Why so few AARs?

[QuintusSertorius]

Looking at the first page of the Guides/AARs forum, there's about eight or nine threads of AARs that are still being maintained. Some of them are holdovers from 1.0 or even internal versions of 0.8x.

Why are there so few? Are most people just not interested in telling other people about their game? Are they put off by having to regularly update it, or the technicalities of capturing pictures?

If you've been thinking about writing one, but haven't, could you say why? If you've not considered it, or decided against, again would you be willing to explain why you've come to that conclusion?

I just think it's a shame that there's all these people out there playing EB, yet we don't really know about it.

[socal_infidel]

Looking at the first page of the Guides/AARs forum, there's about eight or nine threads of AARs that are still being maintained. Some of them are holdovers from 1.0 or even internal versions of 0.8x.

Why are there so few? Are most people just not interested in telling other people about their game? Are they put off by having to regularly update it, or the technicalities of capturing pictures?

If you've been thinking about writing one, but haven't, could you say why? If you've not considered it, or decided against, again would you be willing to explain why you've come to that conclusion?

I just think it's a shame that there's all these people out there playing EB, yet we don't really know about it.

Funny you bring this up. I was actually just browsing through the AAR section looking for a good Seleukid one to inspire me to start up an AS campaign myself. There was one, but it hasn't been updated in a week. I was actually surprised to not see a Pahlava one.

I'd venture to guess the reason there are so few is that it takes a lot of time to maintain one. I did one for my MT2W mod awhile back and it is rather time-consuming. What with playing a little slower than usual, taking screenshots, taking the time to upload the screenshots, taking the time to organize the story, taking the time to format your post, etc. Can be daunting.

That said, looking at the lack of a good Pahlava AAR in the sub-forum, I am tempted to start up a Pahlava one (been playing Hellenic factions for awhile now) as I always enjoy my Pahlava campaigns...

[Strategos Alexandros]

I'm tempted to start a Makedone AAR, but I'm fairly sure it would be overshadowed by MAA's. I might write an Epeiros one in the school holidays though. One of the reasons stopping newer members from writing AARs could be an ignorance of things such as how to post pictures too. I know I was.

[Ludens]

If you click the link in my signature and scroll down to the AAR section, you'll note that half or more of the AAR's on this forum are EB based. Unfortunately, I haven't updated it recently.

I considered doing an AAR, but, I haven't had much time lately. Also, I'd rather be playing than writing .

[Tellos Athenaios]

Well its a couple of AAR Vets, some thread necromancy and then you have the 1.0 AARs being pushed down -- basically. Of course, it being summer and all that doesn't help much either. I suspect my mad poetry hero is away for holidays or something too... <_<

However if you have time you should (apart from the usual KH gems) look up the Pontos & Lusotannan AARs by Orb (0.8x).

[Hax]

I'm actually working on one a bit myself now. It's going to be a Makedonian one.

Yes, another one of those. But it will be something out of the ordinary :D

[Aaldaemon]

Well I believe that there are several problems...

1) It's obvious that writing an aar can be a great time sink - the more thought you put into it the greater the time loss - and some people just don't have the time - or decide to put their time to better use fast enough - you'd be amazed for one how much time I wasted simply agonizing over the exact nature of my last update in my aar - someone with a head on his shoulders would think me rather insane to begin with.

2) The community here is not really into aars. Compared to let's say the community over at the paradox forums (the EU games etc).

3) As a direct followup to 2) there is little "support'' given to those who actually try to write an aar. I've observed this many times, and it's sometimes the case that an aar writer feeds off the interest of his readers [granted there are a few who don't care if they have readers at all - but they are the exception not the rule]. So then when the aar writer thinks there's not enough interest, he'll also lose interest in writing. Nothing like posting an update you spent a lot of time working on to be met with complete virtual silence. You can then shift to 1) and question the reasons for spending this much time on your aar - after all you can fantasize on your own, no need to format your fantasies on a website.

Anyway, those thoughts will suffice for now... dinner beckons... yuum...yuuum.

[Swordmaster]

I'm going to do an AAR, that's certain. Question is, when and what.

I'm now in another Roman campaign, around 220 BC, and if it gets interesting, I may start reporting. But I'm really not that hot on reporting another siege of Taras, unless it's really special or something.

At the same time, I'm already thinking about my next serious campaign, which will be hellenistic. I've been testing the waters with Baktria yesterday, and it's surely a great faction to play (I could really recommend that, Quintus. Makes for an entirely different play than in the Mediterranean), but I might just as well go with the Seleukids. Anyway, I was certainly going to take screenshots to do something with that campaign, just for the heck of it.

Furthermore, I agree with Quintus. Doing an AAR is the least you could do in return for the EB team. Talk about time-consuming? Try making a mod. Now that's time-consuming. (And at times not very rewarding, either!)

[Strategos Alexandros]

What are your views on an AAR as the AS where I try to roleplay the collapse of the empire? (Please note I have little - no historical knowledge about the Seleukids)

[Kromulan]

I've considered posting AARs from a few of my campaigns, but when I looked at some of what is out there, I know my efforts would look EXTREMELY lame by comparison. The guys who do those right put a hell of a lot of effort into it, and there's just no way I'm going to do that. Of course, I've also started reading some of the ones that aren't as well done and they just don't keep my interest. Meaning, of course, that mine wouldn't be worth even the feeble effort I'm willing to put into it.

Even this little paragraph is taxing my motivation. . . and posting skills

[lobf]

I've considered posting AARs from a few of my campaigns, but when I looked at some of what is out there, I know my efforts would look EXTREMELY lame by comparison. The guys who do those right put a hell of a lot of effort into it, and there's just no way I'm going to do that. Of course, I've also started reading some of the ones that aren't as well done and they just don't keep my interest. Meaning, of course, that mine wouldn't be worth even the feeble effort I'm willing to put into it.

Even this little paragraph is taxing my motivation. . . and posting skills

That too. If I ever did do an AAR it would be so basic that it would look bad next to the others.