View Poll Results: The fate of the known world

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  • Side with the hawks - conquer the world for Scotland!

    108 46.96%
  • Side with the doves - restore the bedraggled nations of Europe.

    122 53.04%
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Thread: [M2TW AAR] Who Watches the Watchers?: Papal Apocalypse.

  1. #361
    G-Ballz's Avatar Libertus
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    Default Re: [M2TW AAR] Who Watches the Watchers?: Papal Apocalypse.

    First AAR I've read, and it was fantastic! Really loved all the detail and creativity. I'm now moving on to your RTW Numidia AAR. Always wanted to try them out, but never had the guts. Keep up the great work!

  2. #362

    Default Re: [M2TW AAR] Who Watches the Watchers?: Papal Apocalypse.

    Wonderful work as usual. Your AAR's are the stuff of legends and what makes people like me originally sign up for these forums. Thanks for the entertaining read.

  3. #363

    Default Re: [M2TW AAR] Who Watches the Watchers?: Papal Apocalypse.

    I just spend most of my night reading through all of the AAR and I am at a loss of words. That was one of the finest AARs I have ever read! The only thing I was disappointed with was your ruthlessness at the end. You had a chance to help.... to restore the kingdoms of Europe. You simply took out Spain without mercy, Sicily killed themselves, you justified your conquest of the Byzantines by saying they weren't worthy of the title, and you demolished your once great allies in the east, one of them without any reasoning. You became what you attempted to overthrow. Remember all the talk of how you would do your best to help the exiled Polish royals? BAH!!! Who needs Polish?!?! Remember the wise words of Lord Mayor Wallace? Well, regardless, even though you lost all sense of honor at the end, it was one of the greatest AARs ever and its legacy shall reign for millennia.............. + rep

  4. #364
    G-Ballz's Avatar Libertus
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    Default Re: [M2TW AAR] Who Watches the Watchers?: Papal Apocalypse.

    Quote Originally Posted by G-Ballz View Post
    2/29/12 - First AAR I've read, and it was fantastic! Really loved all the detail and creativity. I'm now moving on to your RTW Numidia AAR. Always wanted to try them out, but never had the guts. Keep up the great work!
    I'd just like to point out that this AAR got me from Google to TWC, and I've been loving it ever since. +rep to the legendary Decimus Milo!

    In the 17 months I've been on TWC, I've searched everywhere for good AAR's. If you're interested, please see my signature below for a fine selection of AAR's that I've really enjoyed.

  5. #365

    Default Re: [M2TW AAR] Who Watches the Watchers?: Papal Apocalypse.

    Love it so far!

  6. #366

    Default Re: [M2TW AAR] Who Watches the Watchers?: Papal Apocalypse.

    Quote Originally Posted by G-Ballz View Post
    First AAR I've read, and it was fantastic! Really loved all the detail and creativity.
    Ditto

  7. #367
    Mr. ZAP's Avatar Libertus
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    Default Re: [M2TW AAR] Who Watches the Watchers?: Papal Apocalypse.

    The first AAR I read on this site when I first started lurking late last year. I decided to re-read it and spent the past few days doing so. Just as good the second time, though I wish some of the old images hadn't been lost. Ah well.

    Definitely my favorite play-through along with A Scotsman in Egypt. Why is it always the Scottish ones?! Just so you know I posted this AAR in the Fanfic Recs section for Total War on TV Tropes.

    Currently playing my own Scotland campaign emulating yours for the most part, with a few notable differences. For one thing I have been influencing the world subtly by calling crusades on whatever faction tends to be excommunicated at the moment. I never join them (except once when it looked like the mission would run out before it was taken, then I just took Bordeaux and gave it to England for fun). The main benefactors of these have been the Poles, Venetians, and Papal States. I also grew a bit tired of turtling and decided to pre-emptively take the rest of the British Isles from England in the mid-11th century, then making peace with them. I also decided to take Dublin and Canaervon by force when they were still rebel settlements so I would have a slightly stronger starting base. Right now it's around turn 200 in the late 11th century (same time settings as you) and I'm mostly keeping busy defending myself from the Danes and waiting for my extensive but no longer necessary continental spy network to die of old age so turns go by faster. I keep the fog of war on when going by turns just to cycle through them more quickly. The HRE, Milanese, Spanish, and French are all dead, while the Byzantines have been exiled to Cyprus for most of the game and Portugal is probably going to be wiped out soon by the English and the Pope. Thinking of calling a crusade in the Holy Lands for the first time soon, just to mess with Egypt. Fun, though the Danes are annoying. If there ever does come a time when I have to liberate the Old World, I intend to go for the "Dove" route instead of the one you chose, giving back lands to surviving nations... I think it would be nicer to end on a peaceful note.

  8. #368
    johnswan's Avatar Tiro
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    Default Re: [M2TW AAR] Who Watches the Watchers?: Papal Apocalypse.

    Quote Originally Posted by Decimus Milo View Post
    Indeed my ruthless attitude may appear harsh, but it is justified, as you will see. Time for the grand finale.

    Chapter XLVI: Shantih Shantih Shantih

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    With Jerusalem secured from external invasion thanks to force of arms and internal rebellion thanks to horse racing, Scotland is free to move her brigades into Egyptian territory. The mighty citadel of Gaza is our next objectives, and the Egyptians know it.


    Although we initiated the battle, this does nothing to hinder Egyptian aggression on the field.


    We have enough cavalry - veteran knights equipped with the finest weapons and armour - to envelop from both flanks.


    The Egyptian right breaks, as enemy reinforcements arrive.


    Royal Marmelukes inflict some casualties charging straight into our heavy infantry, but our own cavalry carries the day.


    Seeing how well Egypt's betrayal of Scotland is going, Poland - a landlocked, fragmented nation completely surrounded by the world's only superpower - also tries her luck.

    This outcome was foreseen, and we have brigades ready to take Dijon and Staufen. We're marching men up to take Breslau, but if they decide to assault Krakow immediately there's not much we'd be able to do.
    Diplomacy isn't our forte, but it will grant us some much needed time. We propose a ceasefire, and the idiots buy it. During this peace we will move up our forces for a decapitation strike.


    Merry Christmas, war is over. Nicaea finally surrenders. Scottish troops comb the streets for the pontiff, and he is confirmed dead - killed by a mob on the eve of surrender.


    Despite the colossal bloodshed, we return to antebellum relations with the Papal States - seeking better relations, we're immediately reconciled.


    And why wouldn't he? He is a countryman, after all. Anticipating the end of the war, we've been pumping out priests in the cardinal factory of Tlaxcala, ensuring that the next Pope would be nothing more than a puppet for the Scottish crown. No need to risk further insurrection by allowing the Papal States to elect one of their own.


    Scottish dominance of the College of Cardinals ensures a total cessation of hostilities.


    Whilst in the south Cairo surrenders, our forces have moved into position to wipe Poland from the face of the Earth. We attack a small force across a bridge, just outside Staufen. This also draws out the garrison, but bypasses the main Polish force in the area.


    Welcome to the meatgrinder. A trebuchet bombardment softens the Poles before our main charge, although I forget to cease firing after the switch to rotting cow carcasses, so our men have to hold their breaths as they cross the bridge.


    We've wiped out the Staufen garrison.


    Realising that they are up a certain creek without a certain implement, the Poles ally with The Turks and ask for a ceasefire.

    Ha! Nice try. Time to die.

    We take Dijon before the Poles have a chance to react.


    In the east we simultaneously assault the walls of Breslau, with a monster bombard no less.

    I'm afraid no amount of carol singing is going to save good King Wenceslaus.

    Betrayal repaid, Poland.


    The Byzantines have a formidable force stationed on Crete - masses of Varangian Guard and trebuchets. Initially we land to the east of Iraklion, where our invasion meets heavy resistance. We withdraw back to our fleet, and after a short trip westwards disembark once more. This time we can lay siege to Iraklion directly.

    The King exploits Byzantine fear of the dark, assaulting Iraklion in the dead of night - neither their Emperor or Prince are capable of operating at night. The Roman Empire ends not with a bang, but a whimper.


    We're still fighting outside Gaza. After our last victory a man of the hour takes command, and is determined to finally capture the troublesome citadel.


    Our culverins kill an Egyptian captain just before they engage our front.


    With their infantry pushed back after a costly melee, our cavalry moves to sweep away their archers.

    Rallying infantry and Egyptian cavalry do some real damage against our cavalry, but victory is ours.


    With the fall of Gaza and the surrender of the Arabian peninsula, only Dongola remains. We assault it at once, to take it before the last Egyptians can send their last remaining army - which has inexplicably been sat in the desert doing nothing for the past few years - to relieve the siege.


    Thus to traitors.

    The last Egyptian sultan is reduced to leading a petty band of rebels, just like the last King of Poland and the last Emperor of Byzantium. Perhaps they should form a club.

    A club which the last sultan of The Turks won't be joining - like the Pope, he dies during the surrender of his capital.


    The Turks have the distinction of being the last 'real' nation to be destroyed.

    Only two provinces remain independent; the distant lands of Mexico and the Sahara.

    Well, Mexico at least - Timbuktu surrenders her riches to Scotland.


    The Old World is Scottish. Only Tenochtitlan remains. We could autoresolve, but instead chose to assume direct control. The enemy prince is a formidable general, after all.


    We use a direct assault combined with trebuchet bombardment to break Aztec defences. We expected much stiffer resistance from the Aztecs in the field, but this has not materialised.


    Even though siege warfare is completely foreign to Aztec culture, their towers do massacre our swordsmen on the walls, despite being attacked by trebuchets. Our patience depleted, we charge men into the breaches to engage Aztec bodyguards.


    We charge our Knights Hospitaller into the city plaza, where the Aztec Emperor awaits. Although they're remarkably familiar with siege warfare, they are aptly clueless concerning charges from veteran knights. The Emperor, Prince and some other random chap are trampled underhoof.


    Tenochtitlan falls, although it's less grand causeways and pyramids and more walls and minarets. Still, the world with not miss these barbarians who sacrifice each other at the drop of a hat. Mexico is now Scottish.


    It's over!

    There is nothing left to conquer. The world is ours, from the rivers of Mesopotamia to the Scottish highlands, from frozen Finnish citadels to the steamy jungles of Mexico, from the vast Russian Steppe to the endless Saharan desert. Hundreds of thousands have been sent to an unmarked grave or left to rot on a field, but for the first time in history the world is finally at peace.

    ~Fin~
    thank you for a most entertaining AAR,I especially liked the WW2 references and maps,
    as for the hawkish ending that's probably what would have happened in 'real' life human nature being what it is
    :-)

  9. #369

    Default Re: [M2TW AAR] Who Watches the Watchers?: Papal Apocalypse.

    What did you use to make the tactical war maps?

  10. #370
    Alwyn's Avatar Frothy Goodness
    Content Director Patrician Citizen

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    Default Re: [M2TW AAR] Who Watches the Watchers?: Papal Apocalypse.

    hobololgag1, welcome to the Writers' Study! Looking at Decimus Milo's profile, his last post on TWC was in 2012, so it seems unlikely that he'll answer (although you never know, sometimes great writers do re-appear).

    The best place to ask questions, such as how to make tactical war maps for an AAR, is usually the Writers' Study Chat and Feedback thread in the Writers' Lounge. If you are considering writing an AAR - and if you have not written one before - you might want to look at an article on Writing a First AAR: Ten things you can do.

  11. #371

    Default Re: [M2TW AAR] Who Watches the Watchers?: Papal Apocalypse.

    I know this thread is long dead, but I just want to say this is one of the best AARs i've ever seen. Not THE best (that honored distinction belongs to the one-of-a-kind Timurid Scientists AAR on the Europa Universalis II forum at Paradox Plaza; nothing will ever top that), but definitely a great one. I read the whole thread over the course of several hours. The only unfortunate thing is that half the screenshots are gone now, which is a common problem on older AARs, it seems. Pity that Decimus seems to have left this site for good. I really enjoyed the witty writing here, it really brings the AAR to life.

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