What Makes A Good AAR?

[Michael Dorosh]

True but which ones are more instructional? Entertaining? Well written?

I wouldn't consider what Tom was talking about - someone blaming their loss on luck - as being educational or entertaining.

 

[Actionjick]

Possibly, but the appeal of it was in the writing, through which the fun of the game shone through. Inspired me to play through it myself with an opponent just a few years ago. My commentary on the Scenario Archive might interest you:

View attachment 17369

Thanks for the kind words. I will definitely check it out. Interested in your new book too. He plays ASL and publishes. Dare we say a modern Renaissance Man.

 

[Actionjick]

I wouldn't consider what Tom was talking about - someone blaming their loss on luck - as being educational or entertaining.

Schadenfrude then?

 

[Pip Smith]

If you've never been big on looking at them, why do you want to write one?

But if you don't like any of those, it seems hard to see how you're gonna write any of them well. Or enjoy the process?

Hey Tuomo, guess it is more of a case of seen so many long monolithic blocks of text explaining movements and die roll by die roll action, that I just learned to switch off. I am just getting back into the game so it's possible that it has changed and I have to just find those that resonate. (Open invitation to post through some of your favourites).

Why write? Even if no one reads them I feel that they could be useful for me developing my skill in the game. I know from my own life experience, the best way to learn is to teach. A bit selfish I know. But if I know what goes into a good AAR that others find useful, then I might be able to make it useful for them as well. I would hate to be that guy creating long monolithic blocks of text.

 

[Neal]

I know from my own life experience, the best way to learn is to teach. A bit selfish I know.

Not selfish at all. It's something I've always believed in too...and both sides benefit, teacher and student.

 

[Michael R]

So I guess by how most responses have gone here, the Dennis' "AAR"s are not really AARs... which matters little to me I find what I write about ours more of describing what you might see if you walked by our table at a tournament. It's intended to show highlights, progress, and perhaps give someone a flavor of a CG they haven't played or to compare to their playings.

To each his own.

There are many types of AARs; I would still call your Dinant material an AAR. You accomplished what you intended and I’m sure more people than just you enjoyed reading it. Don’t be surprised if EVERYONE might not have read it.

 

[Michael R]

I would like to see the scenario card as part of the AAR, just a personal preference.

Copyright law will prevent that from happening on most online forums. That is why many AARs will mention the VC and both sides‘ OB.

 

[Actionjick]

Copyright law will prevent that from happening on most online forums. That is why many AARs will mention the VC and both sides‘ OB.

Thanks! That explains that!

 

[Tuomo]

Well then. As examples of what I would call good AARs, you can go to:
Grumble Jones: https://boxcarsagainaslblog.blogspot.com/
Shooting Kittens For Food: https://shootingkittensforfood.blogspot.com/
Jackson's visual AARs at Hongkongwargamer.com

Also, any of JR Tracy's AARs, although he tends to put them on Boardgamegeek instead of here.

 

[Actionjick]

Well then. As examples of what I would call good AARs, you can go to:
Grumble Jones: https://boxcarsagainaslblog.blogspot.com/
Shooting Kittens For Food: https://shootingkittensforfood.blogspot.com/

Also, any of JR Tracy's AARs, although he tends to put them on Boardgamegeek instead of here.

I'm afraid the horde of heathen kitties are rather disturbed with the title of your second example.

 

[von Marwitz]

There are probably more opinions on how a good AAR should be made than AARs out there.

von Marwitz

 

[BattleSchool]

I think AAR's are more turn-by-turn where as a replay is more move-by-move. I think a replay will be more in the weeks, providing a macro and a micro over view. I think an AAR will tend more towards the macro and gloss over most of the micro.

That's a good way to distinguish your bog-standard AAR from an AH Series Replay.

A Replay was a detailed record of each DR/dr, effect, and move. But it was more than mere chronicle with a dash of Herodotus colour and commentary. Like better AAR, it was prefaced with pre-game analysis. The longer format also encouraged extensive mid- and post-game analysis. What's more, the Replay benefited from the insight of a third-party with no skin in the game. How many times have you had to bite your tongue as you watched players misplay an effect or fail to see an "obvious" course of action? IMO, this is one of the strengths of a Replay.

I view AAR as something akin to scenario analysis with the benefit of hindsight. A true AAR tends to be more more businesslike, something that Thucycides might appreciate. Unlike a scenario analysis, which focuses on the card and the playing area, AARs provide "proof of concept" for such analysis. An AAR therefore tends to focus on the test results--what worked, what didn't. As a result, I often find them more useful than the kind of scenario analysis found in Schwerpunkt, for instance.

I wish replays had more traction.

I'd like to see a hybrid Replay, one that records data for verification, but which doesn't waste limited page real estate on every DR, etc.

I think there needs to be a "grognard's" voice out there someplace. There are a few beginner and intermediate voices already in the space so there is remaining--but diminishing--room for a couple of more voices. -- jim

Why do you think that there is "diminishing" room for a grognard's voice? The more the merrier!

I'd happily subscribe to a magazine dedicated to hybrid Replays if they were written by the likes of Mike McGrath, et. al. But I think it'd be a tall order just to get a single Replay published in each ASL Journal.

 

[Actionjick]

That's a good way to distinguish your bog-standard AAR from an AH Series Replay.

A Replay was a detailed record of each DR/dr, effect, and move. But it was more than mere chronicle with a dash of Herodotus colour and commentary. Like better AAR, it was prefaced with pre-game analysis. The longer format also encouraged extensive mid- and post-game analysis. What's more, the Replay benefited from the insight of a third-party with no skin in the game. How many times have you had to bite your tongue as you watched players misplay an effect or fail to see an "obvious" course of action? IMO, this is one of the strengths of a Replay.

I view AAR as something akin to scenario analysis with the benefit of hindsight. A true AAR tends to be more more businesslike, something that Thucycides might appreciate. Unlike a scenario analysis, which focuses on the card and the playing area, AARs provide "proof of concept" for such analysis. An AAR therefore tends to focus on the test results--what worked, what didn't. As a result, I often find them more useful than the kind of scenario analysis found in Schwerpunkt, for instance.



I'd like to see a hybrid Replay, one that records data for verification, but which doesn't waste limited page real estate on every DR, etc.



Why do you think that there is "diminishing" room for a grognard's voice? The more the merrier!

I'd happily subscribe to a magazine dedicated to hybrid Replays if they were written by the likes of Mike McGrath, et. al. But I think it'd be a tall order just to get a single Replay published in each ASL Journal.

Very nice.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Not an example of a "good" one, but one that I put together that shows how far you can try and take it. I opted for a computer voice which is not optimal, and we managed to get an entry hex completely wrong, which did not detract from the game but is nonetheless embarrassing - though may offer some kind of teaching point.

Advanced Squad Leader After-Action Report - "Adolf's Amateurs" - Head-to-Head - YouTube

ASL in Real Time (scroll up) has a very nice format for their AARs on YouTube:

EX: Advanced Squad Leader AAR 24 - The Art of Dying Final (J130) - YouTube

The sky is the limit as far as format, really.

 

[von Marwitz]

I'd like to see a hybrid Replay, one that records data for verification, but which doesn't waste limited page real estate on every DR, etc.

Theoretically, you could achieve this as follows:

Post the AAR for the given scenario here and in that AAR provide a link to the (hopefully single) logfile of that playing in the ASL Scenario Archive website, where it is possible to upload logs.

That way, you can read through a given turn of the AAR and then click through the logfile to 'replay' that turn.

The main issue with that approach is that - as far as I know - there is no way yet to 'connect' several VASL logfiles into a single one. This would be a nice function to have because many VASL games are not played in a single session and having a single logfile for a scenario would make things much more clearly arranged and simple compared to having a number of them.

von Marwitz

 

[Actionjick]

That's a good way to distinguish your bog-standard AAR from an AH Series Replay.

A Replay was a detailed record of each DR/dr, effect, and move. But it was more than mere chronicle with a dash of Herodotus colour and commentary. Like better AAR, it was prefaced with pre-game analysis. The longer format also encouraged extensive mid- and post-game analysis. What's more, the Replay benefited from the insight of a third-party with no skin in the game. How many times have you had to bite your tongue as you watched players misplay an effect or fail to see an "obvious" course of action? IMO, this is one of the strengths of a Replay.

I view AAR as something akin to scenario analysis with the benefit of hindsight. A true AAR tends to be more more businesslike, something that Thucycides might appreciate. Unlike a scenario analysis, which focuses on the card and the playing area, AARs provide "proof of concept" for such analysis. An AAR therefore tends to focus on the test results--what worked, what didn't. As a result, I often find them more useful than the kind of scenario analysis found in Schwerpunkt, for instance.



I'd like to see a hybrid Replay, one that records data for verification, but which doesn't waste limited page real estate on every DR, etc.



Why do you think that there is "diminishing" room for a grognard's voice? The more the merrier!

I'd happily subscribe to a magazine dedicated to hybrid Replays if they were written by the likes of Mike McGrath, et. al. But I think it'd be a tall order just to get a single Replay published in each ASL Journal.

Your point about a 3rd party observer/commentator in a series replay is a good one. Makes it more interesting and also of value to the players. After the fact for the players but still a good learning experience.

 

[ASLSARGE]

I like to use a simple AAR for all of BFP's scenz that my group play tests. If more details are needed I can just ask the people who played it. Our "form" lists the scenario title (and version if needed), which side won, who played which sides, CVP / VP / EVP / Buildings / etc controlled. Then I ask, was it "exciting" to play? Would you likely play it again (replay value)? What was your perceived balance ratio? When did your game end (end of game, next to last turn, etc)? What was the attacker's / defender's overall plans/setups? Then, a brief summary of key events as game progressed including any really unusual events (loss of OBA turn 2, all guns malfed out by mid game, etc). Lastly, any suggestions both sides would make to improve the scenario (if any). Usually takes less than three minutes to write these up so no big deal for the play testers. Provides me with the basic info I need to make any adjustments if required.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

I like to use a simple AAR for all of BFP's scenz that my group play tests. If more details are needed I can just ask the people who played it. Our "form" lists the scenario title (and version if needed), which side won, who played which sides, CVP / VP / EVP / Buildings / etc controlled. Then I ask, was it "exciting" to play? Would you likely play it again (replay value)? What was your perceived balance ratio? When did your game end (end of game, next to last turn, etc)? What was the attacker's / defender's overall plans/setups? Then, a brief summary of key events as game progressed including any really unusual events (loss of OBA turn 2, all guns malfed out by mid game, etc). Lastly, any suggestions both sides would make to improve the scenario (if any). Usually takes less than three minutes to write these up so no big deal for the play testers. Provides me with the basic info I need to make any adjustments if required.

I wouldn't have thought a private playtest report was the same as a public AAR. I've done both, and they are very different - not just in how they are written, but in what they are used for.

 

[hongkongwargamer]

Why write? Even if no one reads them I feel that they could be useful for me developing my skill in the game. I know from my own life experience, the best way to learn is to teach. A bit selfish I know. But if I know what goes into a good AAR that others find useful, then I might be able to make it useful for them as well. I would hate to be that guy creating long monolithic blocks of text.

A while back @Carln0130 spent more than a year trying to teach me the basics. One thing he said early on is that I should journal all my games. It allows for post game reflection and it's a great way to learn. Hence my blog is my journal. What I find particularly interesting from the experience is when folks message/ comment to say "hey, I did this instead" or "I think you did that wrong". Valuable learning moments!

Things I look for when I look at other people's blogs : a piece that allows me to wrap my head quickly around the gist of the scenario (ie grok the dang thing) : what's key, what's challenging and what to look out for. Necessary considerations, so to speak. I am a very visual person, and I often need to see the layout to understand (vs trying to visualise from large blocks of text). Little ASL moments are entertaining but if excessive, doesn't help my cause. I do understand other folks read AAR's purely for the joy of the game and there are excellent AARs for that too.

 

[malorum]

as far as I know - there is no way yet to 'connect' several VASL logfiles into a single one. This would be a nice function to have because many VASL games are not played in a single session and having a single logfile for a scenario would make things much more clearly arranged and simple compared to having a number of them.

Correct, there's no "easy" way to do it. But it's possible to create a single logfile from the multiples.
See here - hint, when doing this, depending on how long the logfile is you might want to train your cat/dog to keep his paw on the page-down button.

Around about 4:20 Neal starts giving a demo of combining the log files.