During my lunch break I was in a number crunching mood so I took a quick look at AAR frequencies.
In the graph below, the X-axis is all the people who have logged at least one play on PG-HQ, normalized to 100% just to look pretty.
The Y-axis is each individual's percentage of AARs written (against total plays).
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attachment=520]
Almost one third of our players have never written an AAR. Perhaps one fifth of our players
always write AARs.
What surprised me was the vast middle ground of players who occasionally write AARs.
Thoughts?
On a more serious note to your original question. Ever since PGHQ started, the AAR frequency has always hovered around the 49-51% frequency, with little change. I know this as it is something I kept my eye on. I enjoy seeing other peoples AAR's (unless they are one of those two or three line efforts).
(02-08-2014, 06:39 PM)vince hughes Wrote: [ -> ]Ever since PGHQ started, the AAR frequency has always hovered around the 49-51% frequency, with little change.
Yep, but I had always assumed it would fall more or less neatly into "do" and "do not" camps... not that there would be a majority that sometimes is in the mood and sometimes isn't
I think with some players, certain scenarios that perhaps were more exciting than the norm get a write up so that they can tell the community of the excitement they just experienced. That may be at least one reason. There may be some who look at a scenaro's AAR's, see that there are many and decide they have little to add. They may miss the fact that there are many of us PG nerds that still wish to see their version of the game. I've also noticed there is the odd player that plays 'catch-up' with their AAR's and add them some time down the line irregularly and I would presume that this is all to do with time constraints and availability.
Final reason is probably a simple "Sometimes I can be bothered and sometimes I can't"
Writing an AAR is a commitment to the game, you must want to take the time to chart your play, think about it and write it. Many people don't like some or all those tasks as they just want to play.
I admit I am in the same camp as Vince, I would like to see them too. I would also point out a related stat, if you compared number of postings on the forum to the number of AAR's I believe you would see a proportional relationship.
Although it has been over a year since I played, I certainly believe in the value of the AAR (as 2012's most long winded AAR writer I have some cred). When I play, I write an AAR. Part of it is just the military in me - it is an effective knowledge sharing tool. Like Alan, it is a commitment to the game and the community, and to me, it is evidence that the game was played to "earn" rank and ribbons. I know it is all virtual and a fun reward system - but to me the AAR differentiates a true hobbyist/gamer from a power gamer/ribbon grabber.
I see a member might have racked up all of kinds of massive scenarios, but without an AAR there is no answer to the "why" a scenario is good or bad and unerstanding "how" a result transpired (was it scenario design, or a player mistakes, or bad luck that resulted in the loss?), and what might be done differently for another player to try out.
Believe Alan is also correct. In many ways, I do not play PzG as often because I also want to dedicate the time to writing a good AAR after a game. If I feel I will not have the time to play the game AND write the AAR, I will pass on the endeavor of playing because of time constraints. But that is just me... and I am probably only hurting myself
(02-09-2014, 12:53 AM)armyduck95 Wrote: [ -> ]Believe Alan is also correct. In many ways, I do not play PzG as often because I also want to dedicate the time to writing a good AAR after a game. If I feel I will not have the time to play the game AND write the AAR, I will pass on the endeavor of playing because of time constraints. But that is just me... and I am probably only hurting myself
I think your AAR for "Tulagi:The First Day" was one of the most detailed and informative that I have read ArmyDuck; I can tell a lot of work was put into it and it was a great help though I should of had it printed and kept it on the playing table as a reference. -Brett
I would write more Action Action Reports if I could include pictures in those reports!