TheZombieGame.com Forums

Hi guys!

I like reading Samuraitrev's game reports enough to try writing some on my own. Unfortunately, taking notes during the game session really slows me down much to the chagrin of the others sitting around the table.

Any pointers on how to take notes without disrupting the flow of the game would be hawt.

Yeah I second this, I've been trying everything.. Might just need to get more familiar with it..

maybe have a webcam record the game and make the report later

Same here... I've tried to take game notes for reports and I stop because of the time. And at especially furious moments I forget to take them.

I think samurai can help a bit more but i remember a thread a while back where he described how he used alot of abbreviations to slowly jot down his notes.

I recorded mine on webcam but that does take an hour+ to rewatch and you have to somewhat talk and or show the cards you draw the entire game. It was kind of a pain.

I had the same problem. I was planning on writing game reports, but it was just too tedious to keep track of all the important details. And I'm anal when it comes to details - I kept track of dice roll results, cards that were played, items found and lost, number of zombies spawned. I even kept track of coordinates on the board. Too tedious, so I just gave up.

Here's my modus operandi. I only take full notes for Game Reports when gaming with my wife. When I'm playing with the gaming group I just make a quick note of which side won and which starting Heroes lived or died.

When I first started doing game reports I used to take notes on everything, the more I did the more I started to learn what to keep and what to throw out. I guess it's what you feel is relevant for your reports. I will include here a draft of a game report this might help (This is all written during the game)

Timber Peak GR 2 Mountain of the Dead

(This section I write for tactics and tick off once in the discard pile)
Ranged, Police Station
Hand Weapon, Any, Chainsaw, Torch (Fire symbol drawn)
Misc. First Aid, Explosive
(end of section)

Scenario Special Rules: Always Zombie Heroes, Zombie Auto Spawn, Hero Replenish, Radio Station, Generators (4)
Mission: The Heroes have to survive until morning. The Zombies must destroy 3 Generators or kill 3 Heroes. (I usually make this clearer in write up)
Board sections: Hospital, Bowling Alley< Lumber Yard and the Refinery.
Characters: Nikki, Sally, Alice and Ed Baker.
Starting Zombies: 5
Turns: 10

Pregame: Nikki starts in the Tavern with her 'Signal Flare', Sally is on the Rood (Road out of Town) near Nikki, Alice is in the Radio Station. Ed starts in the RS too with a (Melee) upgrade: 'Knockback'. I always use 'weapon/item/important events' to remind me to put it in itallics.

1.z A 'Fire' breaks out in the Tavern. 'Building Overrun' Refinery.
H Alice 'Police Shotgun' in the RS, she kills with it. Nikki fires 'Signal Flare' misses from RS. Ed finds a 'Pistol' in RS.
2.Z Alice 'Don't Go In The' Office Trailer. 'You've Got To Be Kidding' Train Station. 'Fire' Train Station on the Generator. Fire spreads near Tavern.
H Alice kills x2 'Police Shotgun' and gets Upgrade Ranged 'Crippling Hit'. Ed finds a 'Survival Torch' in the RS.
3.Z Fire Spreads in the Tavern.
H Sally finds a 'Hand Axe' in the Bowling Alley. Ed finds some 'Bandages' in the RS and kills with 'Pistol'.

Thats the 1st three turns not really short hand as I found it hard to read my own writing and make sense of what had happened if I wrote the report a few weeks after the game. When it comes to typing it up I do it on Microsoft word and I put (ITALLICS) after every 'word' to remind me to put it with Itallics when I get to the TZG thread. I also put (PHOTO 3 etc.) to remind me to use a certain photo.

At the bottom of the sheet I keep tallys
(kills)
Alice IIIII
Ed IIIII IIIII I
Nikki I

(weapons etc. that cause kills)
Police Shotgun IIII
Pistol IIIII
H2H IIIII I
Fire (Lighter) I
Miles IIII
Kill Total 20

The best advice I can give is less is more especially with events. I always include deaths of Heroes and Zombies. Weapon breaks. Weapon and Item finds. I try to include location info but that's usually from the photos and not in the short hand. Now I photograph each Turn. Don't make them too wordy I believe they put readers off it's just the nature of the internet medium (I can only speak for myself but usually if I'm hit by a wall of text I tend to turn off). I used to include lots of narrative now I usually add a little at the start and end to set the scene and mood.

As for taking notes mid-game. I write fast (I've written about 50 now on here!) I also know what to include and what to throw out by a kind of geeky instinct honed by many nights writing these You too could learn this dubious gift

Happy gaming and I look forward to your reports. I hope this helped and hasn't put you off here's the finished report to go with the notes above http://www.thezombiegame.com/forums/Thre...f-the-Dead

My latest report downsizes the pictures to fit the screen a bit better. (see I'm still learning!)
http://www.thezombiegame.com/forums/Thre...kest-Night

Any more questions fire away!

I have not done many game reports, but the few I have done, I have recorded audio of the game making verbal notes of what was going on. Then at least I had a record to go back against to get the nitty gritty details.

It also helps to have a speech to text converter.

Though I haven't done it for LNOE, I have made battle reports for 40k and necromunda. I recommend taking lots of photos to accompany written notes. A few pics can quickly jog the memory if you write your report within a couple of days of playing the game.

Good tips, thanks all!

Looks like I'm going to have to find a camera...