Rewriting Old AARs

[Junius]

In recognition both of the conversation going on in the AARtists Social Group and of the newly rebranded AAR Competitions Forum, I want to see what people have to say about going back to old AARs and rewriting them.

I recently came across my first AAR, from a while back (June '08) based on an Irish SS game. It lasted all of two updates. I now want to go back and complete it, after I finish my newly started AAR (link in the sig as always), and completely rewrite.

So, what are your thoughts on this? Good idea, bad idea? Any tips or suggestions. In the full spirit of the 'AARtists Lounge and Gaming Room', what say you?

[Selifator]

Good idea. I still feel very, very guilty about the duo-aar Xavier and I wrote, and which failed completely due to my failure to deliver. Before I start writing another, new AAR, I'm going to finish that one. As much for the public (if anyone still remembers it) as for myself, since it rather irks me.

What might also be an idea, is republishing an aar you wrote, but now know you can write better. Though that might not be a good idea, since each AAR you produce is unique, and thus stands or falls as you make it. Still, if you are now a much better writer than you were, there is no-one stopping you.

[SonOfAlexander]

I think that rewriting old AARs is a good idea, and I always recommend people who need a plot to look at the hundreds of old AARs lying in the backpages for inspiration.

[Viking Prince]

A good writer will reuse material. Sometimes a rewrite, but more often taking a chapter of a failed book and writing a new book more focused based only on the one chapter. I think this may be the key here when an AAR has too many screen shots and too much action, but too little character developement and plot. Just a thought for some to think about.

[Edward lV]

I have always wanted to finish the last legion, hell I even have the next update saved on my P.C, but I think its been too long to revive it.

[webMaster412160]

If you think it's worth it then you must do it.

[bomberboy]

For a moment there I thought you meant covering an AAR!

[Lysimachos]

I think its been too long to revive it.

It's never too long to revive.

[Benz282]

I've been considering rewriting "Rome - A Scipii AAR" to commemorate the fact its been a year since I started it. Probably wont get around to it though. I'd rather make new material than confine myself to the restrictions of a plot I've already finished.

[Selifator]

Finishing the Rise of the Eastern Kingdom will have to wait a bit, I'm going to translate a thesis from Dutch to English for the Writing Competition. That'll be fun!

[Viking Prince]

Great!!! More submission means more good stuff! Join the party and get a submission in for the writing contest.

[Jingles]

Man, I've got dozens of dead AARs lying around. But I wouldn't want to revisit any.

Actually, no, I correct myself. I wouldn't have minded going back to finish I, Quintus. After all It won me my medal, but died shortly afterwards. I guess I'm just too lazy...

[Calvin]

My Encyclopedic History of Rome will be rewritten once we've finished making RS2.

[Selifator]

And hints when that will be?

[Calvin]

Yesterday. You mean you didn't know?

[Selifator]

Golly! Though now I think about it, that contradicts your first statement a bit. How odd.

[Kallum]

I think every AAR writer, has came to this point more or less. I for myself can still hammer myself on my head for my Templar AAR from God perspective and my AAR about the history of the world, though the latter one was way to ambitious now I think of it

[Juvenal]

I am revisiting Juvenal's Journal here. Looking back at it, I felt the early story needed bulking up a bit, and the early pictures needed editing to zap UI artifacts. Hopefully my writing skills have improved a bit since 2007. Trouble is, I don't get a lot of time to go through it, even my current AAR suffers from the pressure of my TotW and Critic's Quill commitments.

I can sympathise with Jingle_Bombs, when I was younger I used to play hex-map wargames (solo). I had a bad habit of getting a quarter of the way through a game and then realising that I had played non-optimally and starting the whole thing again. So nowadays I try hard to carry things through to the end.

[SeniorBatavianHorse]

I can sympathise with Jingle_Bombs, when I was younger I used to play hex-map wargames (solo). I had a bad habit of getting a quarter of the way through a game and then realising that I had played non-optimally and starting the whole thing again. So nowadays I try hard to carry things through to the end.

Reminds me of my love-making . . .

[Juvenal]

Reminds me of my love-making . . .

Was that the "solo" or the "giving up halfway"?

My wargames used to last for several weeks, by which time the map and counters were thick with dust. I wrote my first AARs to record progress (no, they aren't of readable quality).

I recall having trouble accepting dice-rolls that scuppered my current plan. After re-rolling got to ridiculous proportions I started printing out strips of random numbers to force myself to accept the results.

Ah... I'm getting all nostalgic now. Maybe I'll resurrect my hex-map programming project.