I've wanted to do an AAR for some time and I thought I'd give it a spin here. The first live blog I read was actually a Let's Play by a friend of mine on the forum and so the idea of an AAR seems like a logical next step.
Unfortunately, few live blogs for games seem to have a long life span, so here's hoping this one gets farther. I welcome all comments since it tells me people are actually reading which encourages me to keep pressing forward.
Here's hoping for some moderate success.
Now for the typical questions and anwser session;
What is Europa Universalis?
It's a strategy game based around world history, part of a larger series of games by Paradox Interactive. In Europa Universalis You can start on any day of history between November 1st 1399 and November 1st 1820. You can be any nation and as far as I can tell, they've got the dynasties pretty accurate, judging each individually for stats, so rulers come the same order they did historically, but alternate history being alternate history, Henry VIII still might end up Polish. With small details like this being added in, I'm hoping fleshing out the narrative will be easier. Using the other games of the series and some light modding, you can actually extend this to go from 1066 all the way to the 1950s. In fact if this blog survives past the Napoleonic Era, I'd be happy to mod it over to the next game.
What are the Game Settings?
I'm playing the Chronicles compilation, which includes all the expansion for EUIII, unlike EUIII Complete, ironically. There are no mods in effect largely because I've had trouble installing them.
I'm going to start things from the very beginning, kicking it off with the Grand campaign.
I'm leaving all settings on Normal, except Lucky Nations [aimed to give certain nations which historically did well an advantage to make sure they do well], which I'm turning off.
No rage quitting no matter how tempting. The main issue with this being my propensity to push the wrong button [my last game saw me annex a nation, go to war and loose an alliance due to clumsy clicking]. Narrative wise, this will be played as an misdictated letter or nobles/officials acting of their own accord and will end with the Leader raging and figuring out what to do.
I'm willing to mod the game to suit the flavour, but if I plan to, I'll put my intent at the end of a post and let the readers decide.
Similarly I might call on readers to help me decide on peace terms or where/whether to go to war next. I'll work it into the narrative as I see fit. I'm not bound to follow it but I'll give a lot of consideration.
As a matter of personal taste I've muted the music and taken to playing Tri Yann in the background, not my usual fare but I feel it suits the Medieval/Renaissance Breton culture better than most. Some of the installments might get named after songs by them [translated in to English of course].
If that sounds like your thing and your either able to speak French or listen anyway, I highly recommend it. They alos have songs in Breton, Irish and English but the last two are heavily accented which might mess with your enjoyment of the song for anything other than narm value.
Style of this AAR
I aim for a moderate realist RP. For example while Bohemia, Scotland, Burgundy and Brittany might end up as the great powers of Europe, you won't see a Breton Empire spanning from Brest to Brest.
The voice will be in an omnipotent narrative perspective, both recounting the shape of Europe in general and interactions not only of the nobles but of a few commoners. People will die of old age and in combat, at the whims of the games. I'm going to avoid going for original characters, save in the very beginning where I can't afford advisors/generals because it would be boring to read about my King on his own.
Anyway, if it looks like people are actually going to be reading this, then I'll post a generalhistory of Brittany next to give you guys an introduction both to Brittany and our first King.
All the best,
-Faux.
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