Alscon's Inkwell
Settling the Steppe - An Anti-Horselord AAR
After a frustrating experience in the Tarim Basin in CK II, fending off nomadic raider after nomadic raider, I started a game as the Crimean Goths in 867 with the explicit goal to eradicate them all and leave not a single nomad county on the map. It was a highly enjoyable game which I can only recommend. Starting with our dynasty founder whose glory shines in his moustache:
Months later, after finishing The Right Hand of the Karlings, I recalled this campaign where I actually reached 1453 for once and thought that it would make for a good AAR. Instead of starting anew, I took the chronicle and the character sheets and retold the story of the Thathicos dynasty throughout the ages. And I believe that it worked surprisingly well.
One chapter per ruler, we thus take the retrospective of a modern history book looking at how the Goths struggle against the raiders. With different rulers come different ideals, but all united with the same goal.
A goal which would eventually lead the Goths to persist to
EU IV, where they... well, do something. Apparently they survived the middle ages.
Oh, and I'm hearing rumours that there are even some Goths still around as humanity discovers a way to
travel space...
Weekly AAR Showcase 22/08/2021
third place in the CK II Q3 ACAs 2021
Winner of the EU IV Q4 ACAs 2021
A CK II AAR that starts exactly like that. But it doesn't end there. A group of Italian exiles, people who dream of old Rome and live like the ancients, flees the pope. With its leader, Amentius (The Mad) having had a vision of heading West, they make a dubious crossing with a viking ship – and land in West Iceland, from now on called Nova Roma. The pioneers face a hard time – but are they doomed, or will they succeed? This is the tale of the
Real Roman Renaissance.
In this AAR, I assume the role of a courtier or the ruler to narrate the parts of the history. The Romans begin as madmen, and while this carries through the whole story, intrigue, power and the consequences of a mysterious book find their entries as well...
Joint second in the CK II Q4 ACAs 2014 - Best Character Writer of the Week 29/3/15 - Weekly AAR Showcase 11/1/15, 28/09/15 - Joint third place in the Q2 ACAs 2015
Unlike in RRR, I take a purely gameplay stance in this EU IV AAR. Making use of El Dorado's random world for EU IV, and combining it with the idea of a random AAR, I take control of a country for ten years or more, trying to leave a lasting impact on the world. Hordes galore, the usual powers are quickly destroyed, new powers arise as old falls – a very dynamic world, in which I (more or less successfully) try to bring some stability.
God really does play dice.
What is going on on Sol III? Medieval Earth? The Hamrax are observing. And history unfolds on the blue planet as well, not influenced by whatever happens in the galaxy - really not influenced?
In this 'dual' AAR, I am playing both in Stellaris and CK II. The crew of the observation post reflects both on the events of their galactic realm as they do on what happens on Earth. While the humans are living their lives as usual - until the observers get a bit more active...
See what happens for yourself.
Thousand Lights of Enlightenment - or
Far(?) from Enlightenment?
Best Character Writer of the Week 22/10/16
The Forgotten Fifth
Ubbe Ragnarrsson is not landed in the Old Gods, thus always overlooked when faced with his brothers with their lot of land or mighty event troops. This is his story. A narrative AAR aiming to span his life, and to see if he gains eternal glory (and a fancy nickname!) or if he ends up forgotten as a footnote of history...
Embroiled in his brothers' invasion, Ubbe convinces them to rule land of his own, then builds up his strength in this war-torn land. There's torture, curses, executions - all on the path to his destiny, contested by the large shadows of his brothers. Can he step out of them?
Best Character Writer of the Week 22/11/17, WritAAR of the Week 18/03/18
Against the Great Animal Calamity - a mildly interactive megacampaign
The Old Empire has fallen. Sentient beasts have, from one day to the other, risen in masses. For centuries now, man and beast have co-existed, even united. But that time shall soon come to an end.
An Illumination has taken place. There's now one realm which can look beyond the veil of the Calamity. That can see the monstrosity of existence, and longs for the prosperous days of the Old Empire. The leader of this realm has the divine task of exterminating the gigantic animal realms of Earth.
You are his Anonymous Council. Freed from the Calamity, you are now helping the leader and his dynasty to make the right choice on the Path of Salvation, a future so that mankind can prevail.
Weekly AAR Showcase 04/07/19 - "mega" on hold rn
The Right Hand of the Karlings
From these humble beginnings, Count Eberhard makes an audacious plan - a plan to keep the Karlings in charge of Western Europe (House Etichonen naturally doesn't profit of that in any way). Follow the story of the House as they use whatever methods available to them in order to prevail and prosper in this more light-hearted story.
Best Character Writer of the Week 18/10/20, WritAAR of the Week 13/12/20, (joint) second in the CK III Q1 ACAs 2020, Q2 ACAs 2020, Q3 ACAs 2020
And for the sake of completion, I have to name my first AAR,
The Ormrberars – From Snakes to Greatness? My initial idea was to start in 867 with a legendary viking dynasty founder, then to start the narration in 1000, coronation of the first Catholic king of Normandy, then to combine the progressing history with flashbacks of the former rulers. It didn't quite work out though, and ended quite rapidly to make way for my Romans. But it provided valuable experience, and I may try this idea a second time in the future. After my Romans maybe.
The Castelozzi, Montségur and Faixòn families in Empire of the Mediterranean (Character Writer of the Week 07/10/18)
Formerly
Ximeno Arantxez, Head of the
EBC and
ERTC, Master of the Coin of England, Baron of Biarritz, Leader of the Owls (*1434) in
The Sun Never Sets
Formerly Aniketos Laloudios, Strategos of Achaia, in Death and Rebirth