So - what do you prefer?
I'm also interested (but it would give too many Poll options!) to know whether you like the meta-game aspect of Batreps: ie do you like to know what's going on in detail with game / ruleset mechanics or do you like just seeing how the battle pans out? A compare & contrast example would be:
Battle focus:
"On the left flank the infantry, roused suitably, swept forward and opened up on the enemy skirmishers to their front, forcing them back and into cover, cowering & fearing for their lives...they looked increasingly unlikely to willingly return to the fight..."
Mechanics focus:
"On the left flank the commander passed his command roll with a bonus of +2 allowing the infantry to double-move; they then opened fire, rolling 6 dice & needing 4+ to hit -they scored 4 hits; the enemy skirmishers failed their cover save (5+) and had to fall back 8cms (2d6cm); this brought them into contact with hard cover which suppressed them - and therefore leaving them unable to be ordered next turn. They would need to pass a Morale test in order to do so - succeeding on a 5+..."
Thoughts??!
Setting aside the horrible disadvantage "Gunner" is faced with in not using 10mm figures, I think these annotated-image battle reports are really great.
http://testofbattle.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1834&sid=388dae41436d1b657efb8c497919b86a
I've tried a couple and they are not easy, but they do produce a nice story.
When it comes to "history" style vs "game mechanics" style, unless the objective is specifically to discuss a particular set of rules, I refer the history style.
I am not sure which I prefer, I suppose the main idea should be which you prefer and find easier
I'm liking the more story telling version, with lots of pics. We like pics... 8)
I tend to agree with Leon: I love when a batrep makes me feel like I was there so, story telling + pictures is a winning combination. Plus, it allows to hide my lack of writing skills behind enough pictures :)
However, I sometimes like to have some "footnotes" explaining some turns of events with the precise rules involved.
Too many words and it becomes like Rimmer recounting Risk
History always. If not it's a rules discussion. I prefer a sequence of pix, each pic annotated, with the whole forming a nice readable story. I also like pics only with in picture clarifications, arrows, etc, but that's a bit of extra work. I am perfectly happy with batreps that are posted here, but will always post on my blogs myself, because otherwise I'd still have to upload the pics - so that's twice the job, and a blog becomes a nice portfolio and a bit of self-promotion.