The realm rejoices as Paradox Interactive announces the launch of Crusader Kings III, the latest entry in the publisher’s grand strategy role-playing game franchise. Advisors may now jockey for positions of influence and adversaries should save their schemes for another day, because on this day Crusader Kings III can be purchased on Steam, the Paradox Store, and other major online retailers.
For the sake of historicity, and keeping the GC interesting, I have little intention of conquering Bavaria and adding it as a "neu kronland" of the Habsburg Monarchy. I'm more concerned with resurrecting the historical borders (with Bohemia and Hungary), and possibly adding an ahistorical strong congregation of land along the Rhine. However, Wittelsbach power and aims at becoming emperor can never be allowed to happen, or at least if I can prevent it and keep them only moderate strong and not conquer pro-Habsburg electors!Well, you need to become Herzog von Bayern to end the Wittelsbacher ambitions. Und König von Böhmen!
5 years before the next war, the general was a true medium.![]()
The border with the Turks is quiet so far, or at least, has been. They've been busy beating up the Mamluks and Asian minors in the Near East. They'll later put a beating on Poland-Lithuania. My first encounter with the Turks was actually very ill-timed, as I was in the midst of my struggle to keep Catholic control of the HRE against the northern Protestants, needless to say - taking Turkish lands right now is not on my agenda. Protecting Southern Hungary and keeping a relative peace until my war with the Protestants is done (as you can tell, I've played about 100 years in advance to where we are in the AAR) is my priority. Hence why, you will find many foreshadowing sentences in the work if you read closely enough, which apparently you have done!Always squabbling, even in the face of the Turkish Hordes. The Empire needs order, so you can defend it against the Heathens! Of course, order also means you take their lands and armies, but that's incidental...
I demand plenty of anti-protestant rhetoric.[...]wait until we reach the titanic struggle between Catholicism and Protestantism in Germany staring in 1560...![]()
Attempting to add a "human" element to otherwise emotionless response from the player (me) to abstract characters in the game, or otherwise fictitious people I've created for the sake of the narrative (will be more pronounced later in the AAR) with the inclusion of other archdukes to reflect the historicity of the Habsburgs having so many sons and daughters, is also one of the great joys I have in conducting AARs. While I never play a game for an AAR the way I do for other non-games (like making the Dutch the great power in North and South America...) I also hope that these efforts create a certain ambiance for the readers, whom I am of course, eternally indebted to your kindness of 'following', reading, and commenting -- especially as someone who likes to joke, more people read my AARs that earn me absolutely nothing in monetary terms compared to my actual work, which I doubt has been read by more than a few hundred people.It's interesting to mentally map these types of writing with what was likely happening in game. Of course, the game doesn't tend to have as many human motives happening, but it's pretty fun to add those in when crafting a story, too. Makes it far more interesting, that's for sure.
The anti-Protestant (and anti-Catholic/Habsburg) rhetoric when we reach Chapter 6 and 7 will definitely be pronounced, bordering on militant insanity!Idhrendur said:I demand plenty of anti-protestant rhetoric.![]()
The longue durée is the only proper means, imo, of conducting history. Of course, the problem with an AAR is the fact that, having not completing the game, I don't know what lays ahead in the future, and while, at present, being nearly 100 years behind where I am in the game, I need to be careful in what I want to foreshadow and what I need to keep 'hidden.' After all, the paradox (pardon the pun) is that real life histories are often written where we, the readers, already know the end state (reading it either for pleasure, detail, or because we have to :glareInteresting long view in the final paragraph there.
Actually, Machiavelli is slated to make an appearance during the Italian Wars, but he'll be writing in opposition to the Habsburg ventures in Northern Italy and lauding a certain French King and his "March over the Alps."Great, now Machievelli will make his book about Steinegger.![]()
Well, many future diplomats and statesmen will be 'better' if we only go by the skill rating 1, 2, 3...since poor Steinegger was just a 1 (don't have the money). Yet, in terms of accomplishments, I think many will fail, and fail miserably, just like you're anticipating.Sounds like generations of future statesmen have their idol that they will pretend to emulate whilst failing miserably to do so![]()
Burgundy and Munster will play important roles when we enter the middle sixteenth century. The monster Munster, both going to be an important ally (Catholic), and enemy (allied with the French!) :glare:Now that is some stronk Burgundy and a monstrous Münster!![]()
My poor manpower and treasury during that stretch of the game!A forty years' war?! And I thought real history was bad enough on that front.
Nice to see you drop by Scott! And you need not worry about me crushing the Wittelsbach and Bavaria out of existence!Interesting :ninja:
The chaos unleashed in the aftermath of the Reformation and the great struggle already foreshadowed will, I think, bring closure to "Part 2" of this AAR which will begin next chapter.Ah, the reformation! Surely that won't sow chaos everywhere.
Yeah, I was generally surprised France went Reformed, not a single province iirc was Protestant before the rise of Calvinism in the game. Even then, it seemed to initially be rather lax in spreading, but after 1520, shot out with such speed and rapidity unlike I've seen before. I've seen France go Reformed before (actually, they and Switzerland are the most likely to be Reformed of any notable nations from my experience playing the game, except for the few often German minors (or country where the new sect begins). The Huguenots will now feature more prominently than ever and add a flavorful dimension to my rivalry with France.Hugenots ahoy!
Since there is no mention of the religion of Burgundy, I assume Burgundy will cease to exist before the reformation hits.![]()