Evolution of AARs

[SonOfAlexander]

This being the Writer's Lounge, I guess most of you read the Critic's Quill frequently. In the last issue I wrote this article which I think would be of special interest to those here at the writer's lounge.

ARTICLE

Thoughts/Comment/Opinions/Agreements/Disagreements

[Antiochos VII Sidetes]

I'd say I agree with most of it, SOA. You're certainly right about the plot; I changed the Eastern Eagle's direction several times before it ended up where I wanted it. But more importantly, your analysis of the AAR as having a mind and flow of its own is perhaps the most insightful comment in the article. For, indeed, to a certain degree an AAR will write itself, with the AARtist being a mere narrator.

Anyway, great stuff. (And you can shove it, because Times New Roman is where it's at!)

[SonOfAlexander]

I'd say I agree with most of it, SOA. You're certainly right about the plot; I changed the Eastern Eagle's direction several times before it ended up where I wanted it. But more importantly, your analysis of the AAR as having a mind and flow of its own is perhaps the most insightful comment in the article. For, indeed, to a certain degree an AAR will write itself, with the AARtist being a mere narrator.

Anyway, great stuff. (And you can shove it, because Times New Roman is where it's at!)

Exactly - glad you agree. I found it hard to coherently assemble my thoughts for a while, so most of it was drivel, but the end paragraph was bang on what I meant.

P.S. lollololololololoolololololoololololoololololololollolollololollololololololololololololollololololololololololol
I wanted to come up with a witty comeback, but that was all I could muster right now

[Antiochos VII Sidetes]

It was good, in any case.

[SSJPabs]

A bit old on this one but I kind of agree and kind of not. Reconquista: AIR was almost completely scripted with only a few things happening in game affecting it--but was that an AAR, or simply a-historical fiction illustrated by the game? What actually makes the AAR? Hmm...

ED: And my on hiatus AAR is reviewed a little later? Haha, no wonder there were new comments on SoV:ALT.

[SonOfAlexander]

Sorry, but what do you agree with or otherwise? And what does that last bit mean?

[SSJPabs]

Sorry, but what do you agree with or otherwise? And what does that last bit mean?

Well Reconquista: AIR is a bad example maybe because the story was 90% done before I ever started the game but the story or characters taking you where it wants to go and your writing style changing as you write is something that can happen to any tale.

I was also wondered if it counts as an AAR if you actually mod the game or use a custom battle to illustrate the story better if that is really an After Action Report since it's not really action, more like Machinima.

[Antiochos VII Sidetes]

If it's a tale based on a RTW campaign, it's an AAR. I take spectacular liberties in my AARs; if I decide an event needs happening, I'll mod it in so it does.

[SonOfAlexander]

Ah right... yes, the term After Action Reports is disillusioning . AARs often have nothing to do with reports at all, or even being after any action . They are simply stories, either based around a campaign or made without any games at all. So yeah of course you can do whatever you like to get the story right, including modding your game

[Austen Bin]

I actually always knew the plot of my AAR from the very start. It was very simple: conquer Pontus.
Mind you, the events that transpired to that end often took turns I had not antisipated, but the course of the AAR was always to that ultimate end.

When the Seleucids had those huge armies around Tarsus, I knew I had to deal with them before I could continue my Pontic war. Now, I could have changed the entire course of my AAR and focused on a Seleucid conquest, but because my aim was clear from the beginning, I simply had to get the Seleucids to a point where I could manage them while I continued with the Pontic invasion.

As far as individual character plots, some I had planned from the beginning, like the rivalry between Asinius and Luca, and some took very different turns, like the untimely death of Nero. It is interesting that the, I guess what you might call the flavor of the plot with Asinius and Luca changed quite a bit. Originally, Luca was supposed to be a bad guy, hindering Asinius' every move. But due to the reaction I got from my fan following, he became a likable character. As it turned out, both Asinius and Luca had good guy moments and bad guy moments. The interplay between the two built upon their character in a way I never had intended when I first started writing.

So I guess what I would comment about your point is that one can have a very specific plot for their AAR from the beginning, but how they get from the beginning to the end may be worlds apart from what they might have had in mind from the start. It is one of the beautiful aspects of AAR writing in that it is never what even you as the writer might expect it to be, which I think is one of the points you were making in your article.

I would also like to say that your conclusion about changing plots in AAR's is something I would agree with 9 times out of 10. I think most people, and correct me if I am wrong here, start their AAR's with only a basic idea what what it might be, but with no real direction beyond that. Mine, however, was started with an ending from the very beginning, if that makes any sense. So I guess you might say mine is the exception to the rule.

Anyway, Thanks SOA for the talking point. I love your work on the CQ and look forward to your articles probably more than any other contributor. So keep up the good work

[ALZU]

Yea I totally agree with SoA, your writing style always changes while you're writing. I started completely different to how I ended, mostly because of feedback and what I learned in AAR writing.