As an outside source, I would love to see how other people work and run games - my own experience is limited, and quite ridiculously biased. Even if you don't have extra player space, I'd love to lurk and watch.
Hi,
I also like Novgorod. Huge cities, lots of wilderness, nearby barbarian hordes but it suffers from much less available material in English that's easy to read, compared to Western Europe.
I'm not sure how medieval European history is taught in Eastern Europe, but here we get something centered on Western Europe: Fall of Rome-->Charlemagne-->Vikings-->Normans-->France vs England-->Magna Carta-->more France vs England... with some Germans vs Italians Papal Prizefight in the background.
(Our Renaissance history is all about Italy, Spain and Tudors, mentioning nothing of, say, Poland-Lithuania....)
Anyway,
Ken
Hello in case of there is some lead for some Novgorod information.
Part 1 biega.com/history10.html
Part 2 biega.com/history12.html
Part 3 biega.com/history15.html
biega.com/history15.html
Palgrave Historical Atlas
books.google.be/books?id=nGYYDA ... ry&f=false
Medieval East Central Europe in a Comparative Perspective
books.google.be/books?id=zNEmDA ... ry&f=false
Baltic Crusade
conflicts.rem33.com/images/deut/drang.htm
history.skyforger.lv/2011/crusad ... rn-europe/
Chronology : balticsworldwide.com/Crusaders.htm
Poland under Piast Dynasty : 10th-14th Century
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_o ... st_dynasty
Covenant of EUrope made by Exarkun
google.com/maps/d/viewer?mi ... 999925&z=4
Here we go 
Hi,
Hope springs eternal! 
I have come to crush that hope beneath a mountain of... pudge? 
I was just commenting on the thread: I like Novgorod a lot, more interesting to me than yet more of the usual suspects, both for AM and for real:
Is the heart of European history really the development of England, in the face of a rivalry with France while Italy and Germany fought over silly things in the background and fragmented, and Spain had their own reconquista sideline until they 'discovered' America, tangled with England and therefore became important?
Anyway,
Ken
If you are reading history books in English - yes, most of the best books will confirm this is true. I'm sure if you were to read fluent French you'd discover European history consists of "Everyone is jealous of France" and how every nation of importance has loved to have a rivalry with France. For dynastic politics, it's hard to say whether Eleanor Aquitaine or the de Medicis had more ludicrous connections and a greater share of inspiration on "Game of Thrones". I'm sure people's views of Mythic Europe are shaped by what European history and legend they can access and understand.
This raises the interesting question of what do our scandinavian friends, who are taught multiple languages in school but whose countries did not play a massive role in medieval politics and who have a paucity of surviving medieval structures, choose when they want to play in Mythic Europe?
Are you kidding? The Vikings had massive influence on history. ..except regarding horns on helmets.
Anyway:
The sagas I've played were based in Stonehenge and Normandy respectively for 4th ed.
For 5th ed it was Lotharingian variant of Rhine (but including and based on Scandinavia ), Thebes, Rhine, Hibernia for a short stint, Loch Leglean, and Rhine again.
For us the important thing is for the political climate of the tribunal to fit the kind of saga we want.
Just a pitty the colonies decided they wanted independence, eh?
Hi,
It could be argued that the central development of European history from, say, 800-1240CE is about the fallout from Scandinavian incursions ranging from Russia to Ireland to France to the Mediterranean...
Anyway,
Ken
Yes, if Vinland had stayed a Viking colony then parts of it wouldn't be undergoing controversial changes in leadership right now.
I have actually seen it presented that way. Not very competently, but an interesting take on it.
I must admit I was thinking of the Danelaw area, but you're right that Vinland would qualify as well. 
If you run a game on Skype, G+ Hangouts or R20.... I'd like to either join or listen in if possible. My time is quite flexible because I normally game in a different timezone.
Playing in Vinland...Hmm...