This AAR is the only one I've read that makes me literally laugh out loud, and it is just riddled with dry (and often dark) humor that is oddly refreshing. Definitely worth a read!
Originally Posted by Cookiegod
...and his bed was sick too? Man that's rough.
Originally Posted by Kilo11
My birthday was last week, and apparently I had been talking about the game so much that my wife went out and got it for me for my birthday
Originally Posted by Alwyn
After they received a huge bribe, I wasn't expecting what happened to the Mongols next.
Originally Posted by Turkafinwë
I'd say a lot of people care for this, I for one (or I wouldn't have written a review for it*). I agree with Kilo, a great piece of history, showcasing the irony of life. It made me chuckle, so thanks for that. [*] > A look at Derc Plays Through World History - An AAR review by Turkafinwë]
Originally Posted by Alwyn
I enjoyed this!
Greetings y'all and welcome to this very unusual and megalomanic approach of an AAR.
Ye, ye, I know what you're thinkin': some random guy with a few single posts appearing, tellin' you about that one bombastic Mega-AAR he is about to start - two weeks later never to be seen again.
Well, I can't promise anything. All I can say is that I am not new to TW, not one to easily kick the bucket and that the road ahead will indeed be a long one. Oh, and what a road it will be.
So what makes this special?
Easy. It's not about one campaign but about many. Many different campaigns from all historical TW titles. It's a story of Eras, so to say.
The road will lead us from the scorching African Desert over the sunny shores of the Mediterranean to the dark, rainy forests of ancient Northern Europe. It'll lead us over the endless plains of the Medieval Asian Steppe, even visiting such distant lands as modern Japan or America.
All around the globe, all around the time, we'll be there - and conquer the sake out of it.
But enough ramblin'. Let's get to the cold, hard facts:
Campaigns can be from ANY historical Total War Game, in no particular order
This AAR is more a thing for the eyes. It will mainly be carried by screenshots. Text is secondary. Imagine it more like a photo album or a let's play just without being packed into a video.
Most campaigns are played on second hardest difficulty. Why not hardest you ask? Because I can't stand obvious cheating by the A.I. just because it can't handle me. I can stand being restricted in saving my games even less. ...
... But I have a given set of special houserules to make it a bit harder. These rules will be revealed at the beginning of each campaign.
My main goal most of the time is to simply paint the whole map in my factions color (and being a jerk on the way there). The whole map, I mean it! Now this goal takes some time but unfortunately I've got a job. So sacrifices had to be made. Battles take a huge amount of time and I'm not even that big of a fan of them. It's not as if I wouldn't enjoy manual battles, but the moments playing them are scarce. Don't expect too many screenshots from the battlefield.
It would be pretty boring if this would just be about blobbing. So I do not only have some special houserules, but also some special goals to keep things interesting. They may be revealed at the beginning of a campaign, in between, or at the end.
Aside from that, I will also talk about some background information, analyzing units, buildings, and so on. More about that in the Legend down below.
As this is also some sort of a review of TW, I don't use mods like Darthmod. Only some minor visual mods here and there. It's the full Vanilla experience! Let's see how much unbalance there is, shall we?
This is no Mega-Campaign! Every Campaign will be a little universe condensed in itself. There is no continuous story between the campaigns.
I post content whenever I see fit. There WILL be greater pauses in between, but they will most likely happen after a campaign is completed.
You're welcome to comment and make suggestions, of course. But keep in mind that all campaigns shown are already over. So things like "please attack the French!" can not be considered. Don't worry, though. I will fight them anyway.
The first campaign will indeed be an Eras-Game. So I hope this thread is in the correct place and will remain here even when we will swap over to a Non-Eras-Game later on.
PS: Oh and if you want the complete opposite (lots of text, few screenshots, sole focus on one campaign) then go on and check out the AAR "Of Wolves and Prey" from my old enemy buddy Cookiegod.
TL;DR: Many campaigns from all historical TW Games in compact form. Image-heavy.
Last edited by Derc; May 08, 2021 at 10:22 AM.
Reason: Updated Title
⚠️📱 Mobile Users: If you can't view this AAR correctly because contentboxes are cut off or there are other funny glitches, then please enable Desktop-Mode in the settings of your mobile browser. This is a problem of the forum. There is not much I can do about it.
Legend
There will be fieldsets of the following categories every now and then. They are less a part of the AAR itself but more some kind of smalltalk - providing you with background information and random blablah, because why not?! It's fun!
Last edited by Derc; July 31, 2021 at 06:48 PM.
Reason: Updated OToC
I look forward to seeing the older games in action and to see what house-rules you choose to play with. I also prefer them instead of playing on the hardest, bonus riddled settings. My favourite rule, which I feel makes the battles actually quite interesting, is to not allow unit orders if they are engaged in combat. It allows the enemy a.i a chance to out smart you if you engage the wrong unit, and it makes your initial battle strategy much more important.
Nice post presentation too; it's all so orderly.
Last edited by C-Beams; October 15, 2018 at 01:57 AM.
I agree with C-Beams, this looks like a fun approach to writing an AAR and the presentation is well done - and I'm intrigued to see what your house rules will be for the different campaigns.
Re: Derc Plays Through World History (Current: Medieval 1 - Grand Campaign)
Hooray! \o/
Seeing this after over fifteen years and listening to the Menu Music again, gave me the chills.
The year is 1321 CE. The Medieval Age has entered its late period, but it's far from over.
In fact, the darkest times were yet to come.
Total War: Medieval
Grand Campaign Golden Horde Campaign Starring: A very ahistorical Ögedei Khan (let's just call him Ögedei Khan II please >_>)
The Golden Horde! Oh yes! WE are that scourge from the East!
The Mongol Empire is the greatest continuous Empire to ever have existed. It was spanning from the Baltic in the West all the way to the Chinese Sea in the East and from the frozen Siberian Wastes in the North down to India in the South.
It was this point in history where the Mongol Empire was at its greatest extend. But what if it hadn't remained there? We shall see!
Last edited by Derc; March 02, 2019 at 05:09 PM.
Reason: Adjusted Title
Indeed a very interesting idea for an AAR and very ambitious I must say. Medieval 1 is not a game I'm very familiar with having only played it a couple of times and that a very long time ago, not 15 years tho but close. Needless to say I'm intrigued to see how it all will play out.
Re: Derc Plays Through World History (Current: Medieval 1 - Grand Campaign)
Medieval
Grand Campaign #1
--------------------------
(Click to view)
--------------------------
Our situation doesn't look too grim. We have the mightiest standing army in the world.
However, our provinces are very backward.
The first thing we do is to declare war on the Muscovites and the Georgians. (Latter are merely represented by rebels)
They crumble quickly under our hooves ... under our arrows, I mean. (There might not have been a single swordstrike in this battle)
Just one year later and Moscow is subjugated.
Georgia is also taken, connecting our lands in the south with those in the north.
And not only that, Northern Anatolia and Moldova are taken too. Good!
We start to strenghten our provinces, for we are there to stay.
It proved to be the right decision as the Turks decide to declare war on us. Evil Turks!
In the West, the Horde reaches the Danube.
When a rider is in the saddle, the worst thing he could do is to step out of it.
Most of our forces are still located in the North. So we put them to use.
We are quick to attack the last Russian stronghold, Novgorod.
They decide to retreat to their castles, trying to let the russian winter do its magic. They do not know us very well and it proved to be their undoing.
Meanwhile the Teutonic Knights conquer Lithuania, making us the only pagan faction to remain.
Hungary conquers Serbia a year later, making it the first faction to get destroyed by another A.I. Faction.
The Teutons are eager to spill more pagan blood and attack us. Dang!
Our forces manage to conquer Lithuania but the Teutons snatch Halych in turn. A first blow! I have to reclaim it quickly! All my good troops are recruited there.
The wars in the South look better. Seems like there will be no Ottoman Empire in this universe. Ironically this is what pushes the Byzantines to declare war on us shortly after. And so do Bulgaria and Kilikia-Armenia. Oh well, looks like they realized that I am a threat.
Poland gets conquered by the Bohemians! Haha!
Wallachia is lost to the Bulgars and so is Anatolia to the Byzantines. Luckily the Crusaders decide to jump in, betraying the Byzantines once again. The Knights Hospitaller take a chunk of Byzantine land while the French and Castillians are about to enter Egypt.
We're not at war with any of them, so we let them pass and use the chaos to get rid of Armenia.
A historical event, how nice.
The Crusade fails. All it did manage was to destabilize the Byzantine Empire once again.
All of Asia is now lost to the Muslims and the Pagans. Epic fail, indeed.
But Alas! The Khan dies in the hour of greatest glory, drinking himself to death, just like the Ögedei before him did!
Losing your Leader in Med 1 can indeed be devastating. If he is succeeded by a weak ruler, your stability will be greatly reduced.
And that was just about to happen.
Last edited by Derc; February 05, 2019 at 12:24 PM.
Reason: Changed hr | add contentbox
Re: Derc Plays Through World History (Current: Medieval 1 - Grand Campaign)
It looks like the Khan has achieved great successes, but will his successor build on them, preserve them or lose them? I'm enjoying your AAR and looking forward to the next instalment.
Re: Derc Plays Through World History (Current: Medieval 1 - Grand Campaign)
Medieval
Grand Campaign #2
--------------------------
(Click to view)
--------------------------
Well, that's not too bad. All we have to do is to strenghten the garrison a bit and lower the taxes where it is possible.
The Teutons are subjugated.
I don't like the army the Mamluks are putting there.
The Byzantines prove to be quite a challenge. They use their maritime superiority to attack us in the Steppes. Unexpected!
But this is not the only unexpected thing to experience this year. The Bubonic Plague hits!
We need a few years to consolidate.
In these years, the war with the Byzantines rages on, the Bohemians and Hungarians attack us, the Mamluks collapse into civil war and the Black Death takes its toll. Not the best time to be alive.
We then hear from a far away land named Scotland to be another victim of these hard times.
Would ya look at that! The Danes and the Swedes switched lands. Reversed roles!
We launch a grand offensive into Hungarian lands.
We also hear that another Kingdom vanished from the face of the earth.
Looks like we cracked a nut! We manage to take Constantinople, taking the Byzantine heartland! Their Empire collapses, whoever can flees westwards.
In Italy, they obviously have other problems.
One would think that with the fall of Constantinople the Pope would become more powerful. But he doesn't. Quite the opposite.
Instead, the Holy Roman Emperor is the one who becomes more powerful. He strenghtens his claim to be the one true Successor of the Roman Empire, seeing himself as the last shield of Christianity, which in turn enables him to gain more influence.
England is discovered and we hear that it is a hotbed of Heresy. Seems accurate!
Hungary is stronger than thought. It is decided to destroy Bohemia first.
All their family members are in Poland somehow, resulting of the destruction of Bohemia without ever setting a foot into their mainland. The Hungarians pick up whatever remains.
The northeastern part of the Empire decides to rebel. Not everyone seems to like the reforms of the Emperor.
Bulgaria is plundered but not conquered. Upholding it would bind too many troops.
We decide to abandon it for the time being in order to chase the last remnants of the Byzantines, who desperately try to reassemble in Greece. We need to be quick!
Success.
The Byzantines are no more, ending this ancient Empire once and for all. Bohemia falls in the same year.
A huge blow for Christendom.
Originally Posted by C-Beams
Excellent AAR. And thanks for adding the music video. I've since been listening to the whole soundtrack on YouTube.
Thanks.
Yeah, I know this too well.
Originally Posted by Caillagh de Bodemloze
This is fun!
I like the humorous tone of your text; I think that works well.
The idea of using many images and only a little text reminds me rather of Alwyn's The Lost Colony, which I also enjoyed.
I'll look forward to future updates.
Yes, indeed! A very nice read if only a bit short. Cimmeria is one of my faves too.
Originally Posted by Alwyn
It looks like the Khan has achieved great successes, but will his successor build on them, preserve them or lose them? I'm enjoying your AAR and looking forward to the next instalment.
And here it is already. Now you know.
Thanks again guys. Glad it lightens your day a bit.
Last edited by Derc; February 05, 2019 at 12:24 PM.
Reason: Typo ... again | add contentbox
Re: Derc Plays Through World History (Current: Medieval 1 - Grand Campaign)
Nice, the horde is hungry! You have about half the map already.
I like the historical tidbits that pop-up in this game. I seem to remember one that details a group of pilgrim children who get sent to the middle-east only to disappear. That horrified me when I first read it. I can't remember which game that was in though. I am currently playing EB2 mod for Med 2 and their historical info is glorious. I love all of the smaller details they include to do with laws, colonisation, the lands, etc.
Re: Derc Plays Through World History (Current: Medieval 1 - Grand Campaign)
Medieval
Grand Campaign #3
--------------------------
(Click to view)
--------------------------
A not so historical historic event. Nice.
Our forces invade Pommerania, but we are not the only one doing that.
At the outskirts of Stettin our forces meet ... the English.
They offer us an interesting, yet simple choice: "Ye are eith'r with us, or against us!"
We choose the first as their forces are stronger than ours anyway.
Stettin is taken by the English and an English-Mongol alliance is formed. A strange thing.
The German Emperor is furious!
The King of Aragon hears from the events in the North and offers us his daughter. We accept.
It looks like a few Kings got nervous and now live by the the motto: "If you can't fight them, join them."
Poor thing. Being sent away to the other end of the world to some crazy dudes.
Bulgaria, the last orthodox faction, is subjugated for good. And so is Brandenburg.
The German Emperor watches the christian world dying. Heathens in the East, Heretics in the West.
Surrounded by enemies, he and his people choose the only option they've left: War.
The Mamluks manage to retake the Levant. They are a bit angry with me stealing Antiochia.
Nothing they can do against it. And neither can they do anything against Moors travelling to India. Interesting event, learned something new.
Cyprus falls. Christian influence shrinks in the East ...
... and in the West.
I have mystic visions too!
But the Hungarians launching an invasion on Greece was not one of 'em. Yikes! I thought they were dead?
Well, at least their forces are pretty weak. A year later and they are thrown back to wherever they came from.
The Diwan increases the influence of Islam in the Levant and so do tensions with the Mamluk Sultanate.
I do not like those new armies positioned there.
The alliance with the English didn't last long. The Pope has at least a little bit of influence left. He unifies Italy and excommunicates the English who in turn collapse into civil war.
The alliance is automatically annulled. I'm a bit pissed and take Pommerania.
A few years later the state of war with the English is mysteriously annulled too. Fine by me.
Christendom is not yet entirely divided. The French and the Germans launch a new Crusade to retake the lands of the former Byzantine Empire. The Pope places a massive force in Northern Italy but hesitates to attack.
We got a new front down in the South and we will focus on this one for now.
Reinforcements go there instead to our front in Europe. Hope it was the right decision.
The Aragonese cancel their alliance with us and are reconciled. Now we stand alone again. Well, not entirely. We still have the Aragonese Princess.
The Mamluks are easily dealt with.
If they'd attacked earlier we might had stood no chance. But as it is now, we can simply overrun them.
In Bohemia a lot will be decided.
Originally Posted by C-Beams
Nice, the horde is hungry! You have about half the map already.
I like the historical tidbits that pop-up in this game. I seem to remember one that details a group of pilgrim children who get sent to the middle-east only to disappear. That horrified me when I first read it. I can't remember which game that was in though. I am currently playing EB2 mod for Med 2 and their historical info is glorious. I love all of the smaller details they include to do with laws, colonisation, the lands, etc.
Great AAR post to start my Sunday, thanks.
Keep in mind that these are mostly large provinces I own. It's only an illusion.
Regarding the Childs Crusade: Yeah, I can remember it too. Spooky event but it showed very well how crazy these times were.
It appeared in one of the Kingdoms Campaign iirc.
Last edited by Derc; February 05, 2019 at 12:25 PM.
Reason: added contentbox
Re: Derc Plays Through World History (Current: Medieval 1 - Grand Campaign)
Medieval
Grand Campaign #4
--------------------------
(Click to view)
--------------------------
Aw, come on! They may deny me the fight but they cannot deny me the victory.
The German forces retreat into every direction, trying to defend their respective homeland from us.
This is their death warranty. Split as they are, it is easy for us to pick them up one by one.
Throwing the Mamluks out of the Levant was easier than expected.
The situation in England becomes more and more dire.
The Empire cannot withstand the pressure of our hordes anymore. It collapses.
However, the fight has left us exhausted too.
Gaza ist taken but this is as far as we can go for now.
The Aragonese King impresses with his madness once again. Fighting the Moor at his doorstep? Nay! He knows who the real problem is!
I've never read them myself. Are they good?
We finally manage to get rid of The Knights Hospitaller. I couldn't attack them before as you need a secure sea to reach isles. With the levant conquered that is now the case.
The Knights helped me a lot during the fight against the Byzantines. But they have become a thorn in my side. One that just has been removed.
The East is lost for Christendom.
The Christians reason that some sinners must be responsible for the dire situation they are in. They find them in Frisia. And they want them put to justice before the Horde arrives.
And we see that Scotland makes a glorious comeback! Just like the Swedes they decided to play reversed roles with their rival.
Gunpowder, an invention from China, becomes more and more the Go-To weapon in Europe, replacing arrows with bullets and rendering armor useless.
After the defeat in Bohemia, the Empire crumbled quickly. They claimed to be the heirs of the Romans and so they die like the Romans: Being overrun by the Horde.
With Germany in our possesion, the rest of Europe lies wide open.
Originally Posted by Cookiegod
Excellent pieces as always Derc. I was very happy to see Scotland die. Now please invade Milan!
Guess you won't like this one then.
Last edited by Derc; February 05, 2019 at 12:26 PM.
Reason: minor fix | add contentbox
Re: Derc Plays Through World History (Current: Medieval 1 - Grand Campaign)
This is pretty cool Derc. For my own things I tend toward a long-form prose AAR with few (if any) pictures, but I like what you're doing here. And like Caillagh I'm finding your off-the-cuff, almost sarcastic presentation of the death of kings and spread of plagues to be pretty entertaining. It's also cool to see Med1, as I first came to the TW series with Rome 1 and never saw the earlier titles. I'll be looking forward to what comes next!
| Community Creative Writing | My Library | My Mapping Resources | My Nabataean AAR for EBII | My Ongoing Creative Writing
Derc Plays Through World History
Originally Posted by Kilo11
). I agree with Kilo, a great piece of history, showcasing the irony of life. It made me chuckle, so thanks for that.
Reply With Quote
