courage to stand up and say no to this wave of populist sentiment and anarchist disruption in our daily life. It has gone on now too long. Our free Confederacy is real...if we may keep it.

- Robert Edward Lee is the founder of Dominion Review. Former three term President of the Confederate States of America and General of the Armies from 1859 to 1879.
 
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Is that the sort of thing we are going for @El Pip ? Too long, maybe? I imagine others might be closer to the action of the crises, but this is what spurred my interest. Somewhat based on National Review and yes, I decided to go a different direction with a very old Bobby Lee. :)
 
Vaderland #1
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Is that the sort of thing we are going for @El Pip ? Too long, maybe? I imagine others might be closer to the action of the crises, but this is what spurred my interest. Somewhat based on National Review and yes, I decided to go a different direction with a very old Bobby Lee. :)
I for one like it. :) Still not decided what perspective I will write. Yet to have had time to check the save.
 
@SibCDC and @Tom D. - great graphics AND writing! Not going to go that far myself because...old. ;) But excellent work!!

I for one like it. :) Still not decided what perspective I will write. Yet to have had time to check the save.
Totally get that. I spent a lot of time looking at the save and thankfully some stuff @El Pip sent me to make more sense of that part of the world. Worth it, but time consuming, to be sure.
 
@SibCDC and @Tom D.
How did you guys do that ?
Is that template/program free or do you need any paid software for that?
 
@SibCDC and @Tom D.
How did you guys do that ?
Is that template/program free or do you need any paid software for that?
My header is a straight copy/paste from an actual newspaper, L'Indépendance Belge was an actually existing Belgian newspaper. So I basically copied the header, pasted it in Word and added 3 text columns. No software needed, all done in Word.

EDIT: thanks for the appreciation, I'm glad you all like the style, I tried to copy the actual design of the newspaper (although it has way more columns than I have).