What makes a good AAR?

**skulkrinbait** · October 14, 2007, 08:19 AM

I'm a n00b when it comes to writing AARs, what advice can you give me and other AAR writers as to what makes a good one?

**Mr Longbowman** · October 14, 2007, 08:57 AM

It all depends on what kind of AAR you are writing

**Itilas** · October 14, 2007, 01:48 PM

I think pictures tend to make an AAR more captivating.

**Mr Longbowman** · October 14, 2007, 02:22 PM

Not necessary but i guess if yoúr a beginner it would be easier to put some pictures in

**HansDuet** · October 14, 2007, 02:30 PM

Good, like the one in my sig!
(just hoping to get some feedback since its my first AAR)

**Hookah Smoking Caterpiller** · October 14, 2007, 06:13 PM

pictures, some role play but not a wall of text, regular updates.

**SSJPabs** · October 16, 2007, 04:27 PM

Try not to get too caught up in the "moment." Keep the big picture in mind of the direction you want the AAR to go and be careful not to get bogged down in the intricate details of each turn.

While you only have control of so much of what happens in any game, it's still a story you're telling.

**Darkarbiter** · October 18, 2007, 12:45 AM

Originally Posted by Modern Life is Rubbish

pictures, some role play but not a wall of text, regular updates.

+1

**Ryoken** · October 16, 2007, 09:48 PM

My advice to you:

1. Get FRAPS. www.fraps.com. Then just take as many screenshots as you want. FRAPS and not-FRAPS is like a Digital Camera vs Traditional Camera. When you are taking photos with actual film, you are going to only take the best shots. You may miss a shot or two because you are trying to conserve film. But if you have a digital camera, there is no penalty for not taking a picture, so you just snap all day. Same thing here. With FRAPS, you just hit F11 or whatever key you assign. Just hit that key all damn day. Hell you can even configure FRAPS to auto-shoot a screenshot every couple seconds if you are lazy. Afterwards, go back through and hand pick the best screenshots.

2. Get a photo editor. I use photoshop, but you can use anything you want that allows easy cropping. Uncropped images are the mark of a noob AAR writer. I dont want to see your unit cards, man! Get that crap off the image. Crop it down to a nice size too. Dont make me scroll over to view the right side of the image.

3. Read other AARs. Note what people are showing and what they are not. For example, for Total War AARs, people generally dont tend to keep track of buildings being built. That may not be the case for other games. Maybe you want to note that you build a huge cathedral or something, but most people dont. Buck the style if you want, but generally there is a tendency to focus on the most visually appealling aspects of the game. You dont see many screenshots of the strategy map. Battles are where the action is. So if you pay attention you see that the general style is to focus on battles and overlook the goings-on of the strategy map except major troop movements. So emulate that if you want. Or develop a new style. But see what is out there first and take the bits and pieces you like.

4. Keep a text file open while you play. Alt-Tab and jot down a note or two. You shouldnt need notes during battles as you are taking screenshots and shouldnt need them.

5. Play several turns in advance. I generally try to stay 2 posts or more ahead of where I am writing. That way I can better mold the plot because I know the future. And you can allude to things that will happen in the future. "Little did he know....." and so on.

6. Sit down with your notes and your screenshots. Come up with your story in your style. Jot down a basic plot outline if you need to.

7. WRITE!

**skulkrinbait** · October 18, 2007, 01:38 AM

Originally Posted by Ryoken

My advice to you:

1. Get FRAPS. www.fraps.com. Then just take as many screenshots as you want. FRAPS and not-FRAPS is like a Digital Camera vs Traditional Camera. When you are taking photos with actual film, you are going to only take the best shots. You may miss a shot or two because you are trying to conserve film. But if you have a digital camera, there is no penalty for not taking a picture, so you just snap all day. Same thing here. With FRAPS, you just hit F11 or whatever key you assign. Just hit that key all damn day. Hell you can even configure FRAPS to auto-shoot a screenshot every couple seconds if you are lazy. Afterwards, go back through and hand pick the best screenshots.

Thanks, very nice piece of software and useful!

**The Good** · October 22, 2007, 05:31 PM

Is FRAPS free? There is a free download, but how long is it for, is it a free trial of some sort, that only lasts for a few weeks or days?

Thanks,
-Lucius Julius

**zznɟ ǝɥʇ** · October 22, 2007, 06:19 PM

It's free, and the trial lasts forever, but it only allows you to do somethings...I forgot which as I bought the full program a few years ago.

Worth every cent imo.

As for AARs, I have a notebook where I write things down. A good AAR influences the campaign to me, many of my campaigns went down very different paths than what I intended and it's fun that way.

It's a lot of fun to start writing an AAR but keep in mind it's near impossible to have an entire campaign shown in an AAR. For a start I'd suggest playing a while and focusing on a campaign in a certain area or a battle.

**The Good** · October 22, 2007, 11:12 PM

Okay, I have fraps, and took some screenshots for my Empire of the Celts AAR, now how do I upload them to the Internet, so that I can show the pictures?

Thanks,
-Lucius Julius

**skulkrinbait** · October 23, 2007, 05:44 AM

Originally Posted by Lucius Julius

Okay, I have fraps, and took some screenshots for my Empire of the Celts AAR, now how do I upload them to the Internet, so that I can show the pictures?

Thanks,
-Lucius Julius

Get an account somewhere like www.photobucket.com (free) and upload them there.