The planning of a lifetime

[Manoflooks]

Figured this would be the best place.


In AARs, why, exactly ,do people plan it? I get some, like the desert knights, and a couple others, but why do most people?

The way I see it, you would start a campaign with a direction, like "Conquer the Turks"or whatever, and then continue based on the general, who attacks you, relations, crusades, whatever. The events could be comprised at least partially of the traits and retinue the generals pick up. Yet, I continually see people saying they are stopping their aar, or talking about their aar they had to stop because they didnt have a plan. Why?

[Samir]

because of the limited possibilities that you have.

you play a brave and intelligent general, yet he gets a random drunken coward trait, or you play a coward dread general and suddenly he gets 3 chivalry and the black death...

without cheating things like traits and positions on the map (what does it help that you have this great story about a general, but it takes him half his life to just get to the point where you wanted to start the story) these SPECIAL after action reports usually cease because the campaign just develops into a completly different direction than you were hoping and planning for...

[Silent Assassin]

You need to plan it cause you need to make a story out of your AAR a bit like a roleplaying game but with your family tree. You also need objectives for you empire. I would suggest that you go on the AAR's thread and read some of them this will surely answer a good part of your question plus it should help you decide if tyou want to do one or not how you would do it

[Manoflooks]

Believe me, I read lots of AARs. But very few of them seem to have anything but an initial plan, coupled with events and sometimes new traits, as well has an offgame storyline.