Question About Tabletop AARs

Started by BanzaiCat, October 16, 2017, 04:19:39 PM

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BanzaiCat

MengJiao, you can't blame yourself on that. Sometimes these games just play rather blandly and nothing exciting happens. Nothing makes better AAR fodder than a close-run, nail-biting affair, but not all games end up that way. They're usually one-sided ass-kicking contests that don't, honestly, make good press. ;D

Once things quiet down and I get back to OG, I'm probably going to do a full write-up of any AAR I want to do moving forward. For one thing, this will ensure that ALL parts are present before I start it, so it won't become vAApoR (see what I did there?) mid-game. For another, I might be able to tweak some of the game to make it a more interesting read. I don't mean overt cheating or re-rolling dice, either, because that kind of destroys the credibility of the game, as well as the tension it creates.

BanzaiCat

Interesting results - thanks for everyone that voted.

I'm thinking that this might dovetail into reviews, too. I had been thinking that video reviews are best, as are unboxing videos, as opposed to taking still pictures. But maybe you all think a written review with pics is better than video...? I suppose that's another, different poll question.

Barthheart

Yes written reviews, and unboxings, with pics are best. Nothing personal but I get bored listening to other people talk about games. It's much easier to read the article at the pace I want then have to wait for the talker to hurry up and spit it out already.
But that's just me.

BanzaiCat

I appreciate that feedback too, Barth.

I've been thinking videos are the way to go moving forward (at least, with my production), but the problem with that is I can be much more organized and to the point in a written review, whereas a video I tend to screw up and not hit the points I want to. I avoid writing things down to refer to off camera because I figure if I need to write things down, I might as well write a review!  :buck2:

bayonetbrant

Quote from: Barthheart on October 27, 2017, 06:22:28 PM
Yes written reviews, and unboxings, with pics are best. Nothing personal but I get bored listening to other people talk about games. It's much easier to read the article at the pace I want then have to wait for the talker to hurry up and spit it out already.
But that's just me.

Barth - legit question... based on these thoughts, where do you stand on something like Dragon' Up The Past

(Yes, I know I'm derailing the thread)
The key to surviving this site is to not say something which ends up as someone's tag line - Steelgrave

"their citizens (all of them counted as such) glorified their mythology of 'rights'...and lost track of their duties. No nation, so constituted, can endure." Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers

Barthheart

#20
Quote from: bayonetbrant on October 27, 2017, 06:55:09 PM
Quote from: Barthheart on October 27, 2017, 06:22:28 PM
Yes written reviews, and unboxings, with pics are best. Nothing personal but I get bored listening to other people talk about games. It's much easier to read the article at the pace I want then have to wait for the talker to hurry up and spit it out already.
But that's just me.

Barth - legit question... based on these thoughts, where do you stand on something like Dragon' Up The Past

(Yes, I know I'm derailing the thread)

Truthfully, I only skimmed through it.
For two reasons really. 1. I don't like watching videos, like I stated above. 2. I never read Dragon Magazine. Never could get it as a kid up here in the frozen wastes and when it did finally make it over the border I was in my boardgaming hiatus and sucked into PC games. I didn't return to baordgaming in a big way until 2004ish.
Oh and 3. I never played D&D... or any RPG for that matter... that was for anti-social freaks... no, wait... I was the anti-social one.. I hated people back then too.
So I'm not yer target audience for the new show... sorry.

bayonetbrant

Don't apologize. We're honestly not really sure who the target audience is, other than ourselves
The key to surviving this site is to not say something which ends up as someone's tag line - Steelgrave

"their citizens (all of them counted as such) glorified their mythology of 'rights'...and lost track of their duties. No nation, so constituted, can endure." Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers

BanzaiCat

This probably would have been a better question to ask along the three 'major' areas: unboxing, reviews, and AARs.

mirth

Quote from: Barthheart on October 27, 2017, 06:22:28 PM
Yes written reviews, and unboxings, with pics are best. Nothing personal but I get bored listening to other people talk about games. It's much easier to read the article at the pace I want then have to wait for the talker to hurry up and spit it out already.

+1
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Barthheart

I find I can't watch Let's Play Whatever videos either or rules explainations vids. Again I think it's my short attention span for anything like this. I know lots of people who like and learn well from these types of vids but I'm not one.

Silent Disapproval Robot

I can watch let's play videos if they do a good job presenting the rules.  I don't understand the point of unboxing videos at all.  Post a photo or photos of the components and move on. 

bayonetbrant

videos actually involve less production work for the person doing the unboxing
The key to surviving this site is to not say something which ends up as someone's tag line - Steelgrave

"their citizens (all of them counted as such) glorified their mythology of 'rights'...and lost track of their duties. No nation, so constituted, can endure." Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers

Silent Disapproval Robot

I just don't see the point of an unboxing feature regardless of format.  Discussion of game contents and component quality should be nothing more than a few sentences in a larger presentation, IMO.  The game comes with X.  The component quality is generally Y.  The map is folded/mounted, etc.  Add some pics or a few seconds of close ups and move on.


BanzaiCat

I see your point, SDR, but I see two reasons for them.

(1) they act as basically 'game porn,' because unboxing vids of all stripes are big things on YouTube. Not that it's big for GrogHeads, but maybe someday.

(2) they act to get press out on a product, and quickly, whereas with a review you have to spend time sitting down, going through the rules, playing it a time or six, and then gathering your thoughts on it, noting them, writing it out, and so forth. An unboxing video is just a quick way to give the vendor some coverage once we receive the product.

As for production time, it's actually faster for me to do it via a written medium, because I have to futz with it on my work laptop, which I generally don't like doing ("hey, look who's online! Let's ask him things!") :)

bbmike

I'm with SDR. Unboxing videos/posts don't do anything for me. I'd much rather see a play through, at least a turn or two.
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