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rich-love: Well, we're done!...
wonderful ! !
ya did excellent work in taking down the Soviets! !
wonderful ! !
ya did excellent work in taking down the Soviets! !
Self-critique #1 - AAR stye
Here's my first critique writeup of this AAR:
1) Writing style changes. I started the AAR writing with a focus to gameplay. As I progressed (during the carrier battles in the Pacific), I switched over to a history-book style.
2) Bad use of images. I was surprised to read in the grandparent 'AARs and Fanfiction - General Discussion' thread that a lot of people *hated* thumbnails in their AARs, and would rather have the images directly. Huh! I changed that, but only a few days ago.
Here's my first critique writeup of this AAR:
1) Writing style changes. I started the AAR writing with a focus to gameplay. As I progressed (during the carrier battles in the Pacific), I switched over to a history-book style.
2) Bad use of images. I was surprised to read in the grandparent 'AARs and Fanfiction - General Discussion' thread that a lot of people *hated* thumbnails in their AARs, and would rather have the images directly. Huh! I changed that, but only a few days ago.
Both fair self-critiques. The first is almost bound to happen with a spur-of-the-moment AAR like this. Not as much planning as many do. The second is also an understandable first AAR error. One has to judge bandwidth against reader preference.
I think your first effort shows a great deal of potential. Particularly given the strength of the late history book style entries.
Like I said before, I am really looking forward to your next effort. Heck, I even have a suggestion I could PM you if interested.
Vann
I think your first effort shows a great deal of potential. Particularly given the strength of the late history book style entries.
Like I said before, I am really looking forward to your next effort. Heck, I even have a suggestion I could PM you if interested.
Vann
Self critique #2 - inconsistent pursuit and use of allies
Title says it all. I started the game aggressively hunting for allies, and had a number of successes. I ended up only sporadically spending the $ influencing potential allies; and not really focusing on getting any more once the tide had turned. If I had been clever, I could have traded the money for supplies.
Additionally, once I had my allies, I didn't use them as much as possible. I let several Venezuelan interceptor groups sit around, I never pulled the Canadians out of the Philippines, etc...
Title says it all. I started the game aggressively hunting for allies, and had a number of successes. I ended up only sporadically spending the $ influencing potential allies; and not really focusing on getting any more once the tide had turned. If I had been clever, I could have traded the money for supplies.
Additionally, once I had my allies, I didn't use them as much as possible. I let several Venezuelan interceptor groups sit around, I never pulled the Canadians out of the Philippines, etc...
Another valid critique, though I think the problem lies with searching for allies in the first place rather than utilizing them properly. As the US, most of your allies were doomed to a class below what you were capable of operating at. The only allies that would have added anything truly noticable to the war effort were those who were already at war, although there were a few exceptions. Overall, however, I think the hunt for allies is rarely worth the effort required.
I realize that I managed to De-lurk just as this AAR finished, but I was here from the tough beginning through the impressive finish. Great Job!
Self-critique #3: Too easy / several mistakes
I think I had it too easy, frankly. I should have played on Furious, maybe H/F. (I've never done VH / F, and I wasn't going to for the first time in front of an audience). Additionally, I should have spent a bit of time playing w/ the Soviet AI; it quickly mucked up its build queue, research, and strategic redeployments.
Finally, I should have changed the Japanese surrender event to disband its army. I found it a bit unbelievable that I inherited control of all those soldiers, bitter enemies a second ago.
On a related note, I could have been a lot bolder in Europe. Multiple landings, multiple fronts, less pausing (more like Kanitalian, to be blunt). I can't argue w/ the results, but still....
Last thing:
1) Poor use of HQs, especially in the break out / pocketing operation in Belgium.
2) Poor administration of air units towards the end (wasted oil, bombers accidentally intercepted by just-rebased Soviet interceptors).
3) Poor convoy maintenance. I had a massive convoy stuck going to one of my puppets, which was sucking up tons of supplies.
All of these will *naturally* be fixed in my next game.
I think I had it too easy, frankly. I should have played on Furious, maybe H/F. (I've never done VH / F, and I wasn't going to for the first time in front of an audience). Additionally, I should have spent a bit of time playing w/ the Soviet AI; it quickly mucked up its build queue, research, and strategic redeployments.
Finally, I should have changed the Japanese surrender event to disband its army. I found it a bit unbelievable that I inherited control of all those soldiers, bitter enemies a second ago.
On a related note, I could have been a lot bolder in Europe. Multiple landings, multiple fronts, less pausing (more like Kanitalian, to be blunt). I can't argue w/ the results, but still....
Last thing:
1) Poor use of HQs, especially in the break out / pocketing operation in Belgium.
2) Poor administration of air units towards the end (wasted oil, bombers accidentally intercepted by just-rebased Soviet interceptors).
3) Poor convoy maintenance. I had a massive convoy stuck going to one of my puppets, which was sucking up tons of supplies.
All of these will *naturally* be fixed in my next game.
Finally, the good stuff
So here are the things I'm proud of having done in the game - consider this a greatest hits, if you will:
1) The quick kill of the Red Navy. Those carrier battles were a LOT of fun.
2) The paradrops in France, blowing away all those undefended airplanes.
3) The pocket in Belgium, and subsequent race across Europe.
4) Setting up the 'Mukden anvil', and plastering tons of SOV divisions via the air.
5) Running an effective Strategic Bombing campaign (in the end game) - the Soviet divisions rolled over once their ESEs were in the 50% range.
-------------------------
And with that, we're done! Thank you all for reading, and for your kind words. I really enjoyed this, and plan to write another AAR eventually (no firm ideas yet).
So here are the things I'm proud of having done in the game - consider this a greatest hits, if you will:
1) The quick kill of the Red Navy. Those carrier battles were a LOT of fun.
2) The paradrops in France, blowing away all those undefended airplanes.
3) The pocket in Belgium, and subsequent race across Europe.
4) Setting up the 'Mukden anvil', and plastering tons of SOV divisions via the air.
5) Running an effective Strategic Bombing campaign (in the end game) - the Soviet divisions rolled over once their ESEs were in the 50% range.
-------------------------
And with that, we're done! Thank you all for reading, and for your kind words. I really enjoyed this, and plan to write another AAR eventually (no firm ideas yet).
Thank you for a great AAR. Dont be too hard on yourself and I hope you start a new one soon.
I'll tell ya'! I go away for a few misable days of R&R and the whole shootin' match is over! I mean - can ya' beat that?! Jeezzz Louise!
Very well done! I will miss reading this AAR.
I disagree with your self-criticism regarding the "history text book style" of reporting. I think this AAR called for that approach (since you took over this game from Kan's save) - and, besides, I tend to like that style (however, I really liked your epilogue). I do agree that you should have disbanded the Japanese Army (in fact, that event should have triggered some reduction in the overall effectiveness of the Allied Armies as they would have needed to engage a substantial number of men and materiale to pacify the islands of Japan and their former colonies).
Of course, I also agree that you could have been more aggressive in Europe. However, these are very minor flaws considering the mountain that you faced in the form of Kan's winning strategy. [You should think about taking over "Fatherland" when Kan is ready to invade North American - call it "Harvest Redux" - ].
Thanks for your hard work and the effort. It was great fun !
Very well done! I will miss reading this AAR.
I disagree with your self-criticism regarding the "history text book style" of reporting. I think this AAR called for that approach (since you took over this game from Kan's save) - and, besides, I tend to like that style (however, I really liked your epilogue). I do agree that you should have disbanded the Japanese Army (in fact, that event should have triggered some reduction in the overall effectiveness of the Allied Armies as they would have needed to engage a substantial number of men and materiale to pacify the islands of Japan and their former colonies).
Of course, I also agree that you could have been more aggressive in Europe. However, these are very minor flaws considering the mountain that you faced in the form of Kan's winning strategy. [You should think about taking over "Fatherland" when Kan is ready to invade North American - call it "Harvest Redux" -
].Thanks for your hard work and the effort. It was great fun
!
Great AAR! Really impressive, certainly considered in what state the USA was when you started.
Phew! I caught up with the entire AAR in one day! Took me almost 5 hours (I even skipped a shower, study and lunch). An awesome ending I must say. I was actually hoping for a liberation of the whole un-divided India though. But that would have required editing the sav file.
And yeah, I did find thumbnails annoying. Also, whats with the totally unrelated pictures towards the end of the AAR? I saw a picture of a butterfly, a tennis player and something else :wacko: Is it a problem with imageshack or something?
But anyways, I'll say it again: Awesome AAR!
Oh well, gotta go for a shower!
And yeah, I did find thumbnails annoying. Also, whats with the totally unrelated pictures towards the end of the AAR? I saw a picture of a butterfly, a tennis player and something else :wacko: Is it a problem with imageshack or something?
But anyways, I'll say it again: Awesome AAR!
Oh well, gotta go for a shower!
Thought I would bump this back up to celebrate the completion of rich-love's latest AAR, Awakening from the Nightmare Years, in case his newer fans wanted check out some more of his work. Congratulations on completion of another fine AAR!
KiMaSa said:Nothing to add.. Just wanted to Bump up this classic...
Quite the necro-bump...
It is a solid AAR though, and well worth the read.