HistoryPark: Here There Be Dragons

[unmerged(58610)]

They can't disconnect Hitch from the game and there may be an inbuilt advantage to the players to make them extraordinarily difficult to kill. This does not mean that he cannot die in game and, if he does, he may not wake up in the real world.

 

[stnylan]

They can't disconnect Hitch from the game and there may be an inbuilt advantage to the players to make them extraordinarily difficult to kill. This does not mean that he cannot die in game and, if he does, he may not wake up in the real world.

Indeed. Or if he does wake him, there is no telling what psychological damage he might have. I am quite sure the program is able to fry his brain.

It has just occurred to me that Hitchcock and the Lees are likely to have some psychological issues anyway. I mean, I have not kept track of precisely how much time as passed in the 'real world', but it is no way as much time as has elapsed in the 'game world'. There is going to be some fairly disorientation I would imagine, at the very least.

 

[J. Passepartout]

They can't disconnect Hitch from the game and there may be an inbuilt advantage to the players to make them extraordinarily difficult to kill. This does not mean that he cannot die in game and, if he does, he may not wake up in the real world.

Yeah. I think I was moving the 'hard to kill' up to 'unable to kill', but this is what I was driving at.

 

[Stuyvesant]

I hope the Empire finally has reached its prime, a time where it can choose its own battles, rather than have them forced on it. Wallachia must now certainly cover an impressive land mass (I remember the Empire looking quite healthy in earlier screen shots, so things can only have improved since then). I'm hoping this era will be more like the Roman Empire at the death of Trajan, rather than the Byzantine Empire after Basil II's death: both were at the peak of their power, but the former managed to hold on for a substantial time, while the other collapsed pretty much immediately.

Hitchcock being sidelined should not matter too much, as long as he still has enough authority to do his investigations. In fact, it should be nice for General Heinrich to no longer have to camp out on campaigns.

Finally, nice scene with the capture of the Sultan and his Grand Vizier. Like Amric, I also liked the very low-key way in which you describe the final destruction of the Ottomans six years later.

 

[unmerged(58610)]

The Wallachian Empire of the Romans now must look much as the Byzantine Empire did before Manzikert. It needs a period of peace to convert its provinces and invest money in diplomatic initiatives with its neighbours.

The not ageing is going to be a problem for Hitch and the Lees. They'll have to leave soon or be burnt as witches.

 

[TheExecuter]

...ceases lurking...

I troll through 50 some pages of enthralling story...my pulse hastening as I reach the end of the tale, only to find that I have reached the end before the end! Bravo, Director on this wonderfully told tale...even got me to try my hand at a certain Orthodox nation, without much success. I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment, and hope that this counts as one of the three posts you require for continuation.

Also, I would like to guess that the heart of the dragon refers to the cool dragon artwork you showed at the beginning of the tale...the one that looks similar to Paradox's brand image...but my first guess is always wrong!

Thanks and please continue!

 

[Storey]

The other man hesitated for a second, then bowed. “It is the will of Allah. Allow me to introduce his magnificence, the Light of Allah, the Sultan Murad Third.” A man stepped from behind the screening line of swordsmen, plucking the peacock feathers from his turban and breaking them.

I particularly liked this image. Is it something fanciful from your imagination or is there any historical fact to it? You’ve reached that satisfying point in the game where you’re big enough that no one can do more than make rude noises at you and hope you don’t take notice. But what about Frank? Is our favorite demented AI still working in the background trying to solve the mystery? Is he about to run amok and grab Sue and play the King Kong role? Is he about to reveal himself as “fill in the blank” and surprise us all by enlightening us to the answer to the puzzle, which is obvious and right under our nose? Has a spurious data stream of leaking ions representing an old Errol Flynn movie distracted him and is now contentedly eating cheese flavored popcorn? Well is he?

Joe

 

[Nil-The-Frogg]

Well, as far as I remember, players can't die or even be wounded in the game without a bug or some sort of viral activity... From memory, Kevin's "accident" was due to the fact that protective routines included all weapons but had a lack of polishing regarding bad falls, so when Kevin fell from his horse, he's been wounded. Of course, Buran's interference may have played a role too.

The battle scene was great, but. Yes, for the first time in ages, I have a but (and one with two "t" too, but that's another matter). Even though Hitch may have some military experience, I doubt any Turk soldier of that time could possibly be "Showy, but not an experienced fighter" with a scimitar, compared to Hitch. That is unless our hero benefits from some algorithmic improvements to his own skills.

Well, wasn't a big but, eh? I'm also surprised of the lack of surprise shown by the soldiers when a female spy shows some extraordinary proficiency in the melee. Oh, well, they certainly have their own concerns .

All in all, very enjoyable installment, as always, Director.

 

[Director]

My apologies - I did not realize I had so many responses! I've been swamped with work. So a little feedback is in order:


Amric - well there had to be SOME reason the silly Ottomans refused to surrender! After all, I was only asking to seize their entire realm and blot them from the copybook of history!

I wanted the fight to be dramatic but as you say, low-key. This was a last-gasp desperate chance by the Turks that had no real chance of success anyway. Thanks for the kind words!

After finishing off the rump Ottoman state in an unprovoked war some years hence, my BB is a little over 41 and the Austrians are about 31 I think. The next nearest contender is around 8. This explains the LONG peace that follows the rule of Mihnea Turcitul!

coz1 - Hitch isn't sent packing, just moved out of the spotlight. Had the war gone wrong he would be receiving much more attention.

Austria and the Pope are technically on the same side against the Protestant north Dutch/German states, but the Pope keeps declaring war and watching Austria gobble up the countries he wants for himself.

stnylan - Hitch will definitely be leaving the derring-do to others. In fact, that may be the last battle scene per-se of this AAR.

There are routines that feed game data to the human senses, interfacing with the brain to trick it into 'seeing' and 'hearing' what isn't really there. Mistakes could put a sensory spike into the brain, or scramble the sensory encoding at the very least.

As for the issues of elapsed time: I am taking some liberties here, but I have previously said the players exist in a 'compressed' experience. They are fully awake for the interesting bits and have a vague memory of the rest. Less than a full day has passed since Hitchcock and the Lees went in; it is now late afternoon and they entered in the morning hours.

Disorientation, yes, and also 'ennui', depression and a sense of flatness of affect. They've been highly stimulated by rousing action and the real world will seem dull (for a while).

J. Passepartout - I would say that, flaws in the code aside, players are not INTENTIONALLY harmed. This VR system was in development as an entertainment device, and has safeguards. Still, it is experimental and not in production - and we have seen how fragile computer products can be even when they are supposedly well-designed and protected (see: Microsoft).

Chief Ragusa - you are correct. The flaw is in the routines that uncouple the human senses from the machine data; if that goes wrong it can be harmful.

You are right about the Empire also - it settles into a long, prosperous peace and begins consolidating and converting its provinces.

Stuyvesant - the Empire is indeed mature (map to follow) and Europe is in an interesting shape. I don't think I'm giving away much if I say the combination of power and a significant diplomatic triumph makes the Empire as safe as it can be. There is one more big war, many years later (after the BB dies down!) and I may cover some of that in a post-script if there is interest. I spent the long quiet years developing infra and deploying governors and finally - FINALLY - became an economic powerhouse, passing even China.

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TheExecuter - Welcome! I'm very glad to have you as a reader and delighted to see you post a comment! Please feel free to ask or comment about anything at all.

I notice this was your very first forum post and I urge you not to let it be the last. Welcome to the party! If you are looking for other fine work, check the sigs of the other people who post here. Most of them are outstanding authors and their work is well worth your time. Stuyvesant is an exception, he selfishly refuses to write anything.

I have to say I had a bit of luck with Wallachia in the early days. The key was killing off the single-province minors around me before anyone else could, saving and then annexing the Byzantines. Put together, that gave the Empire a reasonable country of five or six provinces. The rest has been stupidity and persistence.

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Storey - the scene is entirely fiction as far as I know. Ottoman fashion called for a side-piece of jewelry attached to the turban, frequently of precious metal or jeweled, that held feathers or some such decoration. I don't really know why the Sultan is breaking his feathers except it seemed an acceptable way to vent great rage and loss.

In your usual way you are quite psychic. GET OUT OF MY HEAD! Frank appears in the next installment. Maybe. OUT!

Nil-The-Frogg - you are correct: Kevin would not have been 'VR abducted' without Buran's meddling.

I thought about the same point you make about the Turk soldier. First, I know Turks were acclaimed as great warriors and matchless swordsmen, and I didn't want to put Hitchcock in that situation. Second, I had intended to write an 'Indiana Jones' scene with the Turk showing off and Hitch blowing him away with a pistol... but I didn't want to steal that obviously (SHUT UP STOREY I CAN HEAR YOU). So I decided - and did not tell the audience, which I should have - that this is a young noble of the Sultan's court and not a seasoned fighter.

 

[J. Passepartout]

Hmmm, Frank, I wonder if he will be in game looking around or out of game attacking people with robots?

 

[TheExecuter]

Other fine works

Thanks for the encouragement Director! I must say that I've been lurking for about a year...(shame! shame!)...my cousin showed me his copy of HOI, and I had to go out and buy it...unfortunately, the learning curve was quite steep, so I looked for help...and randomly found Kanitlan's wonderful strategic essays on "winning" the game. From there, I discovered the guilty pleasures that are AARs, starting with Metternich's (sp?) Advantages and moving on through several different ones. I've also explored the EU2 AARs, which inspired me to buy the game and have some fun. I've also read Storey's (master of the cliffhanger...don't even try to deny it!) "Quicksand" and a few other highly recommended (by views and recommendations) stories.

Currently, I am now indulging in Who wants to be Napoleon, while waiting for the next installment of Dragons, and also trundling along waiting for future installments of British Interests...Honor...Obligations.

Now: On with the story...

I agree with Storey, what's happening with Frank? How will it all end? Will our heroes make it out alive! Cue dramatic music....house lights down, curtain up, and.....ACTION!

 

[Storey]

How will it all end? Will our heroes make it out alive! Cue dramatic music....house lights down, curtain up, and.....ACTION!

Don't forget the popcorn!

Joe

 

[Director]

The Empire of Romania in 1589

The map hung on the wall behind one long side of the table. The regional commanders, Hitchcock included, sat on the other side facing the map. Beneath the map were the Warmaster and Chancellor, flanking a more ornate seat left vacant for the Emperor. On their right and left respectively were seated senior aides. To Hitchcock’s left sat the chiefs of the armies of the east, and to his right the Admiral and the Prince who commanded the Army of Hungary. Representatives of the rulers of Croatia and Serbia had been invited, but after the opening sessions had abandoned themselves to the rich living of the City and were no longer seen in the mornings, if at all. Junior officers and aides occupied chairs behind their principals.

“Austria has made peace with Spain, extracting the provinces of Bearn, Rousillon and Gerona as the price. This not only allows Austria to meddle directly in the affairs of Spain should their brother Hapsburgs deviate from Austrian policy, it also allows Austria to apply pressure to the French minor states and to France itself.” The Chancellor’s voice husked on the last word, and he stopped for a sip of whatever beverage was in his cup.

“We are blessed, for 1583 was in every way an exceptional year, and so was 1585. Our system of tax collections is going into effect throughout the Regained Lands with fine results for the treasury and little complaint from the people of the region. Our thanks are due to the army commanders who have ensured the peace. His Majesty’s policies will continue to stress the expenditure of funds for the repair and construction of public works in the Regained provinces, for the improvement of all who live there. As a result of this peace and prosperity, our currency has actually gained value.” He smiled thinly. “This is of little concern to our generals, but of great concern in regards to the supply and equipping of our forces, which is thus made easier.” Smiles and nods all around at that.

“Returning to the diplomatic front, Poland has become engaged in alliance with Sweden and the Protestant states. The Rus, unfortunately, have signed a pact with the Austrians.”

“This is why we must have reinforcements in the West. My army is much reduced, and I need another army as strong as mine to guard the juncture of the Polish-Russian border with our own.” The voice was a gravelly baritone, the speaker the swarthy, black-haired man of middling age who sat down the table to the right: the Prince Mihail, known as Viteazul for his bravery.

Count Vlad looked at the Chancellor and took what he saw as an invitation to speak. “The risk of war from Poland is always present. We have not forgotten their provovation of 1581. And if Austria were to war upon us, Russia might well be drawn in, as we all know they covet Moldavia. But Austria is preoccupied with the properties they seized from Naples in 1585. Rich lands in Italy, true, but lands accustomed to ruling themselves. And lands the Pope has long claimed.“

“The Austrians always snatch prizes away for themselves,” the Chancellor grumbled, and Vlad laughed. “Let them! If it drives another wedge between the Hapsburgs and the old Dragon Gregorius in Rome, let them!”

“It’s Pope Sixtus, now, I hear. Or some such name,” the Chancellor mentioned, and Vlad nodded in appreciation before going on. “We are rebuilding the strength of the armies of the east first because we believe the greatest threat is there,” Vlad continued. “Not from foreign powers but from rebellion, such as broke out in Konya a few years ago. I agree that your army has been given short shrift these past years, and I pledge to make up your legions. As for the other,” his voice darkened, deepened, “we will authorize a new legion soon, but it will be deployed in Thrace, or in Macedonia to guard this region against the civil unrests that so recently troubled Albania. For your ears only,” his gaze swept the room, commanding, “the plague of 1586 has reduced the population available for military service and recruitments are running a bit low.” Mihail’s face drew down as he clearly did not like that answer, but he said nothing more.

“General Heinrich, would you advise us on the hiring of the soldier and condottieri Giaccomo Bocanegra?”

“I advise against it, milord Warmaster. He has refused to make any demonstration to me of any knowledge he might have of drill, firearms or fortification that we do not already possess. He has also refused to adjust his contract price, which remains at 400 ducats.”

Vlad’s eyebrows flew up and the Chancellor drew back in shock. “Milord Warmaster, unless your need is acute I cannot countenance the disbursement of such a sum to a single man! Our expenses for civil administration remain so heavy…”

“I trust the assessment of our good General Heinrich,” Vlad intoned. “As Warmaster I must of course argue for the security of the throne but I fail to see how such an expense would materially aid us.”

“I thank you, milord Warmaster. The extension of civil administration in the Regained Lands and the spread of chief magistracies such as we now employ in Thrace and Smyrna will, I think, greatly strengthen our ability to support your efforts.”

Artfully phrased, Hitchcock thought. The Chancellor was a young man when we began the war against the Turks, but he has certainly grown into the office.

Another look passed between the Warmaster and the Chancellor. The latter sipped again from his goblet and turned over several pages. “I have recently learned from our ambassadors at the various courts that our exposure to Austrian interference should be much lessened, at least for a time. The Principality of Savoy, allied with France and Venice, have decided to make war on the Catholic coalition of Austria, the Papal States, Russia, Genoa, Cologne and Sicily. Against Austria’s great strength must be balanced the effect of their many commitments. Officially, His Majesty has no opinion in this matter save to call upon both sides for peace.”

The Chancellor coughed again. “Milords and generals, I suggest we adjourn this session until the early hours after noon.”

Everyone rose and Prince Mihail lifted his goblet. “Gentlemen! I give you His Majesty Mihnea, Second of His Name, Sole Autokrator, Imperator, King of Wallachia, Transylvania and Moldavia, Restorer of the Eastern Lands! To Her Serene Highness Lucia, and to their firstborn, our new Prince of Hungary, Radu! May the Royal House be blessed with long life, good health and many children in the future!”

All cheered and toasted, but Hitchcock found himself left strangely cold. As discreetly as possible he studied the Prince, fiddling pointlessly with papers as the Prince made his way through the bustle of courtiers and well-wishers to the exit. There was something in the face beyond the black beard, prow-like nose and deep-set eyes of the Basarabs. Something cold, that looked out and saw only victims.

Something predatory.

 

[Stuyvesant]

Sounds like there's a coup in the offing. In fact, Prince Mihail:

There was something in the face beyond the black beard, prow-like nose and deep-set eyes of the Basarabs. Something cold, that looked out and saw only victims.

Something predatory.

sounds a fair bit like Frank. Whose entry into the VR we're all still awaiting!

Of course, on the other hand, many people are perfectly capable of acting that way without being taken over by a megalomaniacal AI. Could just be Prince Mihail's natural state.

Good looking map: it appears to me that you have fiddled with it a bit, the colors seem richer than what I remember from EU2 itself. It's also looking good for the information it displays: that's an unusually shaped, but business-as-usual dangerous Austria. I rarely see them dip so far into Italy, never mind the Austrian buffer zone in northern Spain. And look at the size of that Poland! Frightful!

 

[stnylan]

Dragon Gregorius? I cannot make up my mind if this is a red herring, or a clue masquerading as a red herring. IIRC hearts were sometimes buried separately.

 

[unmerged(58610)]

Something predatory does sound a lot like Frank. The House of Basarab did have several characters of that ilk without requiring a manaical AI. It certainly sounds as though Mihail is planning to set himself up as an the Hungarian King en route to seizing the throne. He's not best pleased that there is an heir.

The peaceful consolidation of the new lands is not to Mihail's liking!

 

[J. Passepartout]

Prince Mihail seems dangerous. Kill him*. He may very well be Frank.

Is your currency returend to its former strength when Byzantine money was used all across Europe?

*Don't actually kill him, that would make him angry. Use him to gain the Heart of the Dragon before he can.

 

[coz1]

The empire looks strong. I am glad you never took my advice and released Hungary as vassal to give you the buffer with Austria. But then, it sounds as though you won't need it since Wallachia is catching up and since Austria remains with their hands full. And Poland...well, I wouldn't worry too much about them.

A nice summary scene that also provides perhaps another potential worry. Frank? Or something worse for the empire?

 

[Nil-The-Frogg]

As my co-readers already mentioned, the prince could or could not be Frank. Thirst for power might well explain such an attitude, and would also very well explain why the warmaster prefers to station new troops near Thrace rather than give them to the frightening black-bearded general.

Good job at mixing your script-like explanation of the past years in an actual story update, Director. Oh, and nice new Avatar here...

 

[TheExecuter]

Update! Update! Wheee!

{Homer} mmmmmm.....new characters.....{/Homer}

Hey Storey...pass the popcorn, please....it looks like we are coming up to something exciting! (Cue breathless anticipation)