well many thanks for this genuinely brilliant AAR. I'm sure you'll get lots of comments from people who were in from the start. To me the highest praise is that discovering it late, reading most of it in a single afternoon (so the client got the report late ... these things happen), and then being disappointed that I'd have to wait along with everyone else. If Knut created the idea that comedy and CK were natural bedfellows, you've raised it to a higher form ...
Wow - high praise indeed! Thanks very much - that means a lot! It's interesting that you read most of it in an afternoon - did it feel consistent or did it seem disjointed?
Oh, and apologise to your client for me
Excellent, excellent stuff. Very sorry to see this end but quite a stupendous ending. It does seem very Suenikan to give away your lands to the very person who will end up overthrowing you. Even more Suenikan that said person is your wife, the legacy of Mira lives on! I do love that Suenik is now part of the realms of a relative of the King of Nubia, is this relative from the same line as the Dongola restored to the throne of Nubia some years ago, only to be promptly conquered again, by that earlier Suenikan ruler (alas, the name of the ruler escapes me now)? I rather hope so!
Oh and this line is fantastic;
A Gardman-Aghbania is punishment for a demon rather than the otherway around! Congratulations on having finished this wonderful epic, I greatly look forward to your next AAR.
The new Count of Suenik is indeed a Dongola! I think he's a relative of the guy that one of the previous Kings gave land on the east coast to. He was certainly the guy seiging the province when it fell.
As for the murderous wife, it certainly seems to be the case that Suenikian men are headstrong lunatics, whilst the women are of an all together more devious mould. I was fortunate in that Mleh had such a long reign that I had plenty of time to develop Mira's character to the extent that she was the standard to which all other female Suenikians were judged!
I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not
Thank you for this great read! I suppose it's fitting that Suenik returns to its beleaguered form in the end.
I'm very glad that you enjoyed it. Especially given that you've stuck with it since about day one and didn't get bored and wander off! I'm also rather pleased with the ending - I rather like when AARs are able to close neatly rather than simply going "and it got to 1453 and I couldn't play anymore..."
So.....
He's not being forced to stay with the rest of his kin, then?
I'm sure there's more than a couple of Gardman-Aghbanias in the Pit...
I'll be honest, I'm really sad to see this AAR end but I'm glad that its been resolved and the loose ends have been tied up.
It's been quite a rollercoaster ride reading this and in the end, I must say that you gave it quite a fitting ending. As was said, this is the story of a kingdom that rose from nothingness to become a superpower only to nosedive into nothingness once more.
Brilliant work, good sir, I tip my hat to you.
Thank you very much! As since you were a faithful commentator, let me return the tippage!
Pics or it didnt happen as far as I can remember...
It happened all right. If you listen carefully you can hear the screaming...
Ultimis Finis Suenikes Madness!
Thanks for many snickers...
You're welcome - hopefully I can produce something else worthy of snickerage sometime soon!
*sniff*
And I was hoping to see Suenik go up against the Mongols.
Oh well. It was a worthy end.
Given how powerful Suenik was towards the end I doubt the Mongols would even have been able to make a dent! But I'm glad you liked the end anyway.
Oh and don't cry for the Gardman-Aghbanias. With a couple of exceptions they were quite horrible people!
Well done, I am also sad to see it end, but its been very good while it lasted!
Thank you very much and thanks for your patronage!
I for one refuse to be sad about the fact that this stupendously brilliant AAR has come to an end. Now if you excuse me, I'll be over in the corner having a manly cry.
Now, this new project of yours won't be a three-part prequel to Oranjes with faux Jamaican sidekick and a pile of cardboard as the lead, will it?
Thankfully Oranjes and this are seperate projects. I can't quite imagine just how hellish a place the universe would be if Van Moordenaar managed to meet up with the Gardman-Aghbanias and introduced them to Brigadier Menzies-Campbell, could you?
(clearly this will be lost on those not familiar with Oranjes - apolgoies for the in-joke!)
When CK2 comes out, can you do a Suenik-style AAR with it?
If I can get a machine that will actually run it, I might consider it. However, I'd suggest that ANYONE could do an AAR like this - why not give it a go?
Congratulations on playing and reporting such an amusing and compelling game, full of excellent characters and many moments of laughing out loud. It's nice to see Suenik returned to it's original state, surrounded by enemies.
It seems fitting, doesn't it? And thank you very much for your support along the way - having a great bunch of readers made this a complete joy to write.
So, that's it then guys - the end of Suenik. From zero to er...I wouldn't say hero - there was never anything heroic about the Gardman-Aghbanias - but certainly to something much better than Grigor could ever have hoped for, back to beleagueredness.
I thank you one and all for you comments, observations and witticisms along the way. As I said previously, knowing that you lot were reading and commentating made this a complete pleasure to write, and to those of you who offered feedback via PM thank you very much - your honesty is appreciated and all criticism, as long as it is constructive, should always be welcomed by an author - especially if he wants to improve his craft!
For those of you wanting something else to read now that this is finished, may I boldly suggest you take a look at my other AAR -
These Oranjes Are Not For Eating? It's in a similar vien to Suenik (IE - not really on the serious side) and can be found lurking in the Victoria forum. Don't be put off if you don't like Victoria - you don't need to know anything about the game or the period to "get" it...
Before Suenik gets filed away in the box marked "Completed AARs" can I ask one more question of you lot? Who was your favourite monarch from this tale and why?
Cheers - and thanks again!
Iain