Lack of AAR

[Commander5xl]

This Community used to be an oasis for Creative AARs, and meaningfull discussion.

However with the Release of newer Total Wars, AARs have declined.

Especially With Rome II, the variety of AARs and active AAR writers is surprising? What do you think the reason of this? Is that form of Entertainment dead? Is it because of the game?

Personally for me, I used to love AARs about a certain generation, war, army, king, the mixture of battle stories, compaign stories were great. I used to love getting a double dose of narrative, and visual representation (great collection of battle screenshots, with a campaign overview or two.) I loved seeing people's playstyles done in a creative way (almost like a very narrative driven lets play).

So what do you guys think? Do you mis the AARs? Or are they something the Community has grown away from?

[Butan]

I didnt read a lot of them, but I found that having a game with lots of AAR meant it was a powerful enough entertainment to provide backstories.
I think there is so few with the last TW especially due to the removal or limitation to character evolution.

In Shogun 2, there was a family tree, but small. Characters had few traits, few options, and the "skill tree" was average.
In Rome 2, there is no family tree, and no relationship between characters, they spawn randomly and have no wives/husbands nor children. Characters have fewer traits, some options but very costy and meaningless, the "skill tree" is good.

Both are below average in the AAR category, despite the fact there is a lot of players who played them.

[IlluminatiRex]

A good creative writer can overcome those Butan, personally I feel it's just a lack of those willing to write.

I did an AAR type thing with maps and such for one of my wars in Rome II, it was quite fun to write.

[Coleus]

People are far too busy moaning to be enjoying themselves. Very sad indeed.

[In3x]

It's probably because all the people who love history and writing AARs are too busy playing EU4 and CK2.

[Aenima]

I'd have to agree with Butan.

AARs (especially the majority I've read, those based on mods) rely heavily on immersion on the player/writer's part and their own game. On top of the commitment and planning it takes (I used to think it'd be easy, found out first-hand it's not the cake-walk you may imagine it to be) a dull or at least mediocre game won't have much appeal to writers. The way I see the writers among the TWC community either don't own R2 or just aren't interested enough to take the time and effort to write AARs based on it.

[Karnil Vark Khaitan]

I believe the issue is the people, as for me I could but I don't care to.

[LestaT]

I found 3 AAR.

Macedonia: The Dream of Former Glory

Rome - The Rise of The Empire

Rome - The Children of Mars



Seriously, as far as I remember back then TWC'ers don't ask 'Where are the AAR ?' but 'Where can I post them ?' or 'What AAR do you want me to write ?'. Likewise TWC'er back then don't ask 'Where are the mods ?' but more like 'What mod do you want me to make ?'.

Is it because of the game ? Or is it because of the people ? In the end it's up to the individuals I believe, whether they want to be seeders, or leechers. The game itself in my opinion is secondary.

[Lord Dakier]

I think it's down to poor quality RPG mechanics. AAR's have been lacking since M2TW. Paradox current games put Total War to shame their AAR's are fanatastic reads too. Luxembourg conquering all of the world in WW2 was fantastic.

[Aenima]

I believe the issue is the people, as for me I could but I don't care to.

Of course it's down to the people - they're the ones who write it, after all. What I'm saying is that I reckon people (whether regular AAR writers, hobbyists or just plain old gamers who might otherwise want to write an AAR) aren't writing because they don't want to....which is a result of the game not being engaging enough for them to start cooking up stories/care enough.

AARs require inspiration and enjoyment, and I don't think that Rome 2 offers enough for writers to create as many AARs for this as other titles/mods.

I found 3 AAR.

Macedonia: The Dream of Former Glory

Rome - The Rise of The Empire

Rome - The Children of Mars

And all of them are played with mods.

I'm not saying that R2 is a terrible game, that no one enjoys and that no one wants to write about it. What's being said is that compared to earlier titles and their mods Rome 2 doesn't have the same level of immersion (even when modded, although that goes quite a way to improving things) Are there going to be R2 AARs? Absolutely. Even for vanilla. But in my estimation with the way things are there are going to be less overall, and certainly less that are as in-depth as ones you'd find for mods like EB. I just don't see R2 giving people the same level of immersion and enjoyment as previous titles, and that will impact the number of AARs.

[Karnil Vark Khaitan]

Of course it's down to the people - they're the ones who write it, after all. What I'm saying is that I reckon people (whether regular AAR writers, hobbyists or just plain old gamers who might otherwise want to write an AAR) aren't writing because they don't want to....which is a result of the game not being engaging enough for them to start cooking up stories/care enough.

AARs require inspiration and enjoyment, and I don't think that Rome 2 offers enough for writers to create as many AARs for this as other titles/mods.





And all of them are played with mods.

You are really just hellbent its the game right? If you think its the game fine! I myself don't think the blame lies solely on the game.

[Radzeer]

I think it's down to poor quality RPG mechanics. AAR's have been lacking since M2TW.

This. There has been a steady decline in how much emphasis CA puts on RPG since MTW2. Rome 2 is the low point thus far. Writers can of course turn everything to an AAR, but Rome 2 just isn't worth the writing effort. It's too shallow in that respect.

If you visit the Writers' Study you'll see quite a few AARs from the Rome I and MTW2 days, many still active to this day. With a few exceptions the other titles could not match the abundance of the former AAR scene.

[daelin4]

The game was not designed so that AARs can be made. It was designed so that maximum sales can be made.

There's a reason why the only time you hear abotu how great Rome2 is from CA people are prior to releasing a DLC, and after that it's all about how many copies they sold.

[LestaT]

Now we have a total absolute proof that the game sucks. No more AAR.

[hooahguy14]

Some arent necessarily on this forum. Shameless plug, but I did one a while back that I completed.

[Maximinus Thrax]

Similar thread merged.

[Strengelicher]

This. There has been a steady decline in how much emphasis CA puts on RPG since MTW2. Rome 2 is the low point thus far. Writers can of course turn everything to an AAR, but Rome 2 just isn't worth the writing effort. It's too shallow in that respect.

If you visit the Writers' Study you'll see quite a few AARs from the Rome I and MTW2 days, many still active to this day. With a few exceptions the other titles could not match the abundance of the former AAR scene.

I second that. In MIITW, the stories almost write themselves because of RPG aspects. Remember that stories are always about people. A story about an empire is the story about people rising to power and falling from glory. It is humane in the most basic sense - we tell stories to teach each other, to convey messages, to transport wisdom. An army A beating an army B in the year X is of no moral interest whatsoever, and a historian (or a storyteller, which is the next best thing) collecting just this kind of data might just as well sort grain. What must be told is why this battle came to be, who fought in it, the human interest story that is connected to it. MIITW already carries the seed of that story within itself.

[Commander5xl]

I second that. In MIITW, the stories almost write themselves because of RPG aspects. Remember that stories are always about people. A story about an empire is the story about people rising to power and falling from glory. It is humane in the most basic sense - we tell stories to teach each other, to convey messages, to transport wisdom. An army A beating an army B in the year X is of no moral interest whatsoever, and a historian (or a storyteller, which is the next best thing) collecting just this kind of data might just as well sort grain. What must be told is why this battle came to be, who fought in it, the human interest story that is connected to it. MIITW already carries the seed of that story within itself.

I would agree, and this seems to be a problem with Shogun 2 and Rome 2 and my extended playtime, I originally want to play a faction with a couple goals in mind (its never actually winning the game). Say barbarians, to merge the tribes or something, although once I am in the game, I find continueing can be struggling as I lack a connection to my faction, to the continued wars and diplomacy, in Med II, when I had an ally, I always thought of them as my brothers in arms, in Rome II (despite the ability to co-ordinate) I find myself less invested in my allies.

[Aenima]

You are really just hellbent its the game right? If you think its the game fine! I myself don't think the blame lies solely on the game.

"Hellbent"? Seriously?

[Lugotorix]

I've done two for R2 so far, and they've been well-received. I had several major un-scripted series of events that made them worth telling though. I wanted to do a Legendary campaign for Odrysian Kingdom, but they weren't balanced at launch of the DLC, and I'm convinced that unless it's a damn interesting story to be told, it shouldn't be re-told, only experienced.