Commas are brilliant but this is ever so slightly taking it too far.
Heathen.
General feedback on the Redux update. Italian naval thinking was a funny thing, I can't quite get to the bottom of the chicken-egg thinking but basically they assumed all battles would be in day light at long(ish) ranges. They assumed that Jutland was a reasonable template because you couldn't force the enemy to engage in an unfavourable battle and wouldn't offer battle yourself at unfavourable odds. Hence they never developed a night fighting doctrine and put no effort into radar. With officers promoted on the basis of being good fascists and saying the right thing, this became a reinforcing loop.
And lets not forget Jutland was a strategic victory as it enforced the status quo of the German fleet still being locked up - ‘The German Fleet has assaulted its jailer, but it is still in jail’ and all that. In Italian pre-war planning the status quo was "France can't get into the Eastern Med / Adriatic and reinforce Yugoslavia / Eastern Europe". If the status quo favours you, then it's not a terrible plan to try and maintain it, particularly if you believe the enemy will not co-operate in your plans to win a big victory.
The Battlecruiser squadron did an amazing job, because it was used as Battlecruisers not in the line of battle. Keep them away from enemy battleships and they will smash up 8" treaty cruisers while not breaking a sweat.
I would be careful about paying too much heed* to Sullivan.
*Any
Wise words.
You are absolutely right. After two Franco-German wars in three generations, and with the lingering certitude a third conflict is coming, Germany is and will continue to be the focus for the Quai d'Orsay (seat of the French Foreign Ministry) and the Rue Saint Dominique (address of France's then War Ministry). Any change there would take a true geopolitical revolution, like the Reich's earnestly seeking an alliance against the Soviets (and the Soviets out-appalling even Nazi Germany), or France turning a hundred percent Nazi and seeking a Pact of Steel, part deux.
This is all true and in part why France neglected to assist Britain in Abyssinia; fear that Germany would strike while France was distracted and ongoing hope that Italy could still be steered back into a Stresa Pact like arrangement to oppose Germany (as there was no Stresa Pact in Butterfly).
The simple fact that is Russian Geopolitics more than anything. The historical need to get a borders as far away from Moscow as possible. This geographic blip known as Poland needing to be adjusted. And Communist ideologies, even more peaceful ones such as Stalinism, still tend to wish to expand the revolution with puppet states, and is something even Stalin, or his successors will desire as well.
Stalin always seemed more of a Russian nationalist than an actual Marxist, certainly his 'developments' of Marxism always tended to justify more power for himself, even when they seemingly contradicted the sacred
Manifesto. While he was clearly perfectly happy to use the words and power structure of Communism to keep himself in power and control people, re-gaining the lands of the Tsars always seemed more important than spreading the revolution.
New redux chapter was a true delight, nothing tops naval goodies
Excellent, glad you liked it. The tech ones are amongst my favourites, along with the really weird rabbit hole divergences. I do keep wondering if I should just stop doing plot/politics chapters at all...
If I had finished reading this before piecing together my original AAR, that might have been handled significantly differently. As it is, my play since catching up on all of these other AARs--especially
@El Pip 's comments on my own AAR--has significantly changed.
I also realize how crazy overpowered Italy is in the base game, and how easy it is to wind up gaming the system.
I've always assumed Paradox's aim was for the game to produce something that looks a lot like WW2, but with the player able to influence it (by varying amounts depending on who they play as). This requires a fair amount of rail-roading and ignoring of options. Plus of course the ongoing requirement for Germany to be able to easily conqueror the world / be a toughish challenge.
On that point I'd always assumed Italy was over-powered to cope with how confused the AI gets by oceans. Italy needs loads of divisions so it can waste a load on random garrisons or obscure bits of East Africa and still maintain a decent force in the places that matter.
'Mussolini takes Berlin' is probably going to be a default part of mt italian strategy every time I play them now.
It is the last thing Hitler would be expecting.
Possible Future European war
Some excellent discussion and speculation from
@Sir Charles Dewitt ,
@TheButterflyComposer and
@AtlanticFriend . Which I am not going to comment on for fear of ruining the elaborate future conflict I am building towards, though suffice to say that the issues discussed are all relevant, along with a few others. For instance; Germany has not re-occupied the Rhineland and it is still (mostly) demilitarized, a fact both France and Germany are keenly aware of.
Indeed, much wisdom from AF and his fellow grand strategists.
If said drug is the aforementioned two pints of beer, I daresay world peace should be safe, as I see the right amount of booze as helping you see things in perspective, beyond incendiary rhetoric and so-called "hard facts".
I am reminded of the Mitchell & Webb sketch
The Inebriati - “humanity is better and more noble after very nearly two drinks”.
To borrow from a Fleetwood Mac song:
El Pip, you make airplane engines fun.
It's a dirty job but someone has to do it. And it's good to know people enjoy it.
I am a "pops up every now and then" reader. At some point I will pop up and comment on the insanity of the T&T world or marvel at your admirable commitment to detail...and then disappear for a while until my next return visit to the Paradox forums (as time allows).
Real life is a harsh mistress, stealing away valuable writing and reading time for it's petty demands like work and family.
Having performed much of the same evolution as you have--though not quite finished with the flat yet--I can sympathize!
This is fourth or fifth moving since start of AAR? 'Tis been a long, long journey
A very long journey, when I started this back in 2006 I had just moved to London and was renting a room. I've moved a good few times since then, brought and sold three properties, moved out of London and yet Butterfly still soldiers on. And far more impressively so does the readership and their informed debates.
"The Butterfly Effect" is an AAR that seems to have a life of its' own. It just kinda does its own thing while waiting for a glorious update to descend from the heavens, accompanied by shining lights and singing angels.
The majestic pace and irregular gaps are a feature, to allow time for the readership to bask in the magnificence of the update and absorb it's wisdom without being overwhelmed.
This is my story and I will be sticking to it.
Radial-engined angels, most probably.
Sleeve-valved radial engined angels.
I have just been playing around with the new ship designer system on HOI4 egads you could have some fun with that kind of thing in a tech porn update.
I may have to give in and get HOI4 at some point, but I doubt it will be anytime soon. When the midgets are larger and I have more time perhaps, because bits of it sound interesting.
You know, I was thinking about this AAR recently and it occurred to me that I have never encountered a work of fiction with better chapter titles. Sometimes when reading I'll come across a chapter and thing "Now that's a good one". But with Butterfly I get that with every single chapter. It's amazing.
I do put a lot of time into the titles and I always wonder if they are noticed or just skimmed over as people jump to the main content. I am delighted my efforts are appreciated and are worthy of such high praise.
A good history book AAR about proud Albion, Sir
@El Pip. Is a miracle as this AAR not dissappear!
It has taken a bit longer than I expected. We are currently running at a truly majestic 9.47 real time days per game day, so if I do take this out to the HOI2 end date in 1948 that give a predicted date for publishing the last update of 12th February 2129.
I may have to speed up just a little bit.
