A bit of a slow update -- but then, playing Native Americans is usually a marathon, not a sprint anyway. With a little luck, you might be well-placed to Westernize if you survive that first contact...
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To all - And I'm working on that next update as we speak. Could be a bit later today or tomorrow. I've also started another (yes, another!) AAR also in EUIV if you have not seen it (see my sig.) My hope there is twofold. One is that I quickly started seeing this one as pretty much gameplay and maybe (hopefully) as humorous and the other will most definitely be narrative. So that satisfies my artistic taste. The second is that working on two hopefully keeps me from updating either one too quickly so you good readAARs can keep up (unless you are reading both...which surely you want to.
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Either way and all things considered, thank you for reading and giving comment. Whichever you are following, I hope that you enjoy. I certainly do appreciate it.
They are that. Something to applaud.Strongest of the weak.
There are all likely a little slow, even with a bit of war here and there. But you are right...a marathon, not a sprint. Excellent analogy.
They are starting to. See next update on that.
To all - And I'm working on that next update as we speak. Could be a bit later today or tomorrow. I've also started another (yes, another!) AAR also in EUIV if you have not seen it (see my sig.) My hope there is twofold. One is that I quickly started seeing this one as pretty much gameplay and maybe (hopefully) as humorous and the other will most definitely be narrative. So that satisfies my artistic taste. The second is that working on two hopefully keeps me from updating either one too quickly so you good readAARs can keep up (unless you are reading both...which surely you want to.
)Either way and all things considered, thank you for reading and giving comment. Whichever you are following, I hope that you enjoy. I certainly do appreciate it.
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The Waiting is the Hardest Part
I thought the mix of song and focus right now appropriate. Right now there are still a few things I can do independently prior to our eastern visitors (of which we know nothing about, surely) but it does feel as though I am sitting on my hands waiting, waiting...and waiting.
When last we were together, it was 1492. Nothing truly exciting happened that year, but in 1493 we did gain a claim on Tutelo, the last remaining province of the Cherokee. I could have taken it years ago, but decided to let them be after the first war. Now, it’s just shits and giggles to do some damn thing. But before we get there, other things are afoot...
Getting closer. I need level 5 before I can really start moving but level 3 is excellent. This was followed very closely after by diplomacy tech level 6. I’m so excited, I wait again. Nothing at all happened in 1495. We got some honest merchants in 1496. And in 1497, we really partied! I hired a 2nd military leader for my second army.
Also, I think I heard talk from traders that some odd looking fellows were seen off the coast. Whatever that is.
Anyway, by 1498 the truce is up with Cherokee and I pounce. They are now allied with the Lenape (who will soon no longer exist, but not by my hand. That said, I probably didn’t help them by causing more troubles.) By 1499, Tutelo has fallen to me and the Lenape can do little to assist. In June, we accept peace.
So that’s nice. And then some odd ball in the tribe says we’ve entered into the year 1500 and the birth of colonialism. Is that some type of bird?
While I’m looking into the sky to spy this mythical creature, suddenly ten years have passed by. I’m told we’ve started to change culture to Creek in the former Cherokee lands taken in the first war. Also some words about the Shawnee in the north. Apparently we are building a spy network. To do what, I know not. Something about smugglers too. Are these the birds I’ve been looking for? Or maybe they have something to do with what appears to be a trade war between our ally Powhatan and the Iroquois. Not touching us, but we seem to be losing some long standing advisors. Thankfully, my boys have been busy keeping up the heap wampum and we hire more.
And then we get word from a messenger of the Powhatan. What’s that? You’ve seen heap strange cloth on large canoe at sea off the coast of Hatteras? Well that can’t be good.
What does this portend? Not sure, but thankfully we’ve been saving up our pelts to build...whatever little thing we can build...and with pelts. Maybe that’s why we can’t build them.
No matter. Our diplomacy tech gains another level to 6 and we’ve put military maintenance at 50% to really rack up the wampum. But in 1512 we get a gift to state (it’s not much, really and truly...but every pelt counts) and then...not much again. We’re working to get a claim on Choctaw to finish off that little push. But 1513 goes by with little happening. 1514 comes and goes with only the culture in Cheraw changing to Creek. Then we get our claim on Choctaw in 1515.
We gear up for war. Arrows sharpened. Moccasins shined. Faces painted (did we do that type of thing? I’ll have to ask to old wise one.)
The Choctaw are allied now with Waco and Lipan in the west. I can call in Chickasaw if I want, but decline. This should be a cake walk (or fire walk...keep with the milieu.) And it seems like it is until...
I sent my 6K archers into Choctaw and beat back their 3K pretty easily. Set to siege (or whatever it would have been) and then take it within the year. But even though I’m over 50% war score, they won’t accept their annexation yet. Alright...I’ll just keep going. Sent my brave archers across many fields of potentially hostile others to siege at Waco. And I kept a force of 4K left over in Choctaw just in case. But the slippery bastards sneak past me to the north and by 1518, the Waco and Lipan tribes have done a number on me.
I keep at siege in Waco, while at home my force wins, loses and then wins again. Then I get a temporary insanity of the monarch event (too much bird watching, I’ll assume.) I finally defeat the Waco tribe and the Lipan were never too much trouble. Waco even tries a separate peace but I decline. I don’t need more that just Choctaw. And finally by 1519 I have enough to enforce my peace...
And there was much rejoicing. The most exciting thing that has happened in 20 years or more. We are so happy, admin tech reaches level 4 (well, that may not have been a result of war...but we’ll just include it into the party because it’s a good thing. One more level to go to find...something.)
I start building a temple in Tuskegee in the same year and should mention that Choctaw had been one up on us and already built one in the newly acquired Choctaw. So that’s fun. The clouds part and the sun tells us that it’s now 1520. Somehow. We end attempting to make Choctaw a core and playing some sweet Tom Petty (the many Gods rest his awesome soul) on a record player made of sticks, mud and beaver pelts. It doesn’t sound great but it remains true.
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1520 already, and scarcely a European in sight (aside from the Castilians popping their heads in for a moment). I'm getting one of those "calm before the storm" feelings.
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Nobody on the coasts to meet the Europeans this time...hmm. Good. They should all starve to death in horrible swamps and never come back.
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Fb-fb:
I suspect the Europeans are there, but likely more in the south which I cannot yet see. The English and French will be more likely to land, so I may still have a few years.
Indeed, although I think I've hit the limit of where I can go for the moment. That said, you're right. Who knows?
I am the most powerful of the little guys and will find out soon enough.
Not yet, but I may change that. Let's see...
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Ch...Ch...Ch...Changes
I’ll spare you the song (even though it is great Bowie) because it is a bit of a lie. That said, in the next 20 years, a major event happens...though it really doesn’t. Not yet. But first, let’s get back to the day to life of our plucky Creek. We left off after the glorious Choctaw conquest and moved quickly trying to core that province. This is done by 1521. In the next year, we reach military tech level 5 which allows us to upgrade our archer units to ambush infantry. The better to sneak up on you, my dear. And then we lose our chief once more (good thing too because he was suffering periodic bouts of insanity.) Our new chief:
Hasse Ola is a proud old name in the tribe and so that is how I shall refer to him if and when I need to. Though I really don’t.
During this time, I have two or three major initiatives. One remains trying to get temples built in as many places (at least 5) and this is ongoing. I start my third such building in Cherokee in 1525. The other main thrust is finding more partners in crime. I like keeping Chickasaw close, but Miami doesn’t do much for me. Powhatan is good because of their trading position, however, the Huron tribe way to the north looks pretty powerful so I start improving relations with them in 1524.
The final thrust is trying to build as many admin tech points as possible to push to admin tech level 5. This will take some time. I make some choices simply not to waste them if I can help it. Other than that, the rest of the decade is pretty silent. Sure, there is the odd changing of culture here and there, notably in Tohome to the west. And in 1527, we reach diplomatic tech level 7. And there was much rejoicing.
There was one event, however, that I do spend a bit of admin points...
I did that mainly to keep the noble tribesmen loyal. Can’t have them rising up, now can we? Plus...what’s worse than uppity peasants? I suppose when an arrow catches you in the though and a bit of flint breaks off and it gets infected. Pretty much leads to death at this time. I hate it when that happens. So there’s that…
Other than that, not much else happens in 1529 or 1530. Not much really happens in 1531 either but at least we start building a marketplace in Tutelo. So that’s nice. That is pretty much how it goes these next few years as I wait to reach the needed admin points to upgrade tech level. I do get this nice bit of news...
And in 1533, we get a thing called The Levee which is not a reference to New Orleans. It hasn’t even been founded yet. But instead something to do with ceremony of some sort or other. I take the middle ground. No reason to lord it over everyone else in the tribe. Not yet at least. Well...except for those uppity peasants. Our admin advisor dies in 1535 and I wait to fill the position. Don’t want to spend the points or beaver pelts at this time. Another advisor dies in 1536 and this will fill. Temples go up in Muskogee and Cheraw in 1536 and 1537 respectively. Then in 1538 I decided to spend heap wampum to improve the capital and gain 1 tax base in Tuskegee when an event fires. Every little bit helps.
However it is the banner year of 1539 that things begin to really change. It begins when we succeed in changing the culture in Tutelo to Creek. And then in July it finally happens:
It increases production efficiency +2% so that means more beaver in our pots (is that all we eat? It must be with all those pelts.) But more importantly, it allows us to choose the ideas screen and choose a focus. My one and really only need right now would be colonists and so it seems clear to me which I should choose:
Now I could be wrong about this, but it appears the first thing it unlocks is colonists of which I have yet to receive. But I’ll have to wait some more at the moment. But if I can start doing a bit of colonization, I’d like to focus on a) gaining a port, then 2) colonizing the rest of Georgia proper. I also see a stretch of land to the north that would put us up against the Shawnee and appears to have a nice little trade crossroad in the middle. But for now, we’ll have to wait for that.
So not a poor twenty years of playthough. We finish the rest of the year by building a temple in Coosa and then save in 1540 with possibly a grand horizon in the distance. Either that or the Spanish arrive to crush us. So...six of one, half dozen of the other. We’ll see.
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I'm mildly disappointed that P'dox did not make the second option "Show me the money!"
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More of the ol' slow-and-steady. The ability to colonize all those empty provinces will certainly come in handy for facing down the Europeans when they come, assuming they don't just bull-rush you right from the moment of first contact.
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Well look at that, coz is back writing not one but two AARs and I manage to miss both of them. The one week of the year I've been away from the forums!
Never mind, all caught up now. And what a treat this is. A genuine joy to read. Can't wait to see how it goes.
Never mind, all caught up now. And what a treat this is. A genuine joy to read. Can't wait to see how it goes.
Foot-Foot? Is that you?
As much as I love the Nilsson version (and I do, truly), I can never help but feel a bit sorry for poor old Fred Neil. If Nilsson's underrated, then Lord alone knows what he'd be…
I would pay good money to read a "Europeans just give up and go home" timeline.
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If CK3 is ever properly given an EUIV convertor, it's pretty much exactly what the Irish would do. At least for a good long while. There's no reason for them to go, and they absolutely hate water.
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Fb-fb:
Great to have you on board and I'm pleased it's fun to read as I've reverted to pretty much full on gameplay at the moment.
To all - Thanks again for all of your great comments. Another update follows and it's only for 10 years which means some more exciting stuff happens.
For not really understanding trade that well, I'm doing fairly well at it. Lot's of nice events have helped.
Got to put some feet on that dog before I start painting the tail.
I do enjoy the Fred Neil version as well (and his original song for Midnight Cowboy is better than Nilsson's, to be sure.)Well look at that, coz is back writing not one but two AARs and I manage to miss both of them. The one week of the year I've been away from the forums!
Never mind, all caught up now. And what a treat this is. A genuine joy to read. Can't wait to see how it goes.
Foot-Foot? Is that you?
As much as I love the Nilsson version (and I do, truly), I can never help but feel a bit sorry for poor old Fred Neil. If Nilsson's underrated, then Lord alone knows what he'd be…
I would pay good money to read a "Europeans just give up and go home" timeline.
Great to have you on board and I'm pleased it's fun to read as I've reverted to pretty much full on gameplay at the moment.
Somehow I doubt they will just give up and go home. But we can pray to the Gods.
To all - Thanks again for all of your great comments. Another update follows and it's only for 10 years which means some more exciting stuff happens.
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100 Years After
As we move into the new play session, we are nearing the point of having played for 100 years. At times, it seems like quite literally. However, good things were on the horizon, and I don’t mean sails bearing strange new symbols. With that stated, the new decade begins with a decadence event that drops stability down to +1. Presumably, we’ve been putting too much spice in the beaver...and I don’t mean that as a euphemism (or do I?) I do not immediately boost it back to 2 because of those precious, precious admin points needed.
Thankfully, our military points have added up and I can jump to the next tech level (6)...
“It’s all happening!” as the groupies in Almost Famous shouted. It means we can now build barracks, but more importantly we can finally recruit cavalry which we call North American Horsemen. Immediately we recruit one of these strange new creations (strange especially since I don’t recall horses being introduced yet to North America...maybe they grazed up from Central America.)
Another comes soon after that and even with the addition to our “armed forces” (we literally use our arms in battle) we are making enough in beaver pelts to raise military maintenance to full and still make heap wampum. Things are looking good and I’m close enough to my admin goal that I can afford to boost stability back to +2 in 1541.
1542 begins with more excellent news. There is rising support among the Choctaw population. To wit...
Always nice as we have been trying to change culture everywhere else to Creek (with success.) Not much else happens this year but 1543 brings some more interesting things. I start by building a barracks in Tuskegee. And then we get a “Growth of the Administration” event:
I choose to go with the merchants to boost trade. I don’t like taking that nobility loyalty hit, but it can move back rather fast. Especially as I grant them some privileges (Right of Council) and by 1544 they are back above the 30% threshold.
Other than that, we are waiting and waiting again. 1545 goes by and nothing. 1546 goes by and it is more of the same. 1547 begins and the nearest thing we find to excitement is hearing news of the Dutch off the coast. We’re not sure who they are, or even where the coast is exactly, but it does send a nervous tingle down the spine. But we smoke a pipe and relax and then...AND THEN!!!
Huzzah!!! After 103 years, we finally have a colonist!!!
We should smoke more often (and it was some pretty good shit.)
So...as mentioned previously, we had three considerations for colonization. The 1st was to gain a coastline and that is what we do. Our plucky little colonist travels south to the lands of the Chatot (which in modern day terms is the area around Apalachicola and the Bay of the same name which produces some of the finest and freshest oysters in the world. Thick, juicy raw oysters that sliver down the throat usually coated with a bit of lemon and cocktail sauce, hopefully made with a goodly amount of horseradish. It’s also home to the best beach vacation spot in the US of A, in my family’s consideration. St. George Island. Now, it’s not yet that it this early date as the Gulf of Mexico has yet to cut the island off from the mainland, but it’ll be there eventually and I’ll be taking my dog Max, thank you. Even if he doesn’t swim and I have a major sand phobia. But that’s a story for another day...now where was I??)
I figure we’ll start there and then we can go in the other directions (i.e. the rest of Georgia and that seeming trade crossroads in the north.) At first things go rather well and in May of 1547 we get a lovely event that helps things along quite nicely...
With forgiveness offered to Paul McCartney, we’ll slightly change the name of his song and live and let live. We’ll continue to keep an eye on that while we keep at the rest. In 1548, we reach diplomacy tech level 8 which allows the building of shipyards. Hopefully someday I can do just that. And then we hire a new trade advisor. It’s been a while since I’ve had a full slate and I’d like to do better with trade (which, I’ll admit I really don’t fully have a full grasp on.) Our new man has a pretty good track record already and by August we see some great success...
We move into 1549 and all things seem to be ticking right along. In fact, it’s been a pretty active 10 years more or less. A look south sees our colony growing but then we get our first uprising...
It wasn’t terribly difficult to put it down and nothing poor seems to happen to our colony so we forget about it. Just a blip. That said, I decide to switch around my armies and keep a force permanently stationed in Chatot. Not sure if that’s a good idea or not, but we’ll see. Chatot is growing well with around 53 people heading there per year. I had no idea we had that many Creek, but hey. Why not? Bring back some oysters.
The economy is healthy and supports a nice military. 10K warriors and 3K horsemen in their ranks. Trade is swimming along and I have no real enemies around me. In fact, there is little to do with my diplomats other than occasionally send to Chickasaw, Powhatan or Huron to keep relations high (I ended the alliance with Miami some time ago because I had too many relationships.)
So, all in all, this was a nice ten years. More to that, the Europeans still have not landed as of 1550. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time, but we’ll continue to build so we can meet them on more equal terms (yeah...right.)
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My experience of Pdx games is always that colonisation happens on an accelerated timescale, if anything, so it's interesting to note here that the Europeans seem a little behind schedule. Not necessarily on the settlement front, of course. But if they aren't poking around, that can only be a good thing. Maybe the whole of Europe has been embroiled in a terrible war for the last century?
I know you mention that you've 'reverted' to gameplay for the moment, but whatever label you choose to put on it, the fact remains that this is so readable. We evidently need more 'slow' AARs, because this is quality stuff. Looking forward to the next part!
I know you mention that you've 'reverted' to gameplay for the moment, but whatever label you choose to put on it, the fact remains that this is so readable. We evidently need more 'slow' AARs, because this is quality stuff. Looking forward to the next part!
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Another AAR update drops with an extended discussion on local food, reminding me never to read these forums on an empty stomach. That being said, there are worse problems I could be having
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Finally the colonists arrive! On horses the Europeans brought, as the native horses of NA was made extinct by the natives' forefathers a long time ago.
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