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Thread: The Critic's Quill: Issue 31

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    Default The Critic's Quill: Issue 31


    The Editor Speaks
    Hello and welcome to Issue 31 of the Quill. This was originally going to be the Christmas issue, and then the New Year issue... but now that dots on the horizon are beginning to resolve themselves into Valentine hearts I have finally decided to put my own New-Year's Resolution into effect and actually go to press!

    I am delighted to announce that StealthEvo and robinzx have joined the Quill full-time. Stealthie is a Chandleresque prowler of the non-TW sections of TWC, while robinzx is a well-respected writer of more mainstream Total War fare (sic).

    Juvenal (Editor)

    Table of Contents


    Monthly AAR Competition Section

    MAARC XXXIII
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    While we were thinking about this issue, the MAARC continued serenely marching on, notching up another two rounds. The latest vote has recently concluded and the Winners Announcement is posted.

    Please note that MAARC XXXIV is already taking nominations, so don't delay - get over there and make your presence felt.

    THIRD PLACE
    [SS6.3 AAR] Letters of an Aragonese Knight by Thokran

    The moving and inspiring first-person narrative of Sir Jaime Encina, a minor noble of Aragon. This splendid AAR has been trundling along since July, and I am proud to be able to say that we have a review by Skantarios from November.

    SECOND PLACE
    [IB SAI AAR]The Nowhere Legion by SeniorBatavianHorse

    This AAR is nothing less than a tour-de-force of epic prose set in the rich decaying tapestry of the Late Roman Empire. The weight of centuries presses down upon the reader until they begin to envy Sisyphus just for the temporary relief he experienced whenever that stone rolled back down the hill.

    We have a review by Skantarios from back in June, but the story has moved on considerably since then, so if you haven't visited his thread recently then I implore you to do so now and show SeniorBatavianHorse that we appreciate his efforts.

    FIRST PLACE
    [IB SAI AAR] Julian, The Saviour of Rome? by Knonfoda

    Not reviewed! I can hardly believe it! Heads will roll amongst Critic's Quill staff (probably mine) unless a review is forthcoming in the next issue.

    Here is another fine AAR using the incredible Invasio Barbarorum Somnium Apostatae Iuliani mod. For those unfamiliar with the setting, this is 3rd Century Rome, and the reign of Julian the Apostate. Julian has already saved Rome from the Franks and Alemanni, and is now planning to deal a knock-out blow to the Sassanids. However he has an entire Empire to look after, so there may be a few distractions...


    Coverage by Juvenal



    Tale of the Week Section

    Tale of the Week: The Rebirth!
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    After much thought and debate, Tale of the Week has returned with a bang over the Christmas holidays. It is lovely to see my favourite competition in rude health once more.

    TotW 120: The Revenge of Christmas
    We had a splendid turn-out of nine entries for TotW 120 - the relaunch round. Despite the obvious (to me) superiority of my own entry, the winner's laurels were rudely snatched by Nazgūl Killer with this powerful story.
    "The sheer thought of combat always excited me. Shooting someone, killing someone... Some people say I'm crazy, but would you rather fight against a crazy man, or alongside one?" He said, chuckling.

    The rest of the soldiers around the campfire joined his laughter but with meaningful looks, they all then realized how crazy he was. What they didn't realize, was that they are exactly as crazy as he is.

    "And what are you here for, o' Shakespeare?" He asked Bryan, the lad to my left.

    "Shakespeare? Well, I was never called that before" He said, smiling. "I'm here... Well, I'm here for my country. I love my country. I love my flag, and I could think of no better service to my country than to fight its wars... Heck, I wouldn't even mind getting a little medal now and then" He said proudly. The group looked at him for a while, some of them snuffling down laughter, until we all burst into laughter together. I just looked at him, stood up and gestured with my hands toward the endless desert around us, yelling;

    "You call this serving your country!?" I bellowed with laughter; "You want to serve, but you've been sent to a hellhole buddy!" I continued my frantic laughter. He smiled.

    "All the same. I'm here for my country" He said with calm reassurance. Somewhere deep down inside, that's what we were all there for. "What are you here for then, Sarge?" He asked me inquisitively.

    I took my seat again around the fire and smiled, I looked at the fire and suddenly found myself engulfed in thoughts. My friends looked at me intently. "Well?!" Someone asked impatiently.

    "I'm here for her" I said dramatically. They all looked at me, never realizing that their sergeant could have someone waiting for him back home. "I'm here for her. I remember spending night and day at bootcamp, cursing my Drill Sergeant, wanting to kill my CO, and just cry myself to sleep every night... But I thought about her just then. And all thought of quitting or giving up flew away from my mind... I thought of her... She's the one who always backed me up, trusted me, loved me... She's the one that I bled for, slept in a foxhole for... She's the one I would do everything for. She's the one I would come back home to... I never loved one like her" I said, smiling. They were silent this time.

    "Who is she?"

    I smiled.

    TotW 121: Have you seen my bread?
    Deep in my cups with disappointment, I barely noted the arrival of TotW 121. However it was clearly popular with those less self-pitying than myself because there were seven entries, all of good quality.

    Just to show you that we at the Quill are still capable of a scoop or two, I hereby present to you the winning entry from Dark Storm, its triumph so new that as I write this the formal announcement hasn't even been made yet!
    He spoke, patiently, like a parent to an insolent child, of wars and battles, anger, and violence. He spent, with abject pleasure, time to explain the intricacies of the body, the heart and lungs, the blood, and bones. He imparted, with practical demonstration, each crumb of knowledge, of beheadings and hangings, murders and treachery. He incited, with dark intent, a lust within my soul, the gold and fame, the power and pleasure. He took, with every sibilant word, my innocence from me, the morals and scruples, the honour, and conviction. He left, within my very being, a great hunger, for freedom and rights, for peace, and love. He spread, like a stain upon my mind, his pain and malice, confusion, and hurt.

    He brought me, at great cost, to the height of my career, to kill and save, to steal, and give. He is now, what he once was, yet I, I am the one who has changed, I am both victim and criminal and he is both judge, and juror. He is nothing, I am everything. I, the start, and he, the end. Like night and day, dark and light. Different, we are, yet the same, also. For I am life, and he, he is my teacher, death.

    TotW 122: One Ring to Rule them all
    This one has only just gone to the vote. Please get over there, read the entries and show your support by voting for your favourites.

    Maybe you will be inspired to have a go yourself. There is a 500 word limit, meaning that it should be possible to create a respectable entry in the course of a lunch time. So don't tell me you're too busy... surely you can eat and type at the same time?


    Coverage by Juvenal



    AAR Review Section

    Murphy's Law
    A Project Zomboid AAR by Danny_K_1
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    It be getting aweful dead in here...

    I have played the leading Zombie game around. Urban Dead, and I have played Project Zomboid and was refreshingly impressed. In order to provide an introduction as it is a cult game that is still within early Alpha stages before the charming lads at /b/ went and stole it. It is essentially a Zombie survival game. You go around scavenging from a small game area and thanks to a lack of a random map generator it's all fundamentally the same. Fantastic fun though. So; readers you may be wondering why an AAR based on a game that I already know the Ins and outs of would be so appealing...Well I'll be honest it's pretty much the same as any AAR within these forums. We all know what's going down, will the plucky AI ever win against the script. The answer is always no. Unless you throw caution to the winds. Which is what Danny has done and chosen the perfect game to do it in.

    As I mentioned I have played the game to the point of it being almost a dead horse. So I admit that I was reading with a small hint of nostalgia rather then the impending thrill of some new awesome game. Overall I felt that the writers handling of the early stages of the game, the only scripted elements within the game currently were very well handled. Considering that the narrative included Danny has made a considerable effort to take a step away and all things considered he did a good job at developing his own narrative and bringing then otherwise static characters to life.

    As the AAR progresses unlike in other mainstream AAR's particularly for the Total War games the exploration of human vice's comes into the fore especially regarding substance abuse. Now obviously I could simply say that it's at attempt at a darker more mature narrative. But in all honesty I think that because it was there in the game he had to write about it. I would have done the same. But still I applaud him for his work.

    However towards the end it becomes clear that the Authour is finishing it for completion sake and it shows. He takes a step away from his narrative and kills his wife (an optional extra in the game) after a long battle with the undead. Further to this point he then progresses to a near suicidal rampage with a tantalising to be continued air looming. I found this slightly disappointing and I would like to say that a further exploration into the dark and despair that only copious amounts of whiskey can cure. But for what is fundamentally a short game, based on beating your own personal best in terms of zombie head count. Danny has done a stand out job.

    What I didn't enjoy so much; whilst avoiding being over critical it is apparently that the writer is not as experienced as some of the other writers we showcase and whilst it doesn't show as much when compared to some of the newer writers especially within the Total War portion of the AAR parent forum. I felt that the inconsistency regarding his narrative with something that started out so promising was a bad trade purely for the sake of completing what had been started. If I had any advice to give newer writers and more directly to the writer in question. Take all the time you need, but remain consistent to your own tale. Ultimately it will let you down.

    Overall I was impressed and was able to walk away feeling like I had witnessed a potential talent who with a little self confidence and feedback; coupled with the right inspiration can bring wonderful things to the Writers Study in the future. I would highly recommend this AAR gets read, it's a short read but it leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

    Review by StealthEvo


    Over the Top, Lads!
    A "The Great War" AAR for NTW by The Rifleman
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Greetings dear readers.

    Today I bring you an unusual AAR that you are unlikely to have come across. It happened to catch my eye while I was browsing the forums. Something about it made it stand out from the others, so even though it died shortly after I wrote this review I am going to tell you about it anyway. Perhaps you will be prompted to go and look for other work by this writer.

    Erm... Right. Let's get to the point.

    The Mod.
    The mod used here was The Great War for NTW. It is a mod which completely changes the setting of the game from the Napoleonic wars to the First World War. Sadly we didn't get as far as the actual gameplay, so you are going to have to look elsewhere if you want to see the mod in action.

    The Story.
    The lack of gameplay isn't actually such a big problem, because this is a story first and foremost. It begins at the very onset of what was at the time called "The Great War". It follows a young man named Liam. Liam is 17 and close to completing school. But life has an unexpected twist for him. While he walks to his school, his mind floats in the realm of day-dreams. After all, he is a young man in Britain, owner of the largest empire in the world, what can there be to worry about?

    That's where he's wrong. He reaches school only to stumble upon a recruiting party. His classmates have already joined-up, all cheerful as going on some adventure. At that instant he remembers the headline of a newspaper he had glanced at on his way.
    Britain Declares War on Germany!
    Right, now to the other aspects.

    The Pictures.
    The only images are the authentic contemporary posters that introduce each chapter. This was what originally drew my eye to the AAR because they really are quite lovely to look at. Pictures are something I am sensitive to with AARs, so it is a joy to see that these are well-chosen and well-presented. They are a powerful means for encouraging that feeling of immersion in the story. Here is one of my favorites:

    The Writing.
    The story reads like a novel. The protagonist's character comes through strongly and clearly, and is sympathetic enough that it is easy for the reader to identify with him. Had the AAR continued into the War itself, I think Liam could have proved a powerful conduit for the raw emotions of battle.

    The writing is thankfully free of typos, although there is a factual error; Britain did not introduce conscription until 1916, and certainly never for 17 year olds, so Liam would have had to volunteer, and also to lie about his age (which was actually quite common in the heady days of 1914).

    The AAR takes a "War Communiques" style, with short and to-the-point chapters. This is a very effective system because it allows large sections of story to be merely implied by references left unfinished as the tale skips from one scene to another. It remains to be seen whether The Rifleman employs this technique elsewhere. I must say though, that I am looking forward to seeing what he does next.

    Finishing words.
    No need for paragraphs of conclusions, instead I hope you'll find my adaptation of this poster from the AAR sums up my feelings about it.



    Have you read this AAR?
    If not, go here. Read it, Rep it, and Support it.


    Review by m_1512


    Land of The Midnight Sun
    A Stainless Steel 6.4 AAR for M2TW by Chirurgeon
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Opening statement
    The author is an experienced writer with this being his fifth AAR of any TW game, and second on TWC. This one starts off with no more than the picture of the northern tundra and the words “Land of the Midnight Sun”, leaving readers to guess which faction the author had chosen. Guess they did, with Norway and Denmark perhaps predictably being the popular choices.

    Eventually the protagonist of the story reveals himself to be a man of the cloth. Born of a Norwegian stonemason, our hero was orphaned at a young age but adopted by the Vatican. It is during a meeting with the Cardinal Preferati that the protagonist learns of his fate through an expertly crafted monologue, and we are left to ponder the adventures to come in the Norwegian north:

    You are hereby assigned to requisite yourself to the will of the church in the far reaches of the land. You are to return to your home in Bergen and oversee the construction of new churches and other places of worship. You are to coordinate with our good friend King Magnus our efforts of educating the people of the goodwill of the Catholic church. You will act as his direct link to Rome. You are to give us quarterly updates of your efforts in the Kingdom of Norway. As a builder here in this great city, primus inter pares, expects nothing less than the continued blossoming of the word of Jesus Christ our Saviour. You will lay the foundations both literal and figuratively in the creation of a permanent Catholic presence in this great northern kingdom. Primus inter pares has taken note of your talent and you have his eye. He knows of your families dedication and your dedication to the causes of our Holy Catholic Church. Our resources in political influence and financial backing will assure that this occurs. You are the instrument of primus inter pares in Norway. You have our blessing and our trust.
    The Norse people had been raiders from the Viking days, and it is in the same vein that this AAR departs. After a long journey our priest arrives in Bergen where he joins the court of King Magnus of Norway, and just like the old days the Norwegian king plots an expedition to the isles of Britannia – this time to conquer Ireland.

    Writing
    The story is narrated in the first person. It is written in the style of the protagonist's personal memoires, and remains close to the action as he follows the king in his travails. The perspective of a priest is a novel one, offering us the pacifist’s view of the expedition, complete with covert missions to keep Rome informed of the unfolding bloodshed.

    I secretely traveled south to visit a small monastery so that I could tell them of the atrocities and have them send a message to Rome. I enclosed a detailed letter of everything that I had witnessed and implored them to notify Rome immediately. I stayed for a short while and then began my journey back to the encampment.
    An interesting twist is the parallel storyline of the events back in Norway. As the king ploughs further into his venture the lands back in Scandinavia are broiled in discontent, and we are treated to an alternative set of events as the story unfolds.

    The writing strikes a good balance between campaign movement and battle stories. The battle action is particularly well written, conveying effectively the bravery of the northern warriors and the savagery of battle.

    The king and his scouts began to gallop towards the battle and chase down retreating men. Had Magnus any decency he would have let the men go but then again he did not believe in decency. Terror and fear were his weapons and he wielded them like a master. Soon the pristine white landscape was dotted with small ponds of blood around where each man fell. Some managed to escape but most perished.
    Another recurring element is the King’s ruthless, somewhat dubious nature. This is exhibited in several ways, for example as one reader quite aptly put it, invading Scotland for no apparent reason. One excellent narrative of the king's character is thus:

    As the king re-approached Dublin the city threw open its gates. The King had promised leniency should they cooperate. However once the men were inside he changed his mind and allowed them to pillage at will. Again I could not sleep or eat as the terryfying screams of its residents were put to the sword. Only those of Nordish descent were spared.
    Presentation

    The story is generously adorned with both battle photos and beautiful real life scenes that help to frame the plot. Ireland is home to some stunning natural beauty, and the author’s pictures do well to give a sense of the unspoiled terrain the Norwegian army travels through – and are about to unleash terror upon.

    One of my favourites:

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    The battle pictures are well taken – mostly from a low angle and focused on the action.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    Critique
    The story is well written, but in places sentences come at the reader hard and fast without much in the way of conjunction. This creates a feeling of reading in staccato, which suits the frantic pace of battle but hinders the flow of more peaceful narratives somewhat in my opinion.

    The language is as beautiful as the countryside. The long trips on the Seine river are some of the fondest memories I have gathered. The lush orchards and great estates are a spectacle to behold.
    The vocabulary could also benefit from some increased variety in places.

    Some of the people embraced the old gods and would be a challenge to convince to embrace the word of God.
    The author switches between a first person evaluation of the present and recollections of the past, and there is confusion of tenses in places. There are also some spelling errors, such as three different spellings of the word “Preferati” in the opening chapters, but these seem to become scarcer as the writing progresses, a testament to the author's dedication as the story progresses. The lack of patience to review one's own work is understandable, and is a sin I am equally guilty of as a writer, but a little more effort to clean up the writing would give the writing that extra bit of polish.

    A final technical point is the interchanging capitalisation (and otherwise) of the word "king". Either is acceptable but the author should choose one and be consistent with it.

    Story-wise, my points are less critique than there are suggestions. There are relatively few characters in the story thus far, and I feel the introduction of more and interaction (in the form of conversation or otherwise) between them could be used to build more depth in the story. I also wish we could be told more about our protagonist’s background, as well as his internal thinking, struggles, objections to the king's tyranny, etc. Showing the reader the letters of Rome could also be a way to explore the turbulent feelings of the priest upon seeing the horrors of the Norwegian invasion.

    Conclusion
    The story has had an encouraging start, and promises much for the chapters to come. The unusual perspective of a priest is interesting and makes for a “different” sort of AAR than those narrated by a king or general. The historical King Magnus III the Barefoot met a rather sticky end in Ireland so it will be interesting to see if he fares any better alternative history.

    Well worth following if I may say so. If you have not read this AAR then I strongly encourage you to do so. The author has sadly not updated in some weeks, but perhaps some encouragement would be the right motivation for the author to resume his excellent work

    Review by robinzx


    Interactive UFO X-COM AAR/Let's Play!
    A UFO X-COM AAR by PerXX
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Quote Originally Posted by Captain Zapp Brannigan
    “Now, like all great plans, my strategy is so simple an idiot could have devised it. On my command all ships will line up and fly directly into the alien death cannons, clogging them with wreckage.”
    I am a great fan of the interactive AAR; they are good fun to read and unlike You Are The Senate or some of the other larger scale Role Playing games that are available within their respective subforums, Interactive AAR's are light and easy to get into. Given the nature of standard AAR's they are a fantastic way to bring the community together and personally are a favourite of mine to read (although I rarely participate).

    It is with a sense of pride that I bring Interactive UFO X-COM AAR/Let's Play! to the fore!

    Unlike more traditional interactive AAR'S where almost every aspect of the gameplay is mutually discussed to death PerXX offers a much simplified method wherein he covers the day to day aspect and gives players control over the major events, like research, mission selection and other related area. However due to the nature of the game PerXX encourages players to sign up soldiers and preferences whereas the more standardized games lack this due to the naming mechanics of the Total War games. I thought that this was a nice little touch and really adds to the communal nature of the project.

    Once the logistics are sorted out and the AAR starts proper it follows what is the general standard screenshot commentary of a regular venture of AARtistry. As the action heats up the narrative remains smooth, slick and efficient. Yet it conveys the tale quite well. Unlike some other pieces where the action quickens the detail and story seems to fade slightly PerXX manages to keep the tension in place despite the (unfortunately) short bursts of plot. As seen with this brief sequence.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    Tankfriend, armed with an auto-cannon, closes his eyes and opens fire in the general direction of the alien, emptying 6 rounds. When he opens his eyes again, he's not only managed to kill the alien, but also killed yet another floater hiding next to it!

    Unfortunately, he also managed to shoot a fellow soldier in the back of the head!
    Poor guy, we never even got to know his name...

    The troops advances, and spots the UFO not far from the building that housed the two floaters.

    The troops advance on the UFO. Adolph heads south, on the other side of the building where the two floaters were shot, and spots yet another floater up there! He opens fire, letting three shots fly. None hits. There's no one near to shoot the alien, and Adolph have no time to move this turn... End Turn.


    Ultimately the isometric nature of the game is what saves it. Any other type of screenshot and the entire narrative would fail completely, thankfully the top down perspective complements the bursts of commentary and give you enough information to understand excactly what is happening.

    Whilst there is plenty of potential for growth as the action continues to be ratcheted up as more of them Ufo's and Aliens continue their invasion. One of the major flaws that I found is that considering its participative nature the activity could be higher. Obviously real life beckons but it's perhaps a major reason why this AAR isn't nearly as popular as it should be. The other of course is that it's not a Total War game. Which is why most of us are here right? To only play Total War games...

    Another point to improve is to expand the dialogue and narrative. Whilst it's sufficient and from my personal point of view engaging as it is, PerXX clearly has the talent and writing ability to develop a serious plot which no doubt will appeal to a larger reader/player base.

    Concluding; I enjoyed reading this AAR, in the occasionally grim and unloved Non Total War games AAR subforum this is a gem and it shines like one. It has a positive narration with a skilled writer. The participants have defined characteristics something which really appealed to me and I recommend a glance over at the minimum.

    Review by StealthEvo


    Takeda – A Shogun 2 AAR
    A Shogun 2 AAR by robinzx
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    When Shogun 2 came out, I wrote a short piece for the Quill about the early AARs in their infancy. While the AAR scene has usually been dominated by RTW and MTW2 stories, I was hoping that one or two Shogun AARs would eventually gain momentum. Now a few months later, there is one which seems to go strong, in fact strong enough to win MAARC XXXII putting Shogun 2 on the MAARC scoreboard. Robinzx's Takeda AAR started in September and has been updated regularly ever since.

    The story is currently at volume three with roughly ten chapters per volume so far. The first two volumes used first person storytelling, while the last two chapters (the third volume so far) switched to third person. The structure of the volumes follow the plot and the campaign developments, so this switch is not confusing. Instead, it gives a good opportunity for Robinzx to show that he is equally strong in both styles as a writer. The narrative creates wonderful immersion with Japanese style storytelling, including the dialogs that are usually more difficult to craft than what most people would think. The campaign narrative has a nice flow, and the battle descriptions are particularly powerful.

    As if out of nowhere, I suddenly came face to face with the Ikko general. Time seemed to slow for a moment as I blocked out the raging pain in my shoulder, and focused on the man who had caused all this bloodshed. The clattering of steel and cries of men suddenly seemed distant as I closed in on my foe. As our swords met so did our eyes, mere inches from each other. With a roar we pushed apart, and continued our deadly dance. After what seemed an eternity of furious hacking and parrying, blood from my shoulder had stained my entire left side. Then, I landed a glancing blow against his chest armour. The blade slipped and cut deeply into the back of his horse’s head, causing it to let out a terrible primal shriek, and blood spurted out in thick, dark wads. The animal lost its footing and lurched forward, causing the Ikko general to lose his balance, presenting his back to me. My reaction was almost instant, if not all together conscious, as I plunged my katana into his neck.
    AARs tend to be either campaign-focused with little plot besides some roleplay or plot-focused with sparse references to the campaign. Robinzx is among the few who managed to find a nice balance between the two. There is definitely a well developed plot to enjoy, but each chapter has important game information at the end which makes it easy to follow the campaign too. The only information I was missing at first is the family tree as sometimes it is a bit difficult to digest the Japanese names, but this has been addressed by an informative list of main characters in the OP as the story went on.

    This brings up a general point for Shogun 2 AARs. While many writers and readers are familiar with Japanese history and geography, others could easily be lost in the thick forest of Japanese names and terminology. While authentic names help immersion, they have to be used cautiously because they can easily have the opposite effect too. A typical mistake from writers in general is that they assume everybody knows the specific terminology, the characters, the plot and most of all the map as well as they do. Readers tend to read several AARs, and it is always useful to remind them who the characters are and what is going on around the map. Such reminders (half sentences here and there, occasional titles for characters) can be very helpful in following the plot.

    This AAR uses campaign turns as chapters for the narrative. This makes it easy to follow the campaign, but at the same time restricts the writer in the plot, because he cannot merge events over separate turns into one plot scene. Robinzx took this challenge very well, and the storyline incorporates the game events almost flawlessly (one less smooth transition was between chapters 13 and 14, describing the protagonist's post-battle awakening over a campaign season). The most visible side effect of this turn-based update system is that the chapters could be of varying length as some turns feature several battles while others have much less. In such cases the plot can fill in for the lack of battle action, like it was masterfully done by the letters in chapter 19.

    Shogun 2 was said to have the best graphics in the series, offering the possibility of epic battle shots. The visual aids in this AAR are well selected, with good angles and fully utilizing the beautiful landscape. I have only two minor comments, one general and one personal. The general is an advice to make sure that the pictures do not show much of CA's bloom overkill which was criticized for making the soldiers and horses plastic-like. The personal is simply that the blur effect (although very sparsely used here) always makes me dizzy. Below are some examples of Robinzx's excellent shots.
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 








    I also want to mention that there are a few small technical details that make a huge difference for an AAR. These include changing the thread title with the updates, updating the OP with a table of content and now with the brief story of the main characters. Such efforts often go unnoticed, but in reality they help the reader tremendously. And this is just the final evidence (if in fact more is needed) for this AAR being an exceptionally good reading. Robinzx was able to shine in every single aspect of AARtistry: immersive storytelling, informative campaign, great screenshots and substantial technical craftsmanship.

    A lot of blood has been spilled already by the Takeda and their enemies. But the grand political game has just begun. If one has not read this story yet, now would be a good time to join, especially that we could just hear the sound of matchlock guns in the distance for the first time.

    Review by Radzeer


    Una repśblica en Dios
    A Tropico 3 AAR by Grimecraft
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Politics. War. Greed. Power- This is Politics Tropico Style!
    Opening statement
    Set on Los Santos Paradiso, an idyllic imaginary island in the Caribbean, the story is played out using Tropico 3, a city construction and management game featuring the authoritarian state that is Tropico. After a successful coup, Santa Dallante has assumed control of the island nation, and it is here that you join El Presidente in his affairs as his secretary Ernesto Calaz. By the author’s own admission, the game is “usually quite a jovial game and pokes fun at a lot of the clichés of those sort of leaders”, but the darker tone taken by the author facilitates an altogether more intriguing tale, showing the reader the more sinister side of the Tropico political machine.

    The story starts off jovially enough, with amongst other things a commemorative statue being built, but soon El Presidente comes to grips with the realities of running the island nation – lack of social progress, fiscal deficits, bickering amongst his own men, snooping by foreign powers, open insurrection against his rule, to mention a few gems – all setting the scene for the unfolding shenanigans.

    Writing
    The story is narrated by El Presidente’s secretary Ernesto and is written mostly in the third person. The progression of the story is chronological, and flows logically as one reads through the chapters. As the story has progressed an established set of characters with distinct personalities have been formed, which the author has made good use of. The occasional use of Spanish mannerisms and names helps to add authenticity to the dialogue, even if it may be unfamiliar to the untrained eye.

    The story eventually focuses on the fight against a particular sinister form of insurrection, and it is here that the author’s vivid narratives of the action truly take hold. Particularly enjoyable was the author’s building of suspense…

    Everything hurt, it hurt to breath, it hurt to move and it hurt to think. Pain was an ever constant companion. Pedro was aware of a dull throbbing in his arms which were attached to a hook in the ceiling by a length of rope, his ribs ached, and was sure at least one of them was broken, the room was pitch black and had no windows so he had no idea of the time or day. He hadn't slept for days, food was rare and he was given half a bottle of water every three hours. The door opened.
    …and the emotional flux of the characters, which is masterfully described through the liberal use of dialogue between the characters.

    "Nieves, she won't betray me, I'll keep my honour for her."

    Carlos smiled. "We have our ways Donacino Ybara, you of all people know this. she will talk, before the end.

    Boys," two officers stepped into sight. "He's all yours."

    Vivian withdrew from the cell and locked the door and Donacino began to sob uncontrollably as the officers went about their business with baton and boot.
    There are several instances where the author uses a different angle to progress the action. These are generally clearly indicated and handled well, providing welcome breaks in the narrative. They come in two forms – mostly that of personal anecdotes featuring the secretary himself, but in one instance as a whole chapter focusing on a landmark event in the island nation’s history. The changes in perspective are refreshing, and help to flesh out the storyline.

    Presentation
    The AAR is mostly textual, with screenshots taken from the game interface. Given the city building nature of the game, these are mostly images of landscapes and buildings that feature in the story, with other information from the game itself also shown.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    Critique
    A chief wish of mine regarding this AAR would be more pictures, though it is understandable in that the game revolves around city building and does not lend itself easily to the intrigue that the author seeks to build. A suggestion would therefore to maybe use alternative sources away from the game itself. This may be a matter of preference though, which is to be respected of course.

    The text is not without typos, which is a shame given the quality of the narrative. This is a common ailment of casual writers though and can be easily corrected with spell check and a quick proof read.

    Finally, the author could maybe do more to expand on the background of Tropico - and perhaps its most prominent inhabitants. The chapter on a historical battle in Tropico did particularly well in this regard, so it was a pity this approach was not utilised more often.

    Conclusion
    Since its inception in November, the author has shown commendable commitment to his story, with updates coming every few days, and the stage has been set well for the struggles and triumphs that no doubt await El Presidente and his authoritarian cronies. At the time of writing the fate of several characters hang in the balance as the great man seeks to cement his iron fisted rule on the island. Tropico is not immune to meddling by the Cold War superpowers, and as it continues to grow and prosper no doubt this would only increase.

    Being a non-TW AAR the story has arguably not received the attention it so richly deserves for being a fascinating read. If you haven’t read it I strongly recommend you do so – or perhaps risk facing El Presidente’s henchmen in some dark, uncomfortable locales

    Review by robinzx


    Times full of Distemper
    A For King or Country AAR for M2TW by Geoffrey of Villehardouin
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    Opening statement
    The story follows the trajectory of the English Civil War using the For King or Country mod for M2TW, and is narrated in the first person. Through the eyes of John Locke, Esquire of Wrington, Somersetshire, we are introduced to the political turmoil that ripped apart a nation. The mod prides itself on historical accuracy, and our author has decided to follow in the same vein:

    John Locke’s “historie”, is an AAR of the events of a Parliamentarian campaign. If you have some knowledge of that war, you may notice the similarities with the real historical events. It may be even something of a task to spot where something did or did not happen quite as in actual history. This is due to the great efforts the developing team took to make this campaign as historical as possible – and partly I hope due to some tweaks I made myself here and there to improve further on the historicity of the mod.
    This AAR was started in late November and has been updated regularly since, giving us the start of a very promising story with a mix of themes, including battle action, political intrigue and the travels of the narrator himself.

    Writing
    The story is narrated in an authentic tone with period spelling and fitting sophistication, all of which help to create immersion in the story. The narrative flows well and engages the reader in a way that would have been impossible without the extra stylistic effort, and the political dynamics of the era are particularly well portrayed through the description of characters and the dialogue that occurs, giving us an interesting set of personalities even early on.

    For example:
    “Behold into what a sad condition blind zeal, pride, ambition, envy, malice and avarice hath plunged the honour, quiet, safety, peace, plenty, prosperity of this most happy kingdom” responded the Earl of Dorset – “But let as many as will despair - I am one of those that believe that an easy and safe way may be found to lead us forth from this dark and inextricable Labyrinth”.
    …and my favourite:
    The Lord Chamberlain broke the seal and began to read it, as the room became slowly filled with a very pungent and strange aroma. Conopius then came in with two cups of a peculiar looking beverage, darker than blood, the like of which I had not even ever imagined. The Earl of Dorset seemed excited – “Coughee?” he inquired. It looked no better than it sounded, I thought.
    Presentation
    The story is well presented with a full range of the little things that make an AAR look professional – for example the diligently kept table of contents, consistency in the pictures and informative overviews of the main characters on both sides of the conflict. There is also something I have not seen despite the great number of AARs that are written – a compendium of the battle tactics used in the period. All this helps to guide readers unfamiliar with the historical background into the story, and help to inspire a deeper understanding of the story.

    The AAR is mostly textual, punctuated by large historically accurate battles where pictures and video are used to demonstrate the action.
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 




    In the textual chapters the author makes clever use of little pictures both from the campaign and elsewhere to embellish updates and to give them a feel for the story to come.
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    Critique
    Such well crafted AARs are delightful for the reader within me, but do rather little for the Quill writer who must pick faults. Alas I must, so I do:
    • The narrative style is a definite strong point of the AAR, but I feel more pictures could have benefitted the battle chapters.
    • There may also be a case for adding some information from the campaign where it is fitting, so that the reader is better informed of the happenings around the country.
    • Finally perhaps some side anecdotes that describe the personal backgrounds of the main characters could be included to offer more depth.
    • The focus on intrigue is likely a conscious choice on the part of the author, and this does much for readers who like a well crafted plot, but I can't help feel there could be more in the way of battle action. It is a civil war after all.


    Conclusion
    An intriguing plot, together with a strong cast of characters and an authentic narrative makes this all in all an excellent piece, and well worth your time to read it. The author's updates have come regularly which is always a good thing for readers eager to follow a continuing and growing plot. What awaits John Locke as he is swept along by these times full of distemper? The story stands where England is on the verge of internal conflict, and much treachery and bloodshed surely await.

    What fate will befall him, his King, or his country? Read on and find out!

    Review by robinzx


    Oh dear- A pirate AAR (not really)
    A Broken Crescent AAR for M2TW by notenome
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    1. Introduction
    The first thing you should know about this short AAR is that it is not meant to be taken seriously. Don't come in expecting a strong narrative or a sense of direction. This AAR is all over the place! What you can expect are edited screenshots, music, real life pictures and even characters talking about their obnoxious readers and much more. If you couldn't tell already: this is a comedy AAR, one of the toughest genres to pull off successfully in my humble opinion. Here's what the author himself had to say about his work.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    - How did you come up with the idea for your AAR?
    Well that is... complex. Really what happened was this: I wasn't doing much and out of curiosity decided to check up on my old girl, the 'oh dear: a turkish AAR'. Which is when I became amazed at how people kept rereading and posting comments on an AAR which had unfortunately died years ago. Then I noticed that the entire AAR had been reposted on another part of the forums, and all the comments (I loved Garb's take on the endings, and really would love to read more fan-made endings for that AAR). THEN I received a private message from a forum member that noticed I was online and told me it was his birthday and my 'coming back' was like his birthday present. Which is insane. So, I felt compelled that I had to do something, but I couldn't continue the turkish AAR, there were too many problems. So I started a new one that would hopefully be my way of giving back to this bizarre rabid fanbase I so love.

    - What do you think is the strength and weakness of your writing?
    That's hard to analyze. If you talk too much about your strengths you sound like a jackass, if you talk too much about your weaknesses you sound emo. I value rhythm a lot, rhythm is very important. Also rewriting, over and over and over again. I think it was my brother that once told me there are no good writers, just good rewriters. As for weaknesses, I always think my description of action(s) sounds clunky. Actually there's a lot of stuff I write that when I reread it just sounds awfully clunky. Also I tend to be very impatient. If there's something I want to get to (an event, a character, a joke) I tend to try to rush to what I think is interesting, sometimes making the build up almost incomprehensible.

    - Why did you choose that particular mod/timeframe?
    There's a novelty factor in BC that can't be denied. It's diverse and rich and different in a way no other mod is. Also the medieval period falls in this bizarre sweet spot for me, its familiar but exotic. And let's face it, conquering Europe gets pretty boring pretty fast. The middle east provides a playground where I can give factions personalities that, in another setting, would be questioned. If I turned the French into creatures so filled with hate they lost the ability to form coherent sentences, that would be jarring, but with the Ghorids, its more acceptable. Or at least it seems that way to me.


    2. Writing
    As you can probably tell from the title this AAR centers around pirates but to be honest the story doesn't really matter all that much. The writing is not meant to impress you with strategy or campaigns and battles but rather it attempts to make you laugh. Something that comes natural to notenome, who did a humorous AAR before this one that was quite popular. There are two things that I appreciate in this AAR. One is the out-of-context and seemingly random visual materials and the other is the excellent parody he puts into his writing. Here are some examples of what I mean:

    Narrator 1- So it was that the winter of 1174 the Omani Pirates landed off the coast of Suhar.
    Narrator 2- With them the Omanis brought four catapults, fearsome siege engines capable of tearing down the mightiest walls.
    Narrator 1- If they could hit.
    Narrator 2- Which they couldn't.
    This was a hilarious parody of the experience we all had with Total War siege artillery. They would hit your own men standing 10 feet away and then they would miss the target by a few miles overshooting in the next shot. i We all know siege engines can't aim for *beep* in Total War!

    The author also includes references to pop culture..
    Catapult Operator 2- Dude, where's my car?
    What I loved most about his writing is the constant bickering between the two narrators. It was very amusing, if somewhat surreal, and had me laughing many times! The dialogue between characters, which is fairly extensive in this AAR, is also hilariously weird sometimes. Here are some examples:

    Narrator 2- Yes, in their first battle the Omani Pirates lost half their troops.
    Narrator 1- Technically it was their second battle.
    Narrator 2- Duly noted my anal retentive co-narrator.
    Catapult Operator 1- So I walksh in da door, ecshpectin' to be greeted by mah wife, an' whut do I shee?
    Catapult Operator 2- Wha?
    Catapult Operator 1- My besh friend. Wif her. Doin' thingsh she wouldnt even do wif me. *sobbing* I lovesh her
    Or how about some Irish speaking Arabs?
    Messenger- My sultan, I have a message for you.
    Captain Murshed- Aye? Out wit' it lad?
    Too much to comment on so be sure to check out the hilarious jokes!

    3. Graphical elements
    Meteorologists..


    Catapults messing around..


    Strange characters..


    There's nothing to dislike in this AAR when it comes to graphical elements. Although still very short I hope that when the author resumes this work he will keep in mind to make the story feel like it has a purpose or a destination. Butterfly stories (going from one place to the next without worries) are great in the beginning, but they tend to run out of material very quickly. More crazy editing and ridiculous characters would be needed, lest the author fall into the trap of recycling jokes and material.

    4. Conclusion
    Obviously this AAR is not a literary masterpiece but it has one great asset: it's entertaining. That's even an understatement because the absurd characters and the crazy editing will make you think "what the hell..." like no other AAR out there. Please drop by and read this AAR by notenome and drop him a little rep and/or comments. He really needs the life force contained in the comments you post if you take his earlier statement seriously...

    Quote Originally Posted by notenome View Post
    Need... more... comments... to... nourish... me....
    Review by Boustrophedon


    Article Section

    Inspiration vs. Plagiarism
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    The above is one of the most hotly debated topics worldwide. Since the dawn of the Information era, people have tried to draw a line between the two. This has the controversy of destroying famed reputations. But to fully understand it, we must go in step by step. Since this is The Critic's Quill, all topics are in regards with writing.

    Definition.
    According to Wikipedia:
    Inspiration refers to an unconscious burst of creativity in a literary, musical, or other artistic endeavor. Simply put, it means any fresh idea a person gets. In the literary world, this includes plots, characters, setting, and anything that a story has.

    Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous boundaries.
    History and Origin.
    Man has always learned to imitate actions of others. It was how learning was facilitated. Surprising enough, copying has been the order of the day from early on. In the antiquity, copying the teacher's style, notions and forms was considered as the greatest honor one could do their patron. After momentarily being lost in the Dark ages, the arts returned in the Medieval ages. Here too, imitation was common. The Rule of Thumb, "Stick close to your master's work, and avoid any unnecessary inventions."

    This would remain until the fateful era arrived. The era was the 19th century. Well, not exactly the century but rather the advent of a concept.
    Romanticism. This concept brought about a change in the arts. No longer was copying or imitating a patron an honor. It was now Immoral and Wrong to do so. And thus is the law.

    The Plot continues.
    Now one would think how a single trend, or a school of thought could change a tradition so ancient. It is because it came about in a time setting as no other. The tumultuous 19th century. It was an era that would change not only many rules, but also the whole game. It was an era that would shape the modern world.

    Now that we have defined the two, even studied their past. But the question remains, where do we draw the line. Inspiration is on one side, bringing about color and beauty in human life. Plagiarism is on other side, which brings anger and resentment in some while pride and emotions in others.

    How it works.
    To understand this issue better, we must first understand the human mind, and how it works.

    The Human brain consist of two realms, the conscious mind and the sub-conscious mind. The former is the part which functions day to day. It plays a vital role, yet no one would take a moment to contemplate about it. It facilitates all your daily activities, seeing, talking, smelling, feeling, reading, writing, memorizing, and many of them simultaneously too. The latter, no one can feel it, or see it, yet it exists. Ever thought how remember birthdays, yours or of someone special? Or how to walk, stand, sit, eat, drink etc. I could go on forever.

    How is it relevant here?
    Well, you would have read books of different authors. You would have observed their unique traits in their writing styles. Isn't it natural that you sub-conscious mind should pick that up? Isn't it natural that you should pick up a habit or style of an author who impressed you?
    Let me present to you a small scenario.

    There is an author whom you greatly admire. That author has an habit of writing the beginning letter of every new chapter with a flourish. Or with a quote, or a poem.
    Forward time...
    You are now an accomplished author. But you too start each new chapter with a quote. You may not be aware of it, unless someone should point it to you. After all, I may not be aware of such a thing too. But your sub-conscious mind remembers it and uses it.


    Drawing the line.
    A very important issue. Where do we draw the line? What do we consider as inspiration and where do we enforce the law?

    There is a book, a famous one, much admired. You may take inspiration from the setting, uniqueness, and make a book of your own. Mind that the new book should have it's own Unique Proposition. Could we allow this as Inspiration? In my opinion, we can allow it. But consider a case, where a book is adapted into a movie, with neither credit nor compensation to the author. What would be your thoughts? Place yourself in the shoes of the author. I'll wager you would be raging with indignation.

    Conclusion.
    We now are at the end of this article. You would be aware now about various aspects to this issue. So, should make a piece inspired from another? You may, provided that your work does not harm the author whose work inspired you.

    I leave you now, with a few words from a well known person.

    "If not the world, at least be honest with yourself."
    - Sachin Tendulkar, Indian Cricketer.

    Help Fight Plagiarism.

    By m_1512


    Writing: What's the point?
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Harsh Reality
    I have now entered stories for a grand total of five successive Scriptorium competitions (well except for the Japan one, for which I couldn't come up with any ideas). But none of them ever placed in the top three. The thing is that I always felt at the time of writing that they were quite good efforts, so I couldn't help feeling rebuffed when they sank without trace in the votes (actually I think the modern slang “butt-hurt” sums things up fairly well).

    However, once I had gotten over the burning sense of injustice at yet another failure, I would re-read the story and begin to find faults in it. Now this was extremely odd because having already found and fixed numerous problems during the composition of the piece it really ought to be solid. Also I would distinctly recall having conducted a final read-through and come to the conclusion that it was ready before sending it off to the competition organisers.

    So what could have gone wrong? How could I read through my story and find no errors, yet a week or two later have them practically leap off the page to beat me enthusiastically (if inexpertly) about the head?

    If I am not to experience the success and adulation of the masses as a competition winner, then at least I should be permitted to bask in the warm cosy sense of injustice of the unappreciated genius whose work is simply too advanced for his vulgar and simplistic audience. But even this refuge is denied to me because the shortcomings of my work are now obvious even to me.

    So I am presented with an unwanted and unwelcome conundrum. Did my story get the rot? Was I drunk when I proof-read it? Is there something wrong with the way I write?

    So What Do I Really Want?
    It is the most fundamental thing about writing: why do it at all? I like to think that I am writing just for the joy of creating something I find interesting. But if I enter a writing competition then, whatever I may tell myself, I must in reality be looking for popularity.

    I have been reading novels for most of my life (since the age of nine). I'm pretty sure that what I am looking for in writing are original ideas, developed and extrapolated to reveal unexpected new vistas (hence my penchant for science fiction). So when it comes time to make a story, I am generally trying to reproduce what I like. Clearly I am still unable to do this well enough to impress the voters.

    My Writing Method
    For a competition I begin the process of writing with a blank sheet and a blank mind, I need an idea. I sit and I hope... and usually nothing comes, so I have to give up and get on with my life. But then, sometime later, the idea pops into my head unbidden. Wouldn't it be interesting if a particular incident or consequence occurred in my story? I really like this idea, it is the mental equivalent of a sugar-rush, but I don't yet know how a story could make things turn out the way I have found so exciting in my mind's eye.

    Since it is such an important part of the process I'll try a bit harder to explain the feeling. When I wake up remembering a dream, the memory will often be a vivid snapshot from the action. It will have strong emotions attached to it, but these are difficult to put into words and both the incident and associated feelings have no real context. So in order to understand what the remembered moment means I have to try to combine it with vague recollections of other things that happened earlier in the dream. Writing my story is very much like that. My central idea is often accompanied by a compelling emotion, and my task is to write something that conjures up that feeling in the reader.

    Now that I have my idea, I can start writing pieces of story and exploring outwards to see if I can make a setting strong enough to hold it. I think this is the best bit of the process. I have a goal and somehow more ideas magically fall into place, growing the concept of the story like a crystal in a childhood chemistry-set.

    Eventually I have an almost complete story which, like an nearly finished jigsaw puzzle, still has some missing pieces. Sometimes I have to discard or rewrite whole passages to produce a final result that makes internal sense, but in the end it is done. I sit back and admire my new creation as a proud Father-figure, mentally chucking my new baby under the chin and feeling self-satisfied at the success of my creation.

    It isn't all self-congratulation and hubris though, I do read the completed piece through for errors and clumsy phrasing, then I send it off – confident that it will be well-received.

    What Went Wrong?
    Ah, so it wasn't well-received after all. So there must be a difference between my experience of reading it and that of someone else doing the same.

    After much thought and deliberation, I have decided that this difference has to be that when I read the story, I have in my mind's eye what I had intended. The text reinforces my mental image and therefore I am confirmed in my feeling that it is a good story. However, when someone else reads it they have no idea what I was trying to achieve. All they have to go on is what I actually wrote, and it isn't enough!

    This also explains how I am able to find faults when I review my story after the competition is over. By that time some of my original concept has faded from my memory, exposing weaknesses in the writing like sections of a harbour wall revealed by the ebbing tide.

    Most damning of all is when someone else is kind enough to review my work. Now flaws are revealed that I would never have noticed while I had any memory of my intent at all.

    A New Hope?
    Somehow I have to find a way of reading my story from an outsider's perspective. I think the best way to achieve that is to persuade friends and family to review my work. It is going to be hard to organise and will probably require a significant amount of time (and bribes). So I will have to factor this phase into my plans the next time I want to enter a writing competition.

    As it happens, TWC has a forum (Creative Writing) where people can display their work for review. I actually tried adding one of my failed stories after the competition. But unfortunately like many other pieces posted there, it got no responses. I'm sure there must be a way to encourage more people to post reviews, but at present (like with my stories) I don't have any good ideas.

    [A warning to the reader. This article was written during the course of a morning and has received no independent review. Looks like I have already broken my own rule.]

    By Juvenal


    Writing: The Point (a rebuttal of sorts)
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    The Stormy Night
    Not so much a weather report. I refer to the pain, the agonizing pain of losing. I had it on two accounts. My very first Tale of the Week. After four days of slogging, it was an epic showdown of seven entries. And the result, I lost, on account of one vote. There I sat, giving myself commiserating thoughts. Why did I not indulge in self-vote? Many did it, if not all. But there was more to fight, the next price was higher. The AAR competition, there I emerged bloodied and beaten. This time, I had the shame of having the lowest votes.

    But as wise old people put it, time heals all. I got over the shock of losing, and learnt to accept it instead. This is essential, as there is no point in quitting just because you've lost your first competition. Soon, you learn not to fuss over such setbacks.

    The Serene Morning
    Once the shock wears off, you feel the freshness again. I felt fresh, ready to go again and again, until I won a TotW. Well, just one, but even one boosts your confidence. The joy is incredible, as if after a grand heroic battle. This can also get a silly grin on our face for some time.

    The point of it? After a storm, there is always a beautiful and calm morning. A chance to venture again, and to start fresh.

    Writing Methods
    A very crucial point. How to write, and the way to write? A thing, in which I was more or less, an absolute rookie. I had to find out where I am wrong, and where I could be right. This was before I started writing for TotW, mind you.

    Then I stumbled upon TotW. There I got the first taste of the finer arts of writing. I got my first advice about it from a person who was fast becoming a mentor.
    Quote Originally Posted by Megas Tortas de Bodemloze
    Write about what you feel in the moment....Glad, mad, sad, bad, had....Doesn't matter, just throw it down on paper....
    I had two mentors about then, through for brief periods. The second mentor (wowbanger) also gave me valuable bits on how to polish my writing. I still have it in PM, contact me if you'd like to have it, I'll forward it to you. The point being, diversity. What makes writing so special is the diversity in the writers and their styles. True, the basics are pretty much the same, but soon you would get your basics and would step further along the path. Therefore, there comes no question of correct or incorrect. Every writer gets a unique style for writing, so is yours. The fact is, will they (audience) like it or not.

    What went wrong?
    Should I dwell on the past? And think of vendettas and stuff? Or should I be on the way, to strive for a masterstroke to victory? What should one do, when pounded by opposition? Should they run for cover and eventually run away? Or should they keep moving forward?

    Forward, I would suggest! The more you move forward, discarding the defeats of old, the better. Of course, we must learn from them too, but why make a trophy of them. It is a thing that I discovered, you'll be more happy in life, should you not focus on the gloomy past. I shall not bore you all by going deep into this, but with just a small sentence.

    Sometimes, things are not always as they seem to be.

    Forward!
    Shouting this word (in the mind of course) always helps. It means that there is always hope for later victories and glory. Also, there would be defeats too. But dear sirs, strive always towards excellence.

    Parting, I should say, competitions come and go, but it is your participation that's important. The leap of faith, the audacious steps, that should mark your path. Keep participating, and my best regards to you all.

    Thank you.

    By m_1512


    Writer’s block
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    "Houston, we’ve had a problem"

    Almost everyone’s heard of the iconic line from the Apollo 13 movie, where all hell is breaking loose and the lives of the crew are hanging by a thread. What not everyone has heard is the original NASA recording of the men. If you’re one of those you who haven’t then I urge you to look it up. The contrast between the mayhem in the movie and the frigid calmness of the actual crew is quite telling. These people had a plan. They had a problem, but they had ways of saving themselves.

    Unfortunately calamitous events are not limited to space travel, and afflict us just as readily in the realm of AAR writing in the form of writer’s block. When that happens, for the lack of a better word, you are stuck, and it’s not nice. Writer’s block can cause frustration, drop in confidence, hair loss, and many other harmful things. The important thing as a writer though is to be like the Apollo crew – to have a plan, and when things go wrong, execute that plan.

    My job, therefore, is to supply you with a plan, or some semblance of one. I never did manage to get a job at NASA, but hopefully you’ll find my article useful.

    Let it be
    This may seem obvious but the most effective way to deal with writer’s block is to not deal with it. Writer’s block is a monster that feeds upon your frustration, and as you become less poised it only grows bigger and stronger. By leaving it you empty your mind of all of the things that “don’t work”, you save yourself from the monster that is your writer’s block, and prevent it from driving you to hate your own work. I am a firm believer of the need to love your work, and the day you start hating it is the day it begins to lose its life.

    By leaving I don’t mean alt-tabbing to facebook or youtube either. The latter is better than the former, but ultimately the best way is to step away from the computer entirely. Go for a walk; go spend time with your family – anything that you associate the least with your AAR writing. Replace dead-ends with different, happier thoughts. Who knows – you might even have an idea while you’re gone.

    Carpe diem
    65.8% of all writer’s block comes from fear1, and this is especially true with an AAR thanks to the inherent nature of the games we play. Things may happen in your game which do not suit the story. Your main character might die on the battlefield. This uncertainty multiplies the fear factor of putting pen to paper – what if I write something that will backfire on me later?

    It is almost impossible to plan an AAR start to finish from the outset. Things will go wrong if you try, so just stop wasting time worrying about it.

    The best way to overcome the fear of writing something “wrong” is to leave the critical part of your brain out of the equation. Accept that your first draft may well be horse tripe, but write it anyway. Do not pause to ponder the consequences of your writing, or try to calculate what will come to pass 5 chapters later. Do not stop to mull over wording, or whether what you’re writing follows logic. There is a time and place for fixing all the flaws, and it’s called editing. By not editing your brain has more time to run wild, and the pages fill up a lot quicker. You can always cut and trim later on.

    Personal anecdote: long ago and in a far-away land, I slugged through three years of a university degree that involved copious amounts of what we called constrained creative writing. In the beginning it was a struggle, but one day a group of us simultaneously came to the same epiphany:

    "Essays were easier to write while under the influence of alcohol!"

    While I’m not advocating alcohol consumption2, this does prove my point about leaving out (or debilitating, in my case) the critical brain.

    1 75% of all statistics are made up on the spot
    2 Hoegaarden is good for writing


    Up is down
    Contrary to popular belief, there is no prize for starting at the beginning and finishing at the end. In fact, doing so in AAR writing almost always multiplies the chance of getting writer’s block. Writing is hard work – and you want to worry about the structure at the same time?

    Write what comes to you first. Write what you find most interesting about your gameplay. If you just fought a battle, and you’re stuck on how to introduce the circumstances around it, why not describe the melee first? The spray of blood, the noise of clashing steel, the cries of dying men, the smell of blood and horses. If your king just got called on a crusade, and you’re not sure how to describe his feelings, then write about his journey over the sea first. Write about what you’re confident with, and the rest will follow.

    It is sometimes helpful to think of little “arcs” within the story – blocks of four or five draft chapter titles which tell an independent story of its own. During this arc, the characters involved achieve an interim goal of some sort. Perhaps you’re conquering a faction, or your king is on a crusade, or you’re hunting down a particular general. That way you break up your epic long AAR into short digestible chunks where you can plan your story one step at a time, cutting it into chapters logically. Remember to only think of chapter titles – you can figure out the details later.

    An Englishman's home is his castle
    And so is yours to the AARtist within you. The importance of writing in comfortable, familiar surroundings cannot be stressed enough. A few general pointers:
    • Set aside time to write and do nothing else. Make sure your family and whoever you are with know that this is your time, and that you are not to be disturbed over trivial things
    • Switch off all your browsers, log off your twitter, break that high score another day
    • Do not listen to music with lyrics. Calm music is almost always better than otherwise unless you are writing something fast and furious (and maybe even then)
    • Ready a bottle of water close by, but drink only to wet your lips. Getting up to get water or relieve yourself of it only serves to break your train of thought
    • Forget about real life for a second and think in the character of your protagonist. You are Richard, Lionheart King of England; or Napolean Bonaparte, emperor of France; or Suleiman the Magnificent, the giver of laws and conqueror of the infidels. As far as I know none of those people did their taxes, or drew up shopping lists, or did the laundry – nor should you. Aunt Betsy's favour can wait, too.


    Forget the game
    Don’t stress too much about the game. Nobody reading an AAR is going to judge it based on how efficient you are as a gamer. Audiences love cock-ups in-game. Really.

    The other aspect of this is this: don’t be afraid to depart from what’s going on in game. Be inventive - dialogue between characters, internal struggles, rivalries. By writing about their insecurities and concerns you bring the reader closer to your characters. Nobody is a knight in shining armour all day every day in real life, so they shouldn’t be in your AAR. Give them real problems, real dilemmas, and they will come to life in front of you. Along the same lines is the technique of inventing support characters. It is a great way of running sidebars and subplots within your AAR, and gives the central characters more personality. Girlfriends are wonderful plot devices for showing the softer side of people. A sibling could be effective at exposing insecurities and rivalries. Childhood friends could be used to garner information about the hero’s past.

    The possibilities are quite literally endless, and are wonderful solutions to writer’s block. If you can’t write about the protagonist then write about his friends for a chapter or two.

    Here, there and everywhere
    Carry a phone that lets you easily write text notes, and keep it on your night stand at night. Next time you think “oh maybe my guy can do this” while at work, in between lectures, on the toilet, 3 o'clock in the morning – write it down, and save it for the next time you have writer’s block. It may or may not happen often, but you should be ready when it does. It might just save you from a lot of frustration.

    Conclusion
    Accept that writer’s block happens to the best writers, from Socrates to Dickens, and it will probably happen to you at some point. Instead of driving yourself up a wall, go for a walk, and see the world. You might just think of something great – and if you do then make sure you write it down.

    Most importantly of all, write what you love, and love what you write. Happy writing AARtists!

    By robinzx


    From the Editor's Desk



    NEW: Critic's Quill AAR Publicity Service
    Although there is already a publicity thread for AAR update news, we have decided that it wouldn't hurt if AAR update notices also appeared here. As an experiment I am going to publish a weekly bulletin in this thread listing AARs that have new posts.

    Now, being a lazy fellow, I shall rely on the AAR authors themselves to tell me about their updates. So, if you want your AAR to appear in the bulletin, then send me a PM with a link to your latest post and a single sentence describing the delights therein. Every week I will gather these together and make a bulletin post, complete with an official Critic's Quill banner and possibly some random fancy font-work (according to my mood).

    NB. Please don't post adverts yourself in this thread, I will delete all such posts on sight in the interests of preserving order and maintaining my Napoleon complex.

    Writer Profile Project
    Our esteemed m_1512 is looking for a suitable subject for a kind of TWC biography. He is open to suggestions as to who to start with, so if you have any strong feelings about who is worthy of such a piece (or even if you are feeling particularly worthy yourself), then please send "m" a PM with your nomination.


    Last Word
    So that's it for another month. We hope you enjoyed the issue, if you did then don't forget to give my hard-working writers some rep. Apart from newcomers StealthEvo and robinzx, only a skeleton crew consisting of Radzeer, m_1512 and Boustrophedon were present for duty this month, the others apparently went off for a Christmas cruise on some liner named the Marie Celeste... Hopefully they, or their ghost(-writer)s, will be back in time for the next issue. So until then, farewell!

    Juvenal



    If you find yourself at a loose end, then why not consider sampling some of the TWC publications or creative forums. It's easy, just click through the picture!

    Last edited by Juvenal; January 15, 2012 at 01:19 PM.
    imb39 ...is my daddy!
    See AARtistry in action: Spite of Severus and Severus the God

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  2. #2

    Default Re: The Critic's Quill: Issue 31

    Huzzah! It's finally out...and it's...beautiful

    All hail the editor..or something like that - and a huge thanks to Radzeer for a most magnanimous review
    Last edited by Robin de Bodemloze; January 15, 2012 at 08:30 PM.
    The Wings of Destiny - A FotS AAR (Chapter 12 - Updated Apr 24)
    Takeda - a Shogun 2 AAR (Completed) Reviewed by Radzeer

    My writing | My art | About me | Sekigahara Campaign - Developer

    ~~Under the proud patronage of Radzeer, Rogue Bodemloze. Patron of Noif de Bodemloze, Heiro de Bodemloze, and Hitai de Bodemloze~~

  3. #3

    Default Re: The Critic's Quill: Issue 31

    Skeleton crews and long maturing material in oak barrels still made this to an excellent reading! Great work everybody, and kudos to our editor who not only had to fight the respective spirits of Christmas and New Year, but also the devil living in a new computer.

  4. #4
    SeniorBatavianHorse's Avatar Tribunus Vacans
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    Default Re: The Critic's Quill: Issue 31

    What an inspiring edition of the Critic's Quill! Congratulations to all involved and well done for all the hard work that ha sbeen put in. I have whiled away a good half an hour here reading this when I was suppoed to be writing an AAR update. And that does seem ironic given the Writer's Block article here too!

  5. #5
    Mortality's Avatar Senator
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    Default Re: The Critic's Quill: Issue 31

    Christ, I knew you'd put that one up there. Not my best work and I put it on the shelf because I became extremely bored with it. I might reopen it, but its unlikely.


  6. #6

    Default Re: The Critic's Quill: Issue 31

    YES! I made it into the Critics Quill!

    awwwwww yeeeeeaaaaahhhhhhhh
    Quote Originally Posted by Menelik_I View Post
    obviously a Jewish Honeywell operation ... using a time machine invented in 1940 to know all future Far Right stars so Female Mossad Agents would bear their children and taint them for eternity.

  7. #7
    m_1512's Avatar Quomodo vales?
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    Default Re: The Critic's Quill: Issue 31

    Writer Profile Project
    Our esteemed m_1512 is looking for a suitable subject for a kind of TWC biography. He is open to suggestions as to who to start with, so if you have any strong feelings about who is worthy of such a piece (or even if you are feeling particularly worthy yourself), then please send "m" a PM with your nomination.

    Also, it would really be helpful if you could get the consent of the writer first.


  8. #8
    Knonfoda's Avatar I came, I read, I wrote
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    Default Re: The Critic's Quill: Issue 31

    Brilliant edition as always! Some very interesting snippets, but I found this one particularly interesting:

    Quote Originally Posted by robinzx View Post
    Personal anecdote: long ago and in a far-away land, I slugged through three years of a university degree that involved copious amounts of what we called constrained creative writing. In the beginning it was a struggle, but one day a group of us simultaneously came to the same epiphany:

    "Essays were easier to write while under the influence of alcohol!"

    While I’m not advocating alcohol consumption2, this does prove my point about leaving out (or debilitating, in my case) the critical brain.

    1 75% of all statistics are made up on the spot
    2 Hoegaarden is good for writing
    lol... it's funny that, wherever you are, you have reached that conclusion. Me and my housemates reached the exact same conclusion a few months ago. Between us, we found that in works where we either A) couldn't care less or B) were drunk while writing we achieved higher grades for essays and policy papers than we did otherwise on works we A) cared for or B) spent a considerable amount of time preparing/writing.

    And one a sidenote, I've found some of the episodes of my AAR which were best received amongst my followers were those in which alcohol played a part! So on that note:

    You're definitely onto something

    I also found the Lets Play X-COM AAR review particularly helpful, as I love X-COM and quite liked the AAR! So thanks for an awesome edition once again!
    Last edited by Knonfoda; January 16, 2012 at 11:27 AM.

  9. #9

  10. #10

    Default Re: The Critic's Quill: Issue 31

    Quote Originally Posted by Knonfoda View Post
    lol... it's funny that, wherever you are, you have reached that conclusion. Me and my housemates reached the exact same conclusion a few months ago. Between us, we found that in works where we either A) couldn't care less or B) were drunk while writing we achieved higher grades for essays and policy papers than we did otherwise on works we A) cared for or B) spent a considerable amount of time preparing/writing.
    Well you know what they say...great minds...or something
    The Wings of Destiny - A FotS AAR (Chapter 12 - Updated Apr 24)
    Takeda - a Shogun 2 AAR (Completed) Reviewed by Radzeer

    My writing | My art | About me | Sekigahara Campaign - Developer

    ~~Under the proud patronage of Radzeer, Rogue Bodemloze. Patron of Noif de Bodemloze, Heiro de Bodemloze, and Hitai de Bodemloze~~

  11. #11
    Danny_K_1's Avatar Praefectus
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    Default Re: The Critic's Quill: Issue 31

    I thank you for your critique on my otherwise mediocre project. I'll be sure to finish it up for you chaps.


  12. #12

    Default Re: The Critic's Quill: Issue 31

    Quote Originally Posted by Danny_K_1 View Post
    I thank you for your critique on my otherwise mediocre project. I'll be sure to finish it up for you chaps.
    Aye, we be watching you
    The Wings of Destiny - A FotS AAR (Chapter 12 - Updated Apr 24)
    Takeda - a Shogun 2 AAR (Completed) Reviewed by Radzeer

    My writing | My art | About me | Sekigahara Campaign - Developer

    ~~Under the proud patronage of Radzeer, Rogue Bodemloze. Patron of Noif de Bodemloze, Heiro de Bodemloze, and Hitai de Bodemloze~~

  13. #13
    m_1512's Avatar Quomodo vales?
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    Default Re: The Critic's Quill: Issue 31

    Please people, give your nominations for The Writer Profile series.
    And please do not nominate yourself. The person who will nominate will also be nominated.


  14. #14

    Default Re: The Critic's Quill: Issue 31

    Fantastic works, guys!

    Quote Originally Posted by m_1512 View Post
    Please people, give your nominations for The Writer Profile series.
    SeniorBatavianHorse.


  15. #15

  16. #16

    Default Re: The Critic's Quill: Issue 31

    Well as SBH is already nominated, I nominate BLIP99 for the honor.

  17. #17
    m_1512's Avatar Quomodo vales?
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    Default Re: The Critic's Quill: Issue 31

    Quote Originally Posted by Bregil View Post
    Well as SBH is already nominated, I nominate BLIP99 for the honor.
    Thanks, I'll contact him.


  18. #18
    Ganbarenippon's Avatar Protector Domesticus
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    Default Re: The Critic's Quill: Issue 31

    Great issue. I particularly enjoyed the article section this month. Fine work gents!

  19. #19
    Boustrophedon's Avatar Grote Smurf
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    Default Re: The Critic's Quill: Issue 31

    I have to agree with robinzx that Hoegaarden is good for writing

  20. #20
    Juvenal's Avatar love your noggin
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    Default Re: The Critic's Quill: Issue 31

    Issue 32 is now released... get it while it's hot!
    imb39 ...is my daddy!
    See AARtistry in action: Spite of Severus and Severus the God

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