• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
kats.gif

CatNZel Productions

By the Dawn's Early Light
EU1 1.10, United States (1773-1792) - Historical, Complete
-----------------

Resurrection: Rebirth of the United States
EU2 1.08, United States (1773-1785) - Narrative, Complete

A Distant Mirror
MES 0.33b (EU2 1.08), Hands Off (1150-1418) - Chronicle/Gameplay, Complete

Beyond Tannenberg: Black Eagle Rising
AGCEEP 1.39 (EU 1.08), Teutonic Order (1419-1461) - Historical, Corrupt Save

Beyond Tannenberg II: The Knight's Tale
WATK 3.2 (EU2 1.09), Teutonic Order (1419-1634) - Historical, Abandoned
------------

Beyond Tannenberg III: The Last Crusade
WWM 4.01 (EU3 HTTT 4.1b), Teutonic Order (1411-1491) - Historical, Corrupt Save

The Reluctant Daimyo
TN 9.56 (EU3 HTTT 4.1b), Hosokawa (1482) - Narrative, Abandoned

Tales of Victory: The Rajah and the Sacred Cow
MMU 1.26 (EU3 HTTT 4.1b), Vijayanagara (1399-1470) - Historical, Files Lost

Lords of the Danemark (MEIOU)
MEIOU:pH 4.2 (EU3 HTTT 4.1b), Denmark (1356-1399) - Historical, Abandoned

Legend of Fire and Ice
EU3 DW 5.0, Taira/Japan (1467-1513) - Historical/Gameplay, Completed
----------

The Last Viking
CK2, Stenkilson (1066) - Narrative, Abandoned
---------

Beyond Tannenberg IV: The More Things Change
EU4, Teutonic Order (1410-1440) - Historical, Completed

Random World Order
EU4, Random (1444-) - Gameplay, Ongoing




Fan of the Week: 2004/08/28, 2005/12/31, 2011/03/05

WritAAR of the Week: 2005/03/27, 2008/10/27, 2010/01/17, 2011/05/15, 2013/10/28

Character WritAAR of the Week: 2006/11/05, 2007/07/22, 2010/05/16, 2011/06/26

Weekly AAR Showcase: 2006/02/09, 2006/10/13, 2010/02/13, 2014/01/05

AARland Choice Award: (2ndH 2013; T-1st, EU4) (1Q 2014; T-1st, EU4) (2Q 2014; 2nd, EU4) (3Q 2014; 1st, EU4)


AARland Demi Moderator: Retired
 
Last edited:
MonkeyHybrid's Ink Well post

HabsburgAdventuresV1.gif

Habsburg Adventures!
An epic tale...

of war...

of betrayal...

of peace...

of love.​

Will Austria become the world's foremost superpower? Will they be crushed beneath the weight of the Bohemian war machine? Will I ever think of a better way to advertise my AAR than using the same tired old cliches used by everyone?

The only way to find out is to read!​
 
My name is Rex Angliae but who am I? I live in Sheffield, England and studied History at Sheffield University in the late 1970s. So I am no spring chicken! Away from history I love sport - I am a mad Leeds United fan - and music especially singing. I had enjoyed many wonderful AARs before my vanity led me to believe I could dare to compete and write my own tales. I own Victoria and CK Deus Vult, but restrict myself to the latter title as it matches my favourite period of history, the high and late middle ages. I played a couple of practice games of CK before deciding to take notes on a game I played as the Duke of Flanders. This became In Flanders Fields 1337-1422
Some thought by its title it was a Vicky or EUIII game about WWI but I just thought the title, becuase of its anachronicity, suited my story perfectly. This is a straight narrative AAR which lasted several decades before a CTD killed off the game and I had to fabricate a rather contrived ending to the story.

My next effort was a chronicle style Arthur's Tale 1189-1349 . Set in Western Europe again this tells the first person story of Arthur Plantagenet, who could have been king of England hat fate decreed it. This was great for charcterisation and I grew attached to the imaginary Arthur. I faced a challenge when he died as to how I could carry on with a first person story. I think I resolved this nicely by having the scribe take over the chronicle under the patronage of Arthur's successors. Our scribe Prior Boniface was my favourite non-game character. When he died I had to try and write in a different style whilst retaining the momentum of the storyline. I hope I did this via Cuthbert. Of course many of the monks' thoughts and preferences might echo my own.......
This tale ended when I inadvertently upgraded to DV and could not get back to the old saved game files. But this was around the time of the Black Death in game play so this made an easy point to end the monastic chronicle.

My next project was A Nice Case of Burgundy 1066-1106. This was a 1066 scenario tale featuring the dukes of Burgundy written in narrative style but in the present tense which was a new challenge for me. Sadly the game crashed again.

But after a far too long absence I am back with another narrative AAR, and a new PC, so hopefully no hiccups this time! It is called Several Gentlemen of Verona and I hope you enjoy it.

I have been fortunate enough to have been awarded two accolades for my efforts of which I am very proud.

Character WritAAR of the week 16/10/07 and
Favorite History-Book AAR, CK AARland Choice awards Q3 2007


I choose to set my AARs in western Europe as this is the area I know best both geographically and historically. I like my stories to have a ring of truth about them which includes things like using accurate names for churches where posible and reflecting local topography. But some day I will venture further afield I am sure.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy my writing.
 
Last edited:
357_3.jpg

Switching Powers
A Semi-Interactive Learning AAR

This AAR is for me to learn about several countries, and maintaining them flexibily!
What happens here? You choose one of many several countries for me, and I will play them for a set amount of time. After this is over, you can decide for me to stay with that nation or to take another one... maybe even from the other side of the world!

The AAR is very picture heavy to show my progress in the game - I guess won't do a lot of writing, and let the screenshots speak for themselves.

Nations:
Algiers: 1453 - ???

Interested in seeing a still learning player trying to reach his goals for the nation in his set amount of years? Then go and pay a visit to Switching Powers!
 
Last edited:
Communists in America! The Unholy Alliance in Europe! The British Empire reformed! Epic World War 2!


All can be found in





Inspired by another entry into the Inkwell I will say that Against all Odds: The British Empire in World War Two includes:

- a very powerful British Empire, reformed to really last a thousand years. Hopefully.
- independant Canada
- politically incorrect but goodnatured America-bashing :D
- Spitfires!
- politically incorrect humour ( not much yet, but will in the future )
- loads of espionage action
- a most epic alternate World War 2
- a Gurkha Paratrooper Brigade
- the SAS

what it will eventually contain

- the coolest Hearts of Iron 2 Armageddon Screenshot ever. Period.
- lots of Naval Action
- British forces marching to liberate Europe or die trying
- massive alternate maps
- Battleships

- even more espionage action


Awards, cookies and honours:
Hero of the Soviet Union, Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, Pizza of Iron, 1st Class, and an Officer now!

I was canonized! 01/13/2008 WritAAR of the week 14/08/2008 11/01/2009 Weekly AAR Showcase 10/06/08 Character WritAAR of the Week 10/12/08 25/09/09 01/11/11
Overall Favourite Narrative ( ACA Q4 2008 )
Fan of the Week 14/12/2008 30/05/2009 30/05/2010
http://www.europa-universalis.com/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=8796836 Owner of a red Cookie awarded by Ayeshteni Lord Strange Cookie of British Awesomeness [/SIZE]
 
Last edited:
AAR_promo.jpg


WIELKOPOLSKA - Rise of the White Eagle - A Polish AAR

A gameplay AAR with Poland using HOI2 Doomsday v1.3

Tired of being knocked around as Poland in World War II? Have you dreamed of resurrecting the Polish grandeur of the old days? This AAR shows you how!

features:
- custom events -
- custom graphics -
- detailed analysis -
- maps and charts -
- added leaders -
☛ - video - ☚
- animated battles -
- songs and audio -
- lively debate -
- fully indexed -
 
Last edited:


Where’s the love for Malacca? The AAR library is sadly lacking any entries for this gorgeous country. It has beaches, it has a COT, it has nifty archer cavalry, it is a really long ways away from the big blue blob of doom…what’s not to like? Oh, don’t worry about that Chinese tech group thing. And surely the orange blob of death known as Ming is not that bad...



So anyway, I have done the WC on easy-as-possible mode (France in IN 3.0) and am looking for a suitably death-defying challenge. Was planning to try Malacca in 3.0 and then Johan released the patch, so 3.1 it is. I actually got through about 80 years with Malacca in 3.0 before I restarted with the patch, so have some idea of early game dynamics for this country.

To answer the question in the title of this AAR, YES I think it just might be possible to pull off a WC with Malacca, and YES I am crazy enough or at the very least masochistic enough to try this. Watch me soar to victory or get crushed by endless hordes of Chinese armies…either is possible.

House Rules: playing EU3 IN version 3.1, normal difficulty, all settings at default, no mods, 1399 start date, 1821 end date, no diplo-annexes, no inheriting territory by me, ironman (no save/reload to avoid bad random events). The chosen type of WC is that no other country exists. I will not be trying to colonize every province, and I have no hope of being able to convert everyone so will not even try.

For those that come along on the ride, this AAR will be heavy on gameplay and strategy. As is probably obvious by now, you won’t see any historic RP or brilliantly written story lines in this AAR. I am amazed at the quality of some of the writing in these AARs, but that is not me. Math, finding weaknesses in the AI, and analysis of game mechanics…now that is more my speed. Since this is my first game in 3.1, there will also be various random comments about differences between 3.0 and 3.1. Warning: There might be random attempts at comedy along the way. Although a few may actually be funny, there will be others that will be pathetic, and still others that will be hopelessly pathetic.

So….anyone else think this is possible? Or should I restart my medication and forget about fairy tales?
 
Wilhelm Becker Versus the Draka:

A Hearts of Iron II Doomsday (v. 1.3a ) AAR.

Set in a slightly more hopeful Drakaverse, Germany is ruled by the ruthless and brilliant Wilhelm Becker. By hook or crook, watch as he atempts to form a pan Eurasian front with one goal in mind:

Destroy the Domination of Draka, and ensure freedom for all mankind.

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?t=380333
 
The VikINg League
1149059839_7096c97294-1.jpg

Welcome to the New World, as known since 1000 a.d.
Vinland is on the brink of extinction, will it prevail? (would there be an AAR if it wouldn't?)

This AAR is now finished. Find out what Vinland has to do with this:

mappatriarchateofJerusalem-1.jpg

reduced size
 
Last edited:
All AARs played with EU2 with various mods.

Milan - Recently started succession game with AGCEEP 1.57. Our plan is to create the Kingdom of Italy, and convert all Italian lands to Reformed. Should be a fun challenge!

Finland - Completed AAR/Collaboration AAR/Succession Game with the Interregnum mod, where we tried to spread Orthodox faith to both Europe, the steppes to the east and into the New World. Contributers were Brian Roastbeef, PrawnStar, Emperor_krk and Jedrek. Won the EU2 ACA gameplay award for Q4 2008.

Friesland - My second AAR, played with AGCEEP 1.55. Goals were to form the Netherlands and control every tobacco province. The latter goal is still not completed, with Havana under Spanish control. The AAR has been on hold for some months; I still have the save but I'm unsure if I will finish it or not.

Kara Koyunlu - Completed succession game, played with AGCEEP 1.54. We started as Kara Koyunlu, and managed to form the Safavid Empire. We had some memorable wars against Austria and Russia. Most of the Sunni nations were force-converted, only a few Sunnis in Africa and in Indonesia remained. Players contributing were Lordling, Dell19, Brian Roastbeef, Sir El'Won, Dark Scipio and Emperor_krk.

Livonian Order - My first AAR, played with AGCEEP 1.50. Expanding with the Livonian Order, I clearly stepped on my neighbours toes. Many wars ensued, with France being the last one to try to stop the Protestant menace. They didn't succeed, and ended with losing all of their colonial possessions in America.

I have also written a short story when playing as Selim Yavuz in Military campaigns of some of the finest warriors in the world - Volume 2
 
Last edited:
When We Were Young

A United States Narrative 'Doomsday' AAR.

With the end of one world war another suddenly sprung up. By October 2, 1945 the Allies and the Communists were in the final titanic struggle to determine who the last world power, and last government would be in control of the world. Can the Soviet onslaught be stopped? Will Josef Stalin be correct in saying that the war will be all over by Christmas?

AirborneTroopers.jpg



Follow along with the men of the United States 17th Airborne Division, "The Golden Talons" as they fight against the Soviets to the bitter end.
 
A weird story getting weirder each day in a random scenario, including the almighty Austrian Blob, Yoda and Cesar. What more can you ask for?

A Random Scenario AAR - May the dice be with me...

Tune in for the next episode of "All hail the Blob!" :D
 
Heirs of Charlemagne
A Narrative CK AAR (1066 - ?, Ongoing)​

So far my only attempt at an AAR, which I started back in 2006 to improve my own writing and only recently started updating again. Written in short chapters from the points of view of an expanding cast of characters, Heirs of Charlemagne tells the story of the Duchy of Toulouse, it's court, and the other colorful characters that show up along the way. If you like reading about scheming, lies, backstabbing, murder, coming of age, and crusading in Ireland, you may just enjoy Heirs of Charlemagne.

On the first post there is a table of contents as well as a link to a post containing list of important characters and a link to the de Toulouse family tree. I will caution that the character list and family tree contain some pretty blatant spoilers so until I minimize them I would not recommend reading them until you are further into the story.

Awards: Best charactAAR writer of the week for October 1st, 2006
 
Sparta: Rise to Glory AAR
SpartaAAR.png

Game: Europa Universalis: Rome Vae Victis
Start Year: 474 AVC
Mod: Hotfixes 212
Style: Diaries, memoires, overviews with maps, art and screenshots!

SpartanPhalanx.jpg


http://www.europa-universalis.com/forum/showthread.php?t=388852



IMPERIUM ROMANUM: Manifest Destiny AAR
Game: Europa Universalis Rome: Vae Victis V2.2.
Starting Year: 474 AVC
Mod: None
Style: Pseudo-History Book with art, screenshots etc
Objective: My previous Rome AAR was dropped and I will now redo it, in a style similar to the Sparta one but with a greater story aspect.
It is also in a way a showcase of the new patch and if it will greatly influence the game. Feedback, suggestions and comments are ALWAYS welcome.

PHOTO_795175_16047_770273_ap_420X31.jpg


http://www.europa-universalis.com/forum/showthread.php?p=10239915#post10239915
 
Last edited:
volksmarschall's AAR's

Very briefly about me: I am volksmarschall. I write AARs, I'm also a professional writer in real life. Literary essayist for The Imaginative Conservative. Classicist. M.A. philosophy; M.A. theology; B.A. economics, history, philosophy. I serve as an associate editor for the journal VoegelinView.

As a person, I love fishing, golfing, and anime. I have been said to be a movie/film and music nerd as well, and I kind of agree!


Completed AARs:

Saints and Angels was my first AAR on these forums, and until 2014, the only AAR I managed to complete. A narrative Vicky AAR dealing with the epic struggle of the American Civil War especially from the Smith Family, a family of fifteen along the Kentucky-Tennesse border. When war erupts their two eldest sons Bill and Tom decide to enlist for the opposite sides (Confederacy and Union, respectively). Their thirteen year-old brother Jeb, who idolizes Bill begins to move to a more Southern sympathetic view! Stuck in the border state of Kentucky and in a trapped in a split town of Pro-North and South views, will the war tear apart this family? What about the future of the United States and the Confederate States of America? And when his brother's life is in danger can young Jeb save him from his fate at the hands of the malevolent Evan Harris?

AwAARds, 6: ACA Q1 & Q2 2009: Favorite Narrative (Tie, 2x Joint First), Weekly AAR Showcase, Character Writer of the Week (x2) & Writer of the Week

Work Time: 2008-2009; 22 pages

The Presidents: Clay to Smith is a History book AAR in Victoria, and the "spiritual" successor to "Saints and Angels" (only very loosely, a certain battle that is the main plot driver in Saints and Angels re-appears during the civil war run of this game). The AAR covers my GC game as the United States, 1836-1920, and is written from the perspective of the major events and accomplishments of the sitting Presidents. This is my magnum opus on these forums. Major third parties performed extremely well, including third party presidencies among the American "Know Nothing" Party and the Populist Party. This is my favorite and most well-received AAR on these forums. Listed awards are below.

AwAARds, 7: ACA Q4 2009 & Q1, Q2, Q3 2010 Favorite History Book (First Place all 4 times), Character WritAAR of the Week, Writer of the Week & Weekly AAR Showcase
Accolades: Listed as one of madgeneral's "favorite things."

*Apparently this made it on the Anthology List of Victoria AARs, so I would like to thank all of those who read and commented on this. Also, go check out some of the greatest AARs these forums have to offer!

Work Time: 2009-2011, 2014 (I had a long 2 1/2 hiatus from the forums, 2011-2013); 57 pages

The Revolution's Greatest Foe was a gameplay-history (history book, infused with a decent amount of gameplay screenshots, at least for my standards!) in EUIV, with the Revolutionary Wars (France) scenario set for 1792. I play as Austria, and the AAR primarily focuses on the exploits, heroism, triumphs, and failures of the Archduke Charles (Erzherzog Karl in game) during the war against the French revolutionaries. Can he stop the French, or will the French Revolution give rise to a famous Corsican officer taking over France?

Work Time: 2014; 4 pages (Short, sweet, and finished!)

The Dutch-Hanover Republic: A Primer is a gameplay guide that shows you my strategy for forming the Netherlands with Friesland. It has been a work in progress, but this turned out to be my best Dutch campaign yet! The Dutch are my favorite nation to form and play as in EU4.

This primer is now outdated with all the updates, but it might still serve to give people some ideas.

The Decline and Fall of Roman Civilization is a sweeping political, social, religious, and economic history of the "late period" Byzantine/Roman Empire in EUIV. In homage to Edward Gibbon and his "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" I am undertaking a "grand" three-volume history of the of the "decline and fall" of the Roman Empire in my EUIV game. This is a very history intensive AAR, it lacks a multitude of screenshots, and rather reads like an actual history-book would if it was written in the early 20th Century, with historical images supplementing in-game screens. Discover how far I can go with Rome, and how close I can come at matching Gibbon's masterpiece.

AwAARds, 9: 3rd Place Favorite AAR (EUIV) Q1 2014, 4th Place Favorite AAR (EUIV) Q4 2014, 2nd Place Favorite AAR (EUIV) Q1/2 2015, 2nd Place Favorite AAR (EUIV) Q1/2 2016, 3rd Place Favorite AAR (EUIV) Q3/4 2016, Weekly AAR Showcase (x2), Writer of the Week, (Tie) Favorite History Book for 2014

Work Time: 2014-2017

Ongoing AARs:

Empire for Liberty: America in the Long Nineteenth Century is an intellectual and cultural history of my grand campaign with the United States. It is both a spiritual successor to, but entirely different, from "The Presidents: Clay to Smith" (which focused more on the presidents and what happened during their presidencies). This AAR is history intensive, and is essentially a history book with merely a change of dates of events per when things fired in the game.

AwAARds, 8 AAR Choice and Weekly AwAARds.

Work Time: 2016-present

Stellaris: The Jeremiad is a mythopoetic national founding AAR for a game in Stellaris. If you like Homer, Virgil, and Dante, classic epic poetry, and a playing a game within a game of distinguishing the myth from the actual gameplay history, check it out. "Sing to me, muses, tales of heroism and savagery, of bravery and despair--sadness and triumph!"

AwAARds, 1: Weekly AAR Showcase

Work Time: 2017-present

Total AwAARds: 30, incl. 1 Writer of the Week "for all my work." :confused:

Dead AARs
You can read them if you want below:

The Presidents: Redux
In the Footsteps of Rome: A History of Europe in Late Antiquity AwAARds: (Tied) 2nd Place Favorite AAR (CK2) Q2 2014
The Lost U-Boat
The Last Crusader
Blue Bird
The Last Angel AwAARds: 1x Character Writer of the Week
The Greatest Sea
 
Last edited:
The King's First Minister - a UK AAR



Imagine:

- A world where Lord Halifax, not Churchill, suceeds Chamberlain as Prime Minister.

- A world where Britain sues for peace in May 1940.

This AAR explores the darker outcomes possible during the early stages of World War II, and their impact upon the world. With a cast of heroes and villains it goes from the horror and grime of the Fall of France to the corridors and drawing rooms of Whitehall.
 
Last edited:
large_flag_of_china.gif

This is an AAR about the rise of Mao as the leader of all of china and will go on form 1936 to 1964. it will be more history like but still gameplayish as i have screenshots and will not try not to be to historical.

This is my second HOI2 AAR after my Luxembourg AAr in which i got annexed by germany after 3 or 4 months in. I plan on finishing this till the said date and will regularly post which would be about once a day or every other

if any suggestions, comments, etc. just post in the thread
 
Last edited:
Red Flag Rising: A Soviet Union AAR
Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday (Ongoing)

The emphasis of this AAR will be on history and telling a story rather than gameplay. As such, this AAR will no doubt strike some as unrealistic or at the least “gamey”, so for those grognards out there, this may not be your cup of tea. But if you have an open mind and are looking for something interesting and entertaining, I hope I will not disappoint. Please do understand that this is, again, my first AAR and I am not even an experienced HoI player.

Questions and comments are appreciated, as long as they are constructive and substantive. You can be critical if you like, assuming it is in a friendly and helpful way. There are many veteran AAR writers out there and I am sure I have a lot to learn from you.