Keeping tabs on the numbers likely will prove to be the part of the replay that will give you the most headaches and take the most time.
After more than 10,000 solo games, I can categorically state that keeping stats is THE most challenging part of a replay.
Before you launch into developing a stat-keeping system for your replay, ask yourself three important questions:
- How much work do I want to put into keeping stats?
- What stats do I want to keep?
- How am I going to record, maintain and summarize my stats?
There is no way around it. Stats entail lots of work, no matter how simple a replay you create. However, if the stats are diligently maintained and organized in a fashion that allows you to enjoy the games, will afford you the greatest satisfaction, enjoyment, satisfaction, and memories from your replay.
After all, what sums up your replay? It’s the records, starting with team stats and concluding with the individual performance of each player in the replay.
Think of preparing for a replay (i.e. the stats) as setting the stage.
Replay prep can take up to a month, but it is time well spent. Once you have laid the groundwork, you will be to sprint through the games, more easily keep and manage records, and enjoying a far greater feel for happening within your replay.
The preparation stage will feel like office work and has a certain amount of drudgery to it. I always think of it as the due diligence that will enables one to maximize the enjoyment of what transpires in a replay.
In the next few blog entries, we will focus on specific methodologies for stat-keeping. We will start with the obvious (what do I need?) and finish off with less visible information that addresses how to do the stats as quickly and painlessly as possible.
Next: What stat-keeping tools do you need?
You hit the nail on the head. I have become a 100% computer player just to avoid the task. When I used to play with cards and dice I kept offensive and defensive statistics but did not even try fielding. I found I needed to compile stats every two weeks of the replayed season.
After many years of computer gaming I’ve gone back to a hard-core love of the cards and dice, but no way could I do any project keeping stats by hand anymore. No way. I use the BallStat suite, but there are plenty of spreadsheet type tools floating around.
Agreed. If you take the time to get proficient at Ballscore/Ballstat, they will do so much heavy lifting for you, it’s tremendous. You will also spend less time trying to hunt down your mistakes (which you will make doing stats by hand).
It IS a steep learning curve, and can be really frustrating. But it checks your work and lets you dissect numbers in any number of ways and easily create reports.