well, not to put too fine a point on it, I've been spending my time going for one of my UHVs, namely building a lot of scholarly and religious buildings...I don't have the military power to take them on...I will indeed attempt to crush them, but I don't have what I need to do it right now.
Slow Game Blog...A Long Alternate History of Ireland...
- Thread starter antaine
- Start date
864AD
Rí Antaine presides over a festival to commend Ceannfada Ó Faolain and Marcus Mac Loingsigh for discoveries made during their exploration of the ruins of Caerdydd. Irish comprehension of the principles of machinery was greatly enhanced by examination of the great water-wheels in the ruins.
Rí Antaine presides over a festival to commend Ceannfada Ó Faolain and Marcus Mac Loingsigh for discoveries made during their exploration of the ruins of Caerdydd. Irish comprehension of the principles of machinery was greatly enhanced by examination of the great water-wheels in the ruins.
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AnotherPacifist
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- Sep 21, 2007
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What do you mean you don't have the means? A couple of catapults and all your forces mustered in Nottingham and those 4 English longbows will be history.
eduhum
Aahh the gold old days...
Great story!
Is this the world's map?
Because Ireland and Britain are enlarged.
Is this the world's map?
Because Ireland and Britain are enlarged.
944 AD
Several nations send emissaries to Ireland and diplomatic relations are opened. Both the Netherlands and the Holy Roman Empire sign open borders agreements, while the Russians refuse. The Russian emissary had with him six prized pet rabbits, which were accidentally slaughtered and cooked for the diplomatic reception, hence his foul mood. All three nations refused to part with the secrets of machinery, and an attempt by the Pope to broker universal open borders between all civilized Christian nations fails.
Several nations send emissaries to Ireland and diplomatic relations are opened. Both the Netherlands and the Holy Roman Empire sign open borders agreements, while the Russians refuse. The Russian emissary had with him six prized pet rabbits, which were accidentally slaughtered and cooked for the diplomatic reception, hence his foul mood. All three nations refused to part with the secrets of machinery, and an attempt by the Pope to broker universal open borders between all civilized Christian nations fails.
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968 AD
When vermin ruin the stored grain in Dún Éideann, Rí Antaine spends 20 gold pieces and restores the lost food. Flooding washes out roads near Madrid, but the Spanish monarch is not nearly as generous.
976 AD
William of Orange asks for the secrets of the accurate Irish calendar. Sensing a bad vibe, Rí Antaine refuses.
When vermin ruin the stored grain in Dún Éideann, Rí Antaine spends 20 gold pieces and restores the lost food. Flooding washes out roads near Madrid, but the Spanish monarch is not nearly as generous.
976 AD
William of Orange asks for the secrets of the accurate Irish calendar. Sensing a bad vibe, Rí Antaine refuses.
984 AD
The Irish begin construction of a quarry in the Scottish Highlands. The Irish colonists have become known as Scots, in reference to the ancient term for Ireland, Scotia.
988 AD
Russian emissaries approach the Irish with an offer of an open borders agreement, which is accepted. Trade routes between the two nations are scheduled to open shortly.
1000 AD
A new millennium dawns with great promise for the Irish people. Further colonization of the mineral rich Scottish Highlands is planned for the near future. Already, influential members of the Irish court are attempting to persuade Rí Antaine that full conquest of Britain is required for Irish security.
The Irish begin construction of a quarry in the Scottish Highlands. The Irish colonists have become known as Scots, in reference to the ancient term for Ireland, Scotia.
988 AD
Russian emissaries approach the Irish with an offer of an open borders agreement, which is accepted. Trade routes between the two nations are scheduled to open shortly.
1000 AD
A new millennium dawns with great promise for the Irish people. Further colonization of the mineral rich Scottish Highlands is planned for the near future. Already, influential members of the Irish court are attempting to persuade Rí Antaine that full conquest of Britain is required for Irish security.
1003 AD
A manuscript from Pliny is circulating in western Europe. In it, Ireland is considered the most cultured civilization on the Continent.
1012 AD
The Germans and their Dutch cousins are drawn closer together by the marriage of members of their royal families. All of Europe was abuzz with the much-touted and extravagant ceremony. Rí Antaine traveled to Amsterdam to represent Ireland himself. While on the Continent, he also made a pilgrimage to Rome. He was surprised and disappointed to find a filthy city, three-quarters abandoned due to lack of water. When the Germanic invaders destroyed the ancient Roman aqueducts, or allowed them to deteriorate, the city shriveled to a mere 10,000 inhabitants. The passage of Romes former glory teaches Rí Antaine the importance of aqueducts and sanitation for population growth. On his return, he ensures that Roman texts on the subject are acquired and distributed to the libraries and monasteries of Ireland. Such secrets will need to be unlocked before the Irish empire can embrace its true potential.
A manuscript from Pliny is circulating in western Europe. In it, Ireland is considered the most cultured civilization on the Continent.
1012 AD
The Germans and their Dutch cousins are drawn closer together by the marriage of members of their royal families. All of Europe was abuzz with the much-touted and extravagant ceremony. Rí Antaine traveled to Amsterdam to represent Ireland himself. While on the Continent, he also made a pilgrimage to Rome. He was surprised and disappointed to find a filthy city, three-quarters abandoned due to lack of water. When the Germanic invaders destroyed the ancient Roman aqueducts, or allowed them to deteriorate, the city shriveled to a mere 10,000 inhabitants. The passage of Romes former glory teaches Rí Antaine the importance of aqueducts and sanitation for population growth. On his return, he ensures that Roman texts on the subject are acquired and distributed to the libraries and monasteries of Ireland. Such secrets will need to be unlocked before the Irish empire can embrace its true potential.
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This is great advice. I assume the settler in production is destined to set down roots in the razed lands of the soon-to-be-former England. Or is that island to your north the next place you plan to settle?
Nice story. And an interesting way to go about telling it, as well. I'm not sure I'd have the patience to do it a few turns at a time. xD
I'm immersing myself in the culture and history of where I'm at in the story....a few months of medieval irish history, a few months of early renaissance, etc. It's going to be interesting starting in the 1500s.
Already I'm at the point where the vikings were "thrown out" at the battle of Clontarf, but Ireland at this time was disunited. Ireland had colonized Scotland, but not in the sense that the British colonized the Americas...the colonies themselves were independent. The Irish raided Britain, but certainly not razing all major cities (that was more a game mechanics thing)
But soon I will have the opportunity to really diverge from true history...what could Ireland have been had the English kept their noses out of it? We'll see...
Already I'm at the point where the vikings were "thrown out" at the battle of Clontarf, but Ireland at this time was disunited. Ireland had colonized Scotland, but not in the sense that the British colonized the Americas...the colonies themselves were independent. The Irish raided Britain, but certainly not razing all major cities (that was more a game mechanics thing)
But soon I will have the opportunity to really diverge from true history...what could Ireland have been had the English kept their noses out of it? We'll see...
1057 AD
The colonists originally intended for northern Alba were instead settled in Cornwall. The primary purpose of Kernow is as a military outpost to serve as a hedge against English expansion.
1063 AD
Despite the fact that England is teetering on the brink of collapse, the English-speaking farmers surrounding Kernow ask to cecede to the English empire. Rí Antaine declines their request and instructs them to return to their fields.
The colonists originally intended for northern Alba were instead settled in Cornwall. The primary purpose of Kernow is as a military outpost to serve as a hedge against English expansion.
1063 AD
Despite the fact that England is teetering on the brink of collapse, the English-speaking farmers surrounding Kernow ask to cecede to the English empire. Rí Antaine declines their request and instructs them to return to their fields.
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If you want to help Ireland out, alt-history-wise, you need to make sure they get the Calvinists instead the Scottish. The sooner the better. I'm not sure that's covered in the game mechanics, but a good dose of protestantism really makes a difference in the ol' work ethic.
there is no protestant mod, but after looking at France and Spain and Portugal I'm inclined to disbelieve the "protestant work ethic" angle for Britain's superpower status.
If I had loaded the protestant mod for RFC, honestly I'd be trying to keep the reformation out of the british isles entirely. Ireland's historical problem was in disunity (and british interference predating meaningful unification) and not Catholicism.
Had the Irish produced competent monarchs (always a problem with a hereditary dynastic system) that consolidated the Irish kingdoms before the English consolidated the English ones, the inhabitants of North America would likely be speaking Gaelic today, and the minority English-speaking population struggling for civil rights in a United Kingdom governed from Dublin or Tara.
In this way, it was more the clan system that kept Ireland divided and weak rather than religion. The Scottish were almost completely undone by the same societal feature, but the Scottish king was able to bring the noble chieftains to heel more effectively than the Irish...
If I had loaded the protestant mod for RFC, honestly I'd be trying to keep the reformation out of the british isles entirely. Ireland's historical problem was in disunity (and british interference predating meaningful unification) and not Catholicism.
Had the Irish produced competent monarchs (always a problem with a hereditary dynastic system) that consolidated the Irish kingdoms before the English consolidated the English ones, the inhabitants of North America would likely be speaking Gaelic today, and the minority English-speaking population struggling for civil rights in a United Kingdom governed from Dublin or Tara.
In this way, it was more the clan system that kept Ireland divided and weak rather than religion. The Scottish were almost completely undone by the same societal feature, but the Scottish king was able to bring the noble chieftains to heel more effectively than the Irish...
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