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Hey guys we at the Basement Collective are looking to increase the quality of our battle reports. We are wondering what you guys think makes a great battle report! Below is a link to our most recent one, please let us know what we could do to improve, also if you could watch your ideal battle report what would it be? Regardless of them game we are more talking about content. Thanks guys!

Old-fashioned pictures and text, so I can read it at my own pace. Maps, photos of the models involved, and an engaging write-up.

Videos for battle reports aren't quite as bad as videos for, say, showing off models... but they're not far off.

 insaniak wrote:
Old-fashioned pictures and text, so I can read it at my own pace. Maps, photos of the models involved, and an engaging write-up.

Videos for battle reports aren't quite as bad as videos for, say, showing off models... but they're not far off.

Couldn't agree more.

Yup.
Traditional text, maps, pics and fluff are my preference.

To be a bit more constructive having a pauseable menu at the start of your videos with the time codes of the written lists, maps, birdseye views, written or very brief summaries of each turn or other key points, would be better for those that prefer that style of report.
At least you'll get a few extra skippy hits that way rather than having the video ignored.

Another option is to run a supporting text page containing that info. If that's laid out nicely and engaging enough you may get some traditionalists checking out the video afterwards for a better insight and more info. You may even find the process of almost storyboarding like this feeds into how you approach your videos and takes them to the next level with quality still cinematic pics, drawn maps/quality overheads, text breakdowns etc and will even inform your edits into a much slicker product.

Agreed with the others. Text and pictures for me. If I see a batrep post, and then discover it's a video, I won't bother watching it.

I think the only video batreps I enjoy watching are ones like this, which takes a good amount of effort to make, but has so much detail that it's easy to follow along:

Personally, I'd prefer to see pictorial reports as opposed to videos
. With text and pictures I can get the low down on the report whilst still being involved in whatever my wife is doing (TV etc) whereas a video takes me away from it completely. Would also like to see a complete typed list of the armies involved, upgrades and all.

Exactly.
The vassal stuff is generally good, if a little dry.
A combination of that, some nice pictures or well shot video on a tripod, pauseable text of lists and some gently scripted 'to camera' pieces if you're handsome, charismatic and don't um er and repeat yourselves.

I don't mind video battle reports, but since I tend to be in a rush a lot, I don't have time for 1 - 2 hour videos. I'd either like to see a shorter video (around 30 minutes), or at least make it downloadable so it's possible to watch offline.

Otherwise, pictures and text work best for me too.

Only show dice rolls for select mostly pivotal moments of the game. Nothing bores me more than sitting through endless dice rolls. CC dice rolls are good and engaging I find.

I have watched quite a few of your battle reports and while I really like them overall (I keep watching afterall ), I always had one issue with them.

In my opinion, you move the camera around too much. You keep pointing at things with the camera and go from one thing to the next and back again, according to what you are describing.
That leaves a decent part of the video blurred.

I think your videos would greatly benefit if you just set up an angle that captures everything for a specific scene and stay there while you are describing. Like "The Marines on the left shoot at the tank next to the ruin in the back", then move to the next scene. Point with your hands or a laser pointer or something but not with the camera.

Other than that, keep up the good work.

twinner wrote:
Hey guys we at the Basement Collective are looking to increase the quality of our battle reports. We are wondering what you guys think makes a great battle report! Below is a link to our most recent one, please let us know what we could do to improve, also if you could watch your ideal battle report what would it be? Regardless of them game we are more talking about content. Thanks guys!

To be honest I wish people would go back to text/picture batreps like the good old days.

To many people these days with shaky cameras trying to be internet celebrities.

I don't mind video battle reports. But since they are generally longer videos and require a bigger time commitment. I appreciate it when the army lists are in the first post so I can decide if I want to commit the time. I'm just not really interested in watching certain armies play anymore.

Quality terrain and painted models are a must have for a video battle report. From the BR of yours I've watched you guys do that pretty well.

And don't shake the camera.

Yeah video battle reports are nice and I enjoy them quite a bit. But If I have a few minute at work during the day a written battle report is easier to enjoy.

Thanks for the the responses guys, we want to stick with the video reports for now as that is our main medium, while texts ones sounds option I wouldnt have the time to do both.

Yeah unfortunately time and some quality control is what you'll need to improve each video.
I do a lot of work behind the scenes for a very successful youtube company and the recording of the raw footage is the easy and fun bit.
All of the magic happens either before in the scripting and planning phases or afterwards in post with animations, sound and image edits, pick up shots, overlays and pieces to camera.
It's alot of work but were you to improve on quality and reduce quantity you could be on to a winner.
There is something to be said for shorter episodes. A turn a week or biweekly of well edited footage will create a better following and those looking to watch in one hit can wait until the play list is complete.

Interesting discussion here. Myself, I've been watching a lot of videos lately (FLG, Miniwargaming, Striking Scorpion in particular), and enjoy them quite a bit. I'm actually surprised to learn so far the responses are almost all universally preferring pic-and-text BatReps. I sometimes found that the written descriptions were a) time consuming to write up properly, and b) were always too long and descriptive, thus losing my interest as a reader.

Most of the responses here just say they prefer text to video. Are there any more specific reasons for this, guys? I'm quite interested.

I think one reason would be that this question has been asked on a forum.
Go to youtube comments or something like the BOW forums and you'll find users more accepting of video format.

 General_K wrote:
Most of the responses here just say they prefer text to video. Are there any more specific reasons for this, guys? I'm quite interested.

Partly pacing - a written article I can read and ogle the pics at my own pace, rather than being railroaded by a video.

Partly that I would rather read than listed to someone else tell me about it, as it's easier to take information in that way.

And partly that most of my net time these days is on my work computer... and most of the various gaming-related videos out there don't work on this machine.

 insaniak wrote:
Old-fashioned pictures and text, so I can read it at my own pace. Maps, photos of the models involved, and an engaging write-up.

Videos for battle reports aren't quite as bad as videos for, say, showing off models... but they're not far off.

Agreed. Whether it's a Battle Report or a Tutorial, There are only a tiny fraction of video reports that give you the clear views and depth that pictures and text get you. I've also not yet seen a video battle report that I couldn't have finished with in less than half the time just reading and seeing pictures.

If you're sticking with the video method...
I flipped through your report briefly and I heard unnecessary rules discussion (to state rules is fine, but we don't need to hear the play by play of rules discussion). You do a pretty good explanation of the game.

Not a huge fan of video battle reports either. Give me an engaging little story piece at the beginning and end (or at the beginning of each player's turn!) and some nicely shot photos along with the tactical description and I am more than happy.

Pictures and text, echoing the cat here.

On a technical front, the high frame rate is interesting but not always needed. Currenty its helping a bit with how much the camera moves but as others have mentioned the camera motion can be distracting at times, but that's to be expected unless you're shooting with a shoulder rig. The lighting seems fine, it's actually pretty damn good!


I'd recommend building something like this:




From a format stand point, I tend to prefer video batreps that sum up what happened turn to turn. Watching others roll dice and actually play is less compelling. Key rolls like stealing the initiative or if the game all comes down to a single charge are fun but generally I feel most people have about 5-30 minutes max in terms of how much time they'll watch a batrep.

It's clear to me that I'm in the minority here, so I don't know how valuable my input will be. That being said, here goes:

I actually watch batreps to learn a game better, to get a better understanding of playstyles and armies and such - kind of like an advanced "how to play X game". Therefore, I really enjoy when people say things like "I'm gonna use my X unit to attack his Y unit because ---" ("I want to engage Y before they reach my less powerful unit Z" or "I think my unit X can take them and I want to control that part of the board"). Basically, I want to hear what tactical decisions are being made, and why.

I also actually prefer videos over written reports (although I don't mind written reports). I like to run videos and keep half an eye on them while doing something else (, usually painting). I can't both paint and read articles, so there you go. I may not be the most attentive viewer you can find, but there are still some big no-nos that'll make me stop watching the video altogether:

- Lots of camera shake and movement. I really like videos with one camera mounted overhead looking top-down onto the table, and another camera for the close-ups of models, terrain, players, etc. Having only one camera and zooming around the room with the camera as though it were on a rollercoaster is not good. Bonus points if you edit in arrows and such in post to show where various units are going.
- Decent sound quality. I'd say your video above is perfectly acceptable, but I occasionally see vids of people with a loud AC unit in the background, or from a crowded shop where you can't hear what's being said, etc. You don't seem to have that problem, but it's good to keep it in mind.
- Endless shots of things that just aren't that interesting. They've been mentioned before, but I'll add my voice to the choir: dice rolls and rules discussions are time-consuming and not really too interesting. Same with endless banter about somebody's wife or some previous game, etc etc. Not that people don't get to socialize while doing batreps, but I don't know why stuff like that makes it into the final video.
- Videos that are way too long. It's not a battle report if it's the entire battle, from setup to breakdown, with no cuts. A batrep should be a summary and shouldn't take more than an hour (for really big games), but generally be around 30-45 mins.

Anyway, just some thoughts. Hope they're helpful to you.

Whether you do video or text reports realize two things:

1. They take a lot of time, energy and commitment to make really mega-awesome.

2. You are doing it for yourself and no one else because you enjoy and want to do it.

Defiantly text and pics.
The best battle reports i've read have these things in..
1.Pics of both armies and lists when deployed.
2.Pics of battle as the progresses from the same point every turn so you can get a real idea of the action.
3.Brief to detailed description of each turn picking out highlights, kills and points.
4.Perhaps close up pics of interesting highlights like a combat.
For extra points: Little 'x's and explosions drawn on wear death and destruction take place.

I'll make some sweeping generalization and say that most of the video "Battle Reports" that I've seen aren't so much reports as they are filmed battles, sometimes with a few chop-edits to make them a bit shorter. In many cases (though of course not all) it seems like players have decided that instead of putting together pics and text it would be faster just to discuss/explain the game as it is happening and then toss it up online.

This approach is good for the player who want's to watch a game being played, but that's not what a "Battle Report" or "After Action Report" (BatRep/AAR) is.

It's basically the difference between:
-Sportscasters discussing a previous game with some clips a game summary and notable plays and strategies explained. (BatRep/AAR)
and
-Watching a tape of last night's game and it's accompanying play-by-pay announcing (Most online "Battle reports")

They both serve a purpose, but they are -in most cases- completely different products with different aims and goals.

Personally I like both video and text n' pic batreps. But what I miss seeing is narrative batreps of either kind..

I mean something that's a little more involved than Guy A's plastic are killinz Guy B's plastic!

You don't have to be an award winning author for it to be good either! But a little story (to me) goes a long way as a hook to keep me involved especially in the longer Video Batreps.

 Chapter Master Angelos wrote:
Personally I like both video and text n' pic batreps. But what I miss seeing is narrative batreps of either kind..

I mean something that's a little more involved than Guy A's plastic are killinz Guy B's plastic!

You don't have to be an award winning author for it to be good either! But a little story (to me) goes a long way as a hook to keep me involved especially in the longer Video Batreps.

This!