After action reports (AAR)

[kcdusk]

Why arent there more AAR's on this site, or others?

I see lots of huge, orders of battle, detailing how many soldiers and tanks and stuff is at hundreds of towns. I admire the passion and effort involved. But i get so much more out of reading an AAR of a groups day or outcome of an engagement.

Perhaps most people are "world creators" rather than playing the game?

[Rainbow Six]

Originally Posted by kcdusk

Perhaps most people are "world creators" rather than playing the game?

Yep, certainly the case for me. I'm pretty sure I've stated on a number of occasions that I haven't played a FTF game of T2K (or any other RPG for that matter) for years (over ten now). So I write material partly because I enjoy doing so and partly in the hope that those who are still playing the game can find a use for at least some of what I write.

[James Langham]

Originally Posted by kcdusk

Why arent there more AAR's on this site, or others?

I see lots of huge, orders of battle, detailing how many soldiers and tanks and stuff is at hundreds of towns. I admire the passion and effort involved. But i get so much more out of reading an AAR of a groups day or outcome of an engagement.

Perhaps most people are "world creators" rather than playing the game?

I have to admit that I spend more time creating than playing. My other reason for not working more on AARs is that I find that the material I create is harder to develop and hopefully of more use to people. In addition I do try and make them less dry statistics and more "human interest." I can try and write some AARs if that would interest people.

[kota1342000]

AARs sound like a good idea to me, maybe I should write some up on some of the games Ive run and played. A tiny part of me is hesitant since it may be a bit of a spoiler if anyone on our forum plays one of the scenarios....and then I think "what the hell". Besides, a scenario can be tweaked twenty ways around the block so its not a big deal.
Another cool thing about KC's idea is getting to brag about some of the stuff Players are able to pull off.

[Olefin]

I am currently invovled in an online game with several members of this board. Were you thinking more in line with the viewpoint of one person's AAR or a party as a whole?

[M-Type]

I'd be more than willing to throw up an AAR of my proposed/'hopefully going to run' July 18th game. Just have to remember to take good notes!

[kcdusk]

I visit a particular wargame site, and maybe 30% of their work is AAR's. Theres a few DnD "journals" which are pretty similar to being AAR's. And then it occurred to me we (T2K) dont really (to my knowledge) write many up.

Maybe the wargaming crowd do so many because their game involves tactics on a board for specific scenarios, so people can re-create or learn from them more than a RPG crowd where it can seem "every scenario or Ref" is different. And so AARs dont apply as much.

I could see AAR's being the actions and results of the small skirmishes player groups have along the way. Or even non-combat related encounters (negotiate with an unknown party, cross a flowing river with no bridge present, wild dogs keep rummaging through the camp each night how do you stop it ...).

AARs need not be spoilers for current games. AARs could lag 6 months for example (ie be 6 months old).

I guess i saw AARs coming from a ref. The encounter i had planned was "this". The players did "this" or "that". Due to the players decision i decided the OPFORs reaction would be "X" and the final outcome was "Y". I could see the AAR being entertaining, helpful for players, and instructional for refs in that they could see players in other games dont always do the obvious and see how other refs handle on the fly decisions based on what the PC enounter party is (ie not just Refs aiming for total party kills). For non-T2K players its a chance to see how the game runs/works.

Players could write up a similar thing. I have just been reading the DnD Dungeon Master and Player guides and it has examples of game play, that peaked my thoughts as well.

[Tegyrius]

Originally Posted by kcdusk

I visit a particular wargame site, and maybe 30% of their work is AAR's. Theres a few DnD "journals" which are pretty similar to being AAR's. And then it occurred to me we (T2K) dont really (to my knowledge) write many up.

Maybe the wargaming crowd do so many because their game involves tactics on a board for specific scenarios, so people can re-create or learn from them more than a RPG crowd where it can seem "every scenario or Ref" is different. And so AARs dont apply as much.

Funny... I'd always seen this board's fixation on OOBs as indicative of the fan base's heavy roots in wargaming rather than roleplaying.

- C.