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Author Topic: If Your "Battle Report" Fits On One Screen, YOU ARE WRONG.  (Read 17273 times)

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Offline The Hive Custodian (Retired)

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If Your "Battle Report" Fits On One Screen, YOU ARE WRONG.
« on: December 21, 2002, 05:01:03 PM »
Okay, in this forum, there have been a lot of one-paragraph posts that people try to pass off as battle reports. Generally, they will be about the actions of one unit, and often about one turn. They lack details, are confusing, and are generally regarded as a waste of space.

Don't do this.

All battle reports should have at least a general description of the units involved, and a turn-by-turn breakdown of what happened. Follow these guidelines:

1. People reading these battle reports don't know everything you do.

In real life, it is usually boring to say everything that happened. This is not the case in battle reports. The more details the better! Now, it's not to say that you should put down what every die roll was; use your good judgement. Pictures are a plus, but not required.

2. If you can't remember much of it, don't post it.

The only thing worse than somebody assuming that the other people know what happened in the battle is somebody who doesn't remember what happened themselves.

3. Just because you think something was amazing/funny/sad/etc. doesn't mean other people will.

Sure, extreme instances of luck happen, but generally, it's not worth making a thread over. Think twice before you start a new thread.

4. Try to use good spelling, punctuation, paragraphing, etc.

Now, we're aware that some of you aren't quite as solid on English as others. However, if you know the language well, do go back and try to correct mechanical errors.

5. If somebody does start a thread which you consider useless, don't flame the person in question.

This goes without saying, but still...

Edit: Title changed for those who can't be bothered to look at stickies.

Edit2: For details about how to post battle reports longer than the 20,000 character limit, please look here.
« Last Edit: December 3, 2017, 12:42:12 PM by Irisado »
Calculus is an art, but algebra is attrition.

Volren

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Re:On Battle Reports
« Reply #1 on: December 21, 2002, 06:48:27 PM »
Yeah, I agree with you. A lot of people post things about their armies, etc. but not really about a battle.

Offline Dark Flame

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Re:On Battle Reports
« Reply #2 on: December 21, 2002, 07:22:00 PM »
Good job, someone needed to do this, im getting tired of seeing peoples post things like MY WRAITHLORD CHARGED INTO A SQUAD OF MARINES AND IT WAS RELY FUNNY CAUSE THEY COULDNT HURT IT.

Offline Shortsighted Farseer

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Re:On Battle Reports
« Reply #3 on: December 21, 2002, 07:38:02 PM »
Yeah, you absolutly right. People do do things like that, and you moderators have to move em' it just not good. >:(
"Don't you just hate it. Every time a human sees a button that says danger do not press, they just HAVE to press it." "Oh look a red button and it says danger." -press- "Oh! Would you look at that..." "What? Did you blow up some planet? Destabalize the warp core?" "No... A light came on and it says 'Please Do Not Press This Button Again.'"

Offline Blood Archon

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Re:On Battle Reports
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2002, 10:56:43 AM »
Well I tend to ignore those posts anyway. It figures that Custie (no offense) had to make this thread because he's the only mod here. My report that I did was 7 turns, but really only about 3 turns of hard fought action, turn 7 was kinda boring, all that happened was my Archon blowing the crap out of a Dreadnought in CC (something new and different).

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Offline Sgt. Dellius

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Re:On Battle Reports
« Reply #5 on: January 2, 2003, 03:22:14 PM »
right, since im a newbie, have i got this right here?
DO NOT post one paragraph saying 'my wraithlord stomped some humies!' for two reasons
1- its not very useful
2- you are talking like a greenskined mon-keigh (ork)
 
am i right?
 instead post things like, 'in my first turn i moved the...' and then tell you about the whole battle (not just wraithlords playing with a human trampoline?)

Offline The Hive Custodian (Retired)

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Re:On Battle Reports
« Reply #6 on: January 2, 2003, 03:27:42 PM »
Yep, that's right!
Calculus is an art, but algebra is attrition.

Offline DaDragon77

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Re:On Battle Reports
« Reply #7 on: January 20, 2003, 08:22:12 PM »
I find building story into your report makes people like it.  Well, it doesnt MMAAKKEE  people like it, but they like it more.

I've never stopped reading a report because it was too long, but I have stopped reading a report due to people not using grammer just because they are on the internet.
When I'm reading I still need paragraph breaks.
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Offline Dwiggy

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Re:On Battle Reports
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2003, 09:59:05 PM »

2- you are talking like a greenskined mon-keigh (ork)
 

Just think of what some Ork Eldar would really say.

Gaurdian: Oi me disk shoota shoots betta than yours!

Farseer: Wagh his head go booom!

Saim Hann Army: PAINT IT RED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Banshee New War Shout: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
A warhammer table is like a Hamburger and my army is the cheese!

Offline DarkMillenium

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Re:On Battle Reports
« Reply #9 on: February 2, 2003, 12:24:01 AM »
Ive had an idea to get people to write serious and well documented reports make a competiton out of it.

The best report i.e. most informitive most deatield should get their report posted on the home page of eldar online. what do u think The Hive Custodian. please reply.

p.s keep up all the good work mods
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Offline The Hive Custodian (Retired)

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Re:On Battle Reports
« Reply #10 on: February 2, 2003, 12:44:10 AM »
Well, you can already submit battle reports to the site; check out the collection here.

Also, we've had one contest.

Still, it was a good idea. I appreciate your concern.
Calculus is an art, but algebra is attrition.

Offline Blood Archon

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Re:On Battle Reports
« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2003, 04:11:18 AM »
Yeah, I hardly ever give Reports, but not too many peeps frequent this forum (I'm here cause its 4 in the morning, I got nothing better to do). Usually I don't know much about Eldar anyways... I am DE, and since so many BRs are Eldar vs. something or other, I just don't bother (no good guys to root for  :P).

just my 2 cents

-BA
DE Pickup Lines:
Would you like to be... err, SEE my trophy rack?
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I will have my Incubi punish YOU if you do not come with me.
Don't you think I'm hot in this hellmask?

Offline Reaver's Blade

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Re:On Battle Reports
« Reply #12 on: February 15, 2003, 11:40:44 AM »
(no good guys to root for  :P).

That's easy, just root for whoever isn't one of our misguided kin.
Some people are like slinkies.  No real point to them, but it's a good laugh watching them fall down the stairs.

Offline Blood Archon

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Re:On Battle Reports
« Reply #13 on: February 16, 2003, 05:53:26 PM »
*grins innocently*

Oh, that's right, this isn't a DE forum....  8)
DE Pickup Lines:
Would you like to be... err, SEE my trophy rack?
I would be honored if you would sample my agoniser.
I will have my Incubi punish YOU if you do not come with me.
Don't you think I'm hot in this hellmask?

Offline lapiaz

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Re:On Battle Reports (Sticky means read!)
« Reply #14 on: April 15, 2003, 10:34:17 PM »
Ouch, :-[ sorry. my first battle report in this site was a really bad one. All of you have a good point. The english is no my first language and I use the forum to learn about the game  as much to read and write english and that can't be a excuse to write $#@5%2 . again I apologize  :)

Offline Grantah

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Re:On Battle Reports (Sticky means read!)
« Reply #15 on: April 30, 2003, 08:32:22 AM »
i agree  :Ptheres my one paragraph reply
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Offline Freeman

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Re: If Your "Battle Report" Fits On One Screen, YOU ARE WRONG.
« Reply #16 on: October 18, 2004, 06:57:45 AM »
Yeah suppose I should have read this BEFORE I posted!
Don't force me to make my wraithlord step on you!

Offline ArchonCryx

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Re: If Your "Battle Report" Fits On One Screen, YOU ARE WRONG.
« Reply #17 on: December 10, 2004, 08:30:12 AM »
Well, of course Ive gotta agree with this sentiment. Whenever I make a batrep I tend to need at least 2 replies (for a total of 3 pages) to fit in the whole report. ANd I dont even use photographs, no digital camera for one thing...

Generally a batrep should always include both army lists, the points limit, the names of the combatants, the mission played. Then tell us a little about deployment, if you can make a map of the deployment, all the better. Tell us who wins the roll for deployment and most especially who wins the choice of first turn. 

Then, depending on what points you want to make, you can either go through a proper turn by turn analysis along the lines of WHite Dwarf.  Or you can summarise the quick or routine turns and just get to the particular turn or event you want to focus upon. As Hive Custodian mentions, more detail tends to be a good thing. WHile we certainly dont want to know the results of each dice roll, a quick look at WD reports will show it's possible to fill page after page with a batrep that is interesting and attractive to read (all those lush pictures and maps really help) without getting bogged down in boring details.

It can depend on what you are reporting. When I give a report for a tournament where I descrie up to 8 games of 40K, I wont go into as much detail about even every game, let alone turn analyiss. I do gibve at least a summary. I will get more descriptive when I come to the more interesting games, or something funny. If I want to point out a particularly jammy dice roll in one game  while the rest of the game was routine, a quick paragraph about the game and another about the event should suffice.

Probably the most important thing to give in a batrep iis a final result! A lot of people will go to a batrep and go straight to the end to see if the army of his choice is the winner. Depending on the outcome the reader may decide not to read the batrep after all but it's a dead cetainty he won't read it if there's no result at all. It's like having a book with the last couple of pages missing or leaving the theatre before the climax, etc.

For longer batreps, it's always nice if you can have some closing comments from BOTH participants, just like in WD. If you've made the effort to make an outstanding report complete with force organisation, photos, turn by turnanalysis, then you may as well take the extra 5 minutes or so it would take to give your opponent a phone calm and ask for his opinions. Or better yet, get his comments at the end of the game down at the time - sometimes that can be more fun too as an opponent analyse his mistakes and actually learns something from those errors. SOmethimes it is more instructivefor the reader to read the loser's comments and what things could have been done differently. I know I tend to pick up more lessons when I lose - it's harder to see your errors when you've just won a game.
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Offline mr_mich

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Re: If Your "Battle Report" Fits On One Screen, YOU ARE WRONG.
« Reply #18 on: May 10, 2005, 03:20:53 PM »
Generally a batrep should always include both army lists, the points limit, the names of the combatants, the mission played

YES, in the name of God, please put up both lists.  If I have to read another report that describes the reporter's list in full detail and leaves his opponents to simply "Three mobs of boys with one of those large guns" or "A squad of marines with special weapons" I'm going to throw something.  I understand it requires a lot more effort to know your opponent's list than your own, but if you're going to keep notes and do a battle report correctly (which you should all be doing if you plan on posting it here) then you should get a copy of his list.

Offline Lazarus

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Re: If Your "Battle Report" Fits On One Screen, YOU ARE WRONG.
« Reply #19 on: June 19, 2005, 09:37:29 AM »
It is very hard to evaluate a battle without all of the data on hand to do so. We are currently playtesting rules for a CA article and have to rely on battle reports to determine how the rules are working out. You can imagine how hard that is when they don't give you the information...

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