Definitions:
CompulsAARy – The manic feeling that you don’t know what to do with the little time you have, so maybe you should start another AAR!
One-Armed Paper HangAAR – Someone who tries to juggle too many AARs.
PrAARfessional – Someone who spends years of his life writing AARs.
SAARenity – Peaceful contemplation of an AAR where you try very hard NOT to interact with the rest of the world, so… What could happen??
What this is:
Serenity will be a gameplay AAR using an un-expanded V2, patched to v1.3 (current as of Feb 2013). The gameplay will be role-played, much as the Japanese did historically. My intent is to ignore the rest of the world until it’s absolutely impossible to do so. After that, expect the Japanese to – again – do as they did historically, and attempt to make their way in a big, scary world so that they feel safe and important. This may include conquest. It may include World Wars. Who knows?
What this is not:
Serenity will not follow in the footsteps of I Am Siam, where I sought to become a great power. Nor will I be going into strategy as much as I did in I Am Siam – the strategies are mostly known, now, plus many of you have moved on to other expansions that work differently. I’ll be producing AARs (probably) for those expansions too (looking forward to Heart of Darkness), but this is just going to be a short AAR to fill the time.
At the start of the game, in 1836, Japan is painfully aware of the presence of China, which looms large not just in a regional map, but also in Japanese history. Japan wishes to avoid interference with China or by China as much as possible. Korea also holds an important spot in the corner of Japan’s collective mind. Some are already plotting possible conquest there, but others warn that that would complicate relations with China, and perhaps entangle Japan with China. Others see Korea as a possible ally against China, but that almost invites conflict, so… Beyond these two countries, Japan is aware of the rest of the world, but really has very little interest in it.
Japan’s initial target for research will be Early Classical Theory and Critique, for no particular reason. Keep in mind I’m not trying to game the system, so I’m not going to pay very much attention to what would get Japan to civilized status quickly. I’ll research those things that seem relatively logical for an isolated Japan to be researching, but which don’t leave us too far behind the rest of the world.
I do have a bunch of small armies located around the country. In fact, Japan starts as the 9th most militarized power in the world. I don’t know why – I’m uncivilized and all my armies are irregulars. I will soon begin producing regular infantry, to double the size of my military. It makes sense, with China nearby, to have a defensive force. I won’t produce a navy because that just invites contact with the outside world (I know, it would also help prevent invasion, but that’s not how the Japanese are thinking during their “Sakoku” period of isolation before the Meiji Restoration and the Black Ships.
I set my National Focus to encourage Artisans in Edo. Japan already has a large number of Artisans – 544,000 of them, which makes Japan the 6th most so-endowed in the world.
Since Artisans are the only way we can produce anything not farmed or mined, Artisans are very valuable in Japan – it reduces our need to interact with the outside world.
Below, you can get an idea of what our provinces are producing, and how rich they are.
To wrap things up, Japan has no slaves. We have a certain number of very bored Capitalists. Because of our reactionary Shogunate government, taxes are locked at 50% for everybody, which means we should have plenty of money during our isolation period, because there’s not a lot to spend it on.
We leave military spending at default (about 50%), and increase Education and Administration slightly (remember, I’m role-playing – without urgent need, no reason to increase those particularly) to about 70%. Tariffs stay the same.
Now, with all that done, all we have left to do is sit on the seashore, wait in serenity and watch the Chinese ships go sailing by….
The Index (hidden as a spoiler):
1836 - Intro, getting started
1837-1852 - Early resistance to foreign contact, fears of European encroachment
1853-1857 - Russia "opens" (spheres) Japan, active efforts to increase technology, military to resist
1858-1860 - Europeans begin to dismantle China and SE Asia
1860-1861 - Japan rises up against its overlords! 1st Russo-Japanese War begins (Jun 1861)
1861-1862 - Early victories, in 1st RJW
1862-1863 - Continued victories, then setbacks, in 1st RJW
1863 - The great struggle, a White Peace ends 1st Russo-Japanese War, but Japan is free! (Jul 1863)
1864-1868 - Continued European aggression, the Meiji Restoration & Westernization (Aug 1867)
1869-1870 - Technological race, provoked to 2nd Russo-Japanese War (Sep 1870)
1870-1871 - Setbacks already, and White Peace ends 2nd Russo-Japanese War (Feb 1871)
1871-1872 - Tech pushes, Korean Conquest (May - Jul 1872)
1872-1873 - China starts 1st Sino-Japanese War (Nov 1872)
1873 - An amazingly bloody struggle, in 1st SJW
1873-1874 - Fight Chinese to a standstill, White Peace ends 1st Sino-Japanese War (May 1874)
1875-1879 - Recovery & advancement, China declares 2nd Sino-Japanese War (Feb 1879)
1879 - Japan demonstrates significant technological superiority in 2nd SJW
1879-1880 - Japan advances against China, in 2nd SJW
1880 - Japan stuns China, acquires E. Manchuria in conclusion to 2nd Sino-Japanese War (Jun 1880)
1880-1885 - Biding our time, research advances, re-sphered by Russia
1885-1888 - Ironclads & other tech advances, Spanish-Japanese War to capture Luzon (June 1888)
1888-1889 - Conclusion of Spanish-Japanese War, Japan acquires Luzon (Sep 1889)
1889-1891 - 3rd Russo-Japanese War starts as Japan rebels against Russian control (July 1891)
1891 - Japanese successes in 3rd RJW
1892 - Continued success in 3rd RJW, but momentum slows, then China invades in 3rd Sino-Japanese War (July 1892)
1892 - Japan is holding off both Russia and China (3rd RJW, 3rd SJW)
1892-1893 - Slaughterous combat on both fronts, Japan tiring, makes compromise peace with Russia, acquiring Sakhalin Island (3rd RJW ends Feb 1893)
1893 - The mini-epic of the 3rd SJW, wins and losses, and secondary invasions
1893 - 1894 - Devastating Debacle in Southern China
1894 - Japan Regains Its Balance, Shantung Invasion
1894 - 1895 - Conclusion of the 3rd Sino-Japanese War
1895 - 1896 - Tech Advances & Great Power Diplomacy
1897 - 1899 - More Tech & Diplomacy, 4th Russo-Japanese War Begins (Dec 1899)
1900 - Initial battles of 4th RJW, Japan begins to win
1900 - 1901 - Japan Begins to Dominate 4th RJW
1901 - Japan Has Russia On the Ropes, But the 4th RJW Continues Nevertheless...
1837-1852 - Early resistance to foreign contact, fears of European encroachment
1853-1857 - Russia "opens" (spheres) Japan, active efforts to increase technology, military to resist
1858-1860 - Europeans begin to dismantle China and SE Asia
1860-1861 - Japan rises up against its overlords! 1st Russo-Japanese War begins (Jun 1861)
1861-1862 - Early victories, in 1st RJW
1862-1863 - Continued victories, then setbacks, in 1st RJW
1863 - The great struggle, a White Peace ends 1st Russo-Japanese War, but Japan is free! (Jul 1863)
1864-1868 - Continued European aggression, the Meiji Restoration & Westernization (Aug 1867)
1869-1870 - Technological race, provoked to 2nd Russo-Japanese War (Sep 1870)
1870-1871 - Setbacks already, and White Peace ends 2nd Russo-Japanese War (Feb 1871)
1871-1872 - Tech pushes, Korean Conquest (May - Jul 1872)
1872-1873 - China starts 1st Sino-Japanese War (Nov 1872)
1873 - An amazingly bloody struggle, in 1st SJW
1873-1874 - Fight Chinese to a standstill, White Peace ends 1st Sino-Japanese War (May 1874)
1875-1879 - Recovery & advancement, China declares 2nd Sino-Japanese War (Feb 1879)
1879 - Japan demonstrates significant technological superiority in 2nd SJW
1879-1880 - Japan advances against China, in 2nd SJW
1880 - Japan stuns China, acquires E. Manchuria in conclusion to 2nd Sino-Japanese War (Jun 1880)
1880-1885 - Biding our time, research advances, re-sphered by Russia
1885-1888 - Ironclads & other tech advances, Spanish-Japanese War to capture Luzon (June 1888)
1888-1889 - Conclusion of Spanish-Japanese War, Japan acquires Luzon (Sep 1889)
1889-1891 - 3rd Russo-Japanese War starts as Japan rebels against Russian control (July 1891)
1891 - Japanese successes in 3rd RJW
1892 - Continued success in 3rd RJW, but momentum slows, then China invades in 3rd Sino-Japanese War (July 1892)
1892 - Japan is holding off both Russia and China (3rd RJW, 3rd SJW)
1892-1893 - Slaughterous combat on both fronts, Japan tiring, makes compromise peace with Russia, acquiring Sakhalin Island (3rd RJW ends Feb 1893)
1893 - The mini-epic of the 3rd SJW, wins and losses, and secondary invasions
1893 - 1894 - Devastating Debacle in Southern China
1894 - Japan Regains Its Balance, Shantung Invasion
1894 - 1895 - Conclusion of the 3rd Sino-Japanese War
1895 - 1896 - Tech Advances & Great Power Diplomacy
1897 - 1899 - More Tech & Diplomacy, 4th Russo-Japanese War Begins (Dec 1899)
1900 - Initial battles of 4th RJW, Japan begins to win
1900 - 1901 - Japan Begins to Dominate 4th RJW
1901 - Japan Has Russia On the Ropes, But the 4th RJW Continues Nevertheless...
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