Recruiting writers for AAR's

Post by **IainMcNeil** » Fri May 20, 2011 10:13 am

Hi guys

we're looking for more AAR's to be written to help promote the game.

We have some in progress but we would really like to get more of you writing them. If there are any volunteers please just get started!

It would be good to get an AAR from the start of the grand campaign. It would also be good to get some multiplayer AAR's for the scenarios that are better balanced.

Keep them all in the beta forum for now and we can move them across when we're ready.

We will be releasing a new build today so wait for that before starting anything.

Thanks!

heinrich · Post by **heinrich** » Fri May 20, 2011 10:29 am

Wow great news. A new build before the weekend

*impatient scuttle*

Post by **IainMcNeil** » Fri May 27, 2011 4:37 pm

So are there any takers for writing AAR's?

We're getting close to completion and these can really help to build excitement!

GenWagner · Post by **GenWagner** » Sat May 28, 2011 9:20 am

Hmmm, I've just got the beta v.99

I think I can put together an AAR for the 1939 campaign, at least for the 1939-40 years. I like to take screenshots of the strategic map and of pivotal situations on the tactical map. I use these to illustrate decision points in the scenario. Is this going to be a problem?

Post by **IainMcNeil** » Sat May 28, 2011 11:22 am

No anything you decide to do is great. It's good to have a variety of styles.

What would be very cool is to get a AAR's of some multiplayer games from both sides.

grabbysnatch · Post by **grabbysnatch** » Mon May 30, 2011 5:25 pm

I am probably being thick here, but what is an AAR?

Razz1 · Post by **Razz1** » Mon May 30, 2011 5:41 pm

After Action Report

Post by **IainMcNeil** » Tue May 31, 2011 10:13 am

Sorry - they are battle reports. To make them interesting you add screenshots of each stage of the game and describve what happened. You talk about your plans etc. Some people l;ike to turn them in to stories and really get in to character. Other like to keep them more information and add lots of details to the screenshots to describe what happened.

They can be quite time consuming but very enjoyable.

RobertCL · Post by **RobertCL** » Sat Jun 04, 2011 7:57 pm

You should add a button in game to create automatically AARs showing campaign path and results.

I use this feature in PeG Suite for People's General.
You should have your AAR tool included on a button on screen at the end of a campaign or after each scenario of a campaign.

Kerensky · Post by **Kerensky** » Sat Jun 04, 2011 8:10 pm

iainmcneil wrote:Sorry - they are battle reports. To make them interesting you add screenshots of each stage of the game and describve what happened. You talk about your plans etc. Some people l;ike to turn them in to stories and really get in to character. Other like to keep them more information and add lots of details to the screenshots to describe what happened.

They can be quite time consuming but very enjoyable.

I did something like this a long time ago, I think it was my first or second MP game of Kursk with Razz. Let's see if I can't dig them up, they are quite old though, heh...

Greens arrows are his predicted movements.
Grey arrows my infantry counter attacks against armor in rough terrain.
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/6213/kursktrap3.jpg
He can only see my 1 damaged infantry unit, the two others are just outside of his sight range.

Now if you're him, and you think I'm setting a trap, so you don't fall for my bait, what happens
in situations where I intentionally expose my forces, not because I have a trap set, but because
I know he won't attack? I've conditioned him to expect a trap because I've used 'bait'
tactics against him previously. Now, so long as I'm careful about it, I may be able to occasionally
not even screen my transports and weak units because the fear of my 'trap' will protect them for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiPe1OiKQuk

BTW, I am now a firm believer that not being able to replay the enemy turn is vital to my strategy
and the idea of this feature would hurt game play. I recommend a 'double blind' mode of play exist,
and that would basically be exactly what exists now, no option to review and replay enemy turn.
I need to be able to blind my enemy to my actions, including denying him information about what
units I have lurking in the fog that he cannot see, but that he would see if he could review my turn.

I know his air force is non existent, so I've bought three extra level bombers to
neutralize the KV1s even faster, but I won't buy a 4th. 160 prestige left for replacements
and recon cars until I can capture some prestige.

http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/677/kurskhe177.jpg

Sometime after I took those pictures and wrote all that text, in the middle of my briefing writing I noticed an update to Kursk. Hmmm.... guess what happened? My predictions!
http://img815.imageshack.us/img815/255/kursktrap4.jpg
Although my artillery took a little more damaged than I might have liked, I was fully ready for my Hummel to bite the dust (@#$%ing 2 ammo piece of $%&, I didnt want to waste 80 prestige on regular reinforcements to bring it back to full 10 strength)
As a bonus, I'm going to get to smash a third entrenched KV1 in the north with one of these movements:
http://img861.imageshack.us/img861/5256/kursktrap5.jpg

So apparently both Razz and myself severely overestimated the 'invulnerability' of the KV1. I've spent 750 prestige buying level bombers to counter his KV1s by 'neutralizing them', but he apparently is so sure of their invulnerability, he's throwing them into my forces with reckless abandon. An interesting turn of events, but considering my only obstacle in beating him last time was his KV1s, and this time they're going to get smashed to pieces by my infantry on turn FIVE... I think I'm going to come out of this scenario alright by the time we get to turn 15.

And the end result:
http://i.imgur.com/FW7K3.jpg

Post by **IainMcNeil** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 10:51 am

That would be great kerensky but can you remove the avatar from your UI so the screenshots dont look odd

I think it might be best to start from now and write up an existing battle as the UI has changed a lot and old screenshots might look odd now.

If anyone else wants to start writing AAR's please do so. We really need more of these to help raise awareness of the game and let people understadn what it is all about.

Leatherneck · Post by **Leatherneck** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 7:41 pm

I think I can work on one, been awhile since I wrote anything.

Also, would one for the tutorial missions work? Thought it might be interesting to get into character as a commander just "learning the ropes" kind of thing.

Otherwise, I think I will come up with one for the first couple of missions in the grand campaign. Expect to see the first mission(s) or so in about two days if you still would like them.

bootlegger267 · Post by **bootlegger267** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 12:33 am

Will post a Campaign AAR this weekend....

bootlegger267 · Post by **bootlegger267** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 2:54 am

AAR of the Grand Campaign. All Optional Rules are in effect, Normal Difficulty. Each post will have a screenshot with map graphics and a narrative describing the action. The initial screenshot will have designations of the Panzer Units so you can follow their progress. A "P" next to a unit signifies a "Purchased Unit"

Setup & Scheme of Manuever Turn 1...Starting in the south, the 16th Slovak pulls out of its position and moves to block the road out of Novy Sacz. The 12th Pz along with the 13th Geb move thru the mountain pass and bypass Cieszyn to recon the approaches to Cracow along the south bank of the river. The 16th Pz along with the 11th Inf advance on Katowice from the east to isolate any enemy units from Cracow while the 9th & 10th Inf take up positions north and south with supporting fires from the 8th Mobile Arty.

The main attack is conducted by the 1st, 6th and 7th Pz, supported by 2nd and 3rd Inf and fires from the 17th Mobile Arty as they must secure the bridge west of Radomsko. The 8th Polish Cav screens the crossing. The Bf109 and 110 await the 1st moves of the Polish Airforce.

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/1415/openingd.jpg

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Post by **IainMcNeil** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 8:56 am

Looks good - start a new thread for any AAR's and then we can do a quick review and move them to the public areas.

Kerensky · Post by **Kerensky** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 4:27 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTKHP2OodPk

It's not perfect, and it has a few issues (Scene after Caen is zoomed in too much, black transition screen timing is a bit off, I hit the windows key in there once and didnt edit it out quite right LOL) but I only put a few hours into it so...
It's mostly just a sample.

Post by **IainMcNeil** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 9:28 am

Ah this is an AAR - I didnt realise from your mail.

It would be great to explain a bit more about your planning - e.g. a zoomed out map showing where you want to attack, a bit more text explaining your plans etc. Then zoom in on teh action at key locations.

Its very nicely done so great job.

yoshyusmc · Post by **yoshyusmc** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 8:34 pm

I will make one for one of the Campaigns.

When will NDA be lifted?

Hopefully a couple days before release? Which can also help build anticipation, because I also plan on doing a Review, which I can publish as soon as NDA is lifted.

Thanks.

Post by **IainMcNeil** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 7:08 am

We have set an exact date for lifting the NDA but we'll let you know!

Eich · Post by **Eich** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 3:11 pm

So what's the current situation regarding the NDA? I thought about doing a "Let's play" video with the RC4 and release it on Youtube... Do I have to wait till release? If you want I can send it in for censorship before release but I can assure you that it will be 100% postive

Considering the fact that sites like 4players already released a test of the game may mean that it's ready for public? ^^

Recruiting writers for AAR's

Recruiting writers for AAR's

AAR Grand Campaign