The 2023 AAR of the Year is...

[coz1]

And now we are finally here...the big Kahuna. From writAARs to characters, graphics and styles, we put it all together and as mentioned when the reveals started, there were 50 AARs listed in this category! 50!!! And it truly is an impressive display. We are celebrating the works of 2023 and what you see below proves that AARland is still thriving over 20 years after it was founded.

As with many of these categories, this one was also highly contested. Once more, every vote matters and where you list them matters too. Our runner up was within a see you in Tahiti hair to number one. It was that close. Yet we do have a winner and the 2023 AAR of the Year is...

The Wars of the Roses by @coz1 (EU4)​

It is an immense honor to find this result especially with so many other amazing works in the running. Certainly thank you, as it was close as said. And our runner up silver cup goes to...

Omentide by @The Kingmaker (AoW4)​

Frankly, a stunning return from the one previously known as Alexander Primus. However, I recall the former work well and the current output is as good if not better. It is so wonderful to have you back among us in the ranks! Congratulations for a terrific year and work! And then there is our bronze chalice...

The Butterfly Effect: A British AAR by @El Pip (HoI2)​

The longest running and venerable magnum opus that may end by 2046. Many congratulations!

Of course, there were many, many others given nomination and they are presented below in order of the vote:

Tomorrow Belongs To Me - A 'Democratic' Germany AAR by @TheButterflyComposer (HoI4)

Echoes of A New Tomorrow: Life after Revolution in the Commonwealth of Britain by @DensleyBlair (Vic2)

Deeper Understanding by @Von Acturus (Stellaris)

Year of Hell - A Stellaris War Story by @Macavity116 (Stellaris)

The Lions of Olomouc: a CKIII Ironman AAR (Duchy of Moravia, 867) by @Revan86 (CK3)

Lost Seasons of the Danes - A Viking AAR by @Chac1 (CK2)

Mead and Blood by @The Kingmaker (CK3)

Born to Breed: House of the Prophets by @Peter Ebbesen (CK3)

Lingering Wounds by @JackGoose (Stellaris)

Sundered Nation by @The Kingmaker (Vic3)

I Have A Dream - The Tale of the Sol Republic by @Nikolai (Stellaris)

Blood and Empire: A Clash of Civilisations by @Bullfilter (CK2)

The Fourth Age by @Uriel Blackwing (AoW4)

Poles Apart – an HOI4 Ahistory by @Bullfilter (HoI4)

Italian Ambitions: A Florence AAR by @JerseyGiants88 (EU4)

Talking Turkey: Alternate History from 1936 by @Bullfilter (HoI3)

This is where it ends by @filcat (EU4)

Confessing Their Apostasies (A Mildly Interactive AAR) by @HistoryDude (CK3)

Song of the Solitaire by @Macavity116 (Stellaris)

The Leicesters: History of England under the House of Dudley-Tudor by @ageofadelina (EU4)

Road of Queens - CKII India AAR by @Eurasia (CK2)

Machinations of the Medici by @jak7139 (EU4)

Pax Britannica – A Great Britain AAR by @Koweth (CK3)

Life2.0 - a Broken Shackles Narrative by @CBR JGWRR (Stellaris)

Here Dwells God - A Jewish Poland AAR, Part Four by @Tommy4ever (Darkest Hour)

Amenmeit the Sealbreaker by @starkwolf (AoW4)

Song of the Karlings: Karloman's Legacy by @LPDK 356 (CK2)

Grand Theft Stellaris by @Macavity116 (Stellaris)

Wings of Faith, Wings of Fury - A Slavic Pagan Revival AAR by @Superstorm (CK2)

The Empire Strikes Back - Part 4 by @Idhrendur (HoI4 and Vickie)

Die Wacht Im Raum - A Kaiserreich Stellaris AAR by @Side (Stellaris)

The Nation of the Tagalogs: A Tondo Megacampaign AAR by @Black Watch (EU4)

The Presidents: America and the Cold War (1966-1991) by @Nathan Madien (HoI2)

Dreams of an Honest World - a Mexico V3 AAR by @Chilango2 (Vic3)

Forlorn Hope - A Germany Endsieg AAR by @Rolexovsky (DH)

The Dragons Realm, A House Targaryen AAR by @streaker77 (CK2)

The Great War - A German Mini-AAR by @Nikolai (Vic3)

Der Adler, der Wolf, und die Sonne: Die Geschichte des Stahlpakts by @Wraith11B (HoI3)

Demon, Devil, Doll [Anbennar] by @Crushric (EU4)

Crowns of the Levant by @Werther (CK3)

Thousands are Sailing by @Von Acturus (Stellaris)

Epirus Ascendant, Part 1 by @HistoryDude (Imperator:Rome)

To Boldly Go - a Star Trek: Infinite AAR by @VILenin (Star Trek:Infinite)

The German Century (Kaiserreich AAR) by @Basileus2 (HoI4)

Blame Canada! - The current state of HPP by @Slan (HoI3)

Siberian Prosperity: an Economic CK2 AAR by @Sanvone (CK2)

Tale of the Clubfoot (A House Strong AAR) CK2 AGOT Mod AAR by @LPDK 356 (CK2)

Avon Las Observes by @Midnite Duke (CK2)​

So many congratulations are in order for these incredible AARs and so many, many thanks to all of the voters for reaching back into their memory and taking the time to honor the writAARs and works seen here. I am very proud to stand among you and share this wonderful place we know as AARland. We finished voting by Sunday and our awAARds have been handed out. All but one. Look for that this weekend. The thread is now open for your own congrats, thanks and discussion of the works if you so wish.

 

[Chac1]

Congratulations to @coz1 , @The Kingmaker & @El Pip ! Well done.

Honored that my work garnered some votes and was included on this list. Thanks to all the writers and voters.

 

[Rensslaer]

Congratulations again to @coz1! GREAT to see Wars of the Roses up there, and so honored.

Also great to see @The Kingmaker and @El Pip close behind! Congratulations to you! And congratulations to all who were nominated!

Rensslaer

 

[The Kingmaker]

Phew! I don't think I've ever been so relieved to take second place!

I'm very pleased to see the gold for AAR of the Year go to the Wars of the Roses, as it should. I've recently started reading this 85-page behemoth, and it's an excellent read so far. Well done, @coz1, and well-deserved! Congratulations also to @El Pip! I do need to read The Butterfly Effect at some point, but if Roses' 85 pages is already a daunting prospect for me, Butterfly's 340 pages may well be prohibitive.

Thanks also to everyone who voted for my work! Your support is most appreciated. I'm astounded and profoundly grateful for the recognition I've received in the YAYAs. It warms my heart to know that people are enjoying my writing. I'm so glad I decided to return to AARland this past year. This community is wonderfully inclusive and supportive.

In the meantime, I am happy and content with my silver medal. Omentide can always be considered again in a year or two when it's a bit longer, even if it never quite reaches 85 pages.

 

[HistoryDude]

Congrats @coz1, @The Kingmaker, @El Pip, and everyone else who had their AARs nominated!

And thanks to everyone who voted for my AARs.

 

[El Pip]

They said it couldn't be done and I would never win anything with an 18 year old AAR that updates slower-than-real time. Turns out they were entirely correct.

However I am still delighted and humbled to get Bronze, it may be a mere 10,000x less valuable than Gold (based on current metal prices) but it is unarguably much better than being 4th. Thank you to everyone who voted for Butterfly, I'm very appreciative just for having an audience let alone attracting votes.

Congratulations to @coz1 and @The Kingmaker, along with everyone else who got a vote.

I do need to read The Butterfly Effect at some point, but if Roses' 85 pages is already a daunting prospect for me, Butterfly's 340 pages may well be prohibitive.

Ahh, but unlike a certain AAR of the Year writer I could name Butterfly Effect uses Threadmarks for each update, not just scattered seemingly arbitrarily on some posts. So it is somewhat easier to go through.

 

[DensleyBlair]

They said it couldn't be done and I would never win anything with an 18 year old AAR that updates slower-than-real time. Turns out they were entirely correct.

Only 18?…

*

Congratulations to our three medalists. Very well deserved in each case, and a wonderful variety of work reflected. Long may each of you continue to find pleasure and recognition as you creep (some slower than others) towards your respective finish lines.

My sincere thanks to all who helped launch Echoes to a very respectable finish. As I hope to say about Aston Villa’s performance come the end of the season: given a real lack of consistency in the latter stages of the year, fifth is a more than admirable achievement. I enjoy the coincidence of the two “Tomorrow” AARs roosting together just below the top spots. Did Pip contrive some sort of magnetised homing device to keep us from touching the podium? Who’s to say…

A fantastic celebration of an exceptional year in AARland – and one where, perhaps even more so than in recent years – we seemed to find no shortage of genuine community feeling among veterans and newcomers alike. 50 works nominated is an outstanding achievement not only of writing, but of voting and sheer community engagement. Well done everyone, and more of the same next time around!

 

[Nikolai]

What a selection of amazing stories! Congratulations all!

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

Wow...I'm actually quite surprised TBTM got 4th place considering how different it is from my other work and that it isn't particularly popular in comparison.

Well done to Coz1 for a really engaging CK2 AAR that makes you entirely forget that it's set in EUIV. I've never wished the death of so many fictional characters before.

Pip is as ever, present. This is good.

I've never heard or played or read anything about age of wonder, so Omentide winning so big is impressive. I must give it a read.

Well done to everyone else as well. I'm a little surprised Echoes is below TBTM, but then again, my AAR is also currently in one of the bleakest periods it's going to cover (and believe it or not, it's going to get much worse both in WW1 and for Germany...basically for the next few years of real time writing no doubt).

 

[Idhrendur]

Congrats @coz1 and everyone else nominated!

 

[coz1]

I do need to read The Butterfly Effect at some point, but if Roses' 85 pages is already a daunting prospect for me, Butterfly's 340 pages may well be prohibitive.

Ahh, but unlike a certain AAR of the Year writer I could name Butterfly Effect uses Threadmarks for each update, not just scattered seemingly arbitrarily on some posts. So it is somewhat easier to go through.

Balderdash! I'll have you know every single post of the story holds links in the glossary at the start of the work. What are these Threadmarks you speak of? Surely some newfangled thing the kids like.

More seriously, thank you all once again for the support both in giving this work nomination but simply reading it in the first place. And certainly giving it comment. It has proven to be therapeutic as well as educational during these last three years and while I know I can work at a furious pace at times, I could not be more thankful to those that endeavor to keep up. Truly!!

I have mentioned it a number of times over the last few years, but I suppose I should put it down here officially given the generous reward given. During my early study of history, this story always fascinated me. The characters were so rich. The account so ready made to see how I might get inside their minds and tell perhaps why they did the crazy and insane things that they did. The story is there so much that games have already been made about it. George RR Martin based his entire SOIAF series on it. A full (albeit biased) series of plays by Shakespeare are devoted to it. I am not the first to try my hand at writing for this period or these people, nor would I even consider myself their equal in many ways. But I do prefer the route mine is going better than theirs.

I started thinking about writing this AAR around the time EUIII came out and even started one for it (the first six or seven posts of this current work) but I just couldn't get the game to model it. @TheButterflyComposer jokes that it really is a CK AAR rather than EU, but the game time just doesn't work. And recently @The Kingmaker offered a very good question - why has no one modded CK3 for this period? Though I know a lot about it, I am no modder. Yet with the CK mechanics, it might work. Suffice to say, I had neither of those as an option when I started out. All I had was EU4 and I decided after long last to just go ahead and start.

It IS an AAR because there is a game behind it. It's just buried very deeply. And it IS an alternate history, despite the suggestions of some that I was just following the known story/history.

It is my version of what I want the story and game to go like. And I have edited it all to my needs as a writAAR.

Nearly three years later, and after MANY posts, here we are. Again thank you to the voters. And most especially thank you to the readers! While a trophy is much appreciated, the true reward is in their comments.

 

[The Kingmaker]

I’m happy my comments over on your AAR have prompted additional thoughts about this, @coz1 . To be honest, I’m surprised more games haven’t been made about the period. The PC version of Kingmaker was awesome for its time, but it’s over 30 years old now. PDX’s own Wars of the Roses had potential, even though its hack-and-slash format was not ideal for the strategy and intrigue the period warrants. They even had a Brian Blessed voiceover DLC! But they shut the game down after just five years. I’m surprised there hasn’t been a Wars of the Roses Total War saga game yet. At the very least, the period has got to be incorporated into CK3 somehow, whether through official DLC or a mod. In the meantime, I have 84 more pages of your AAR to read!

 

[Bullfilter]

Warmest congratulations to @coz1, @The Kingmaker, @El Pip and all other nominees - wonderful work! Thanks for those who voted for three of mine - really very much appreciated to get a mention among the stellar listings here! And of course thanks once more to @coz1 for doing all this.

never win anything with an 18 year old AAR

Hah - you can’t claim this as a child any longer - at 18 years old it is legally adult!

I'm actually quite surprised TBTM got 4th place

I’m not - it is a great tour de force!

 

[Eurasia]

Congrats winners, voters, readers, and writers! In some ways we are all winners for all the aars we enjoy. In other ways, no, only the winners are winners.