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[The Fool]

It's been a while since I've been on the forums. While I was away I started a youtube channel for Let's Plays. The problem is that I don't have any comments, only a few views, etc. I have no idea if I'm doing alright, or what I would need to improve.

Here's my channel. Anything constructive would be nice.

[Spaghetti7]

I had a quick watch of your first Justine video, and I've got a few things:

• Look at tweaking the sound options: It may have just been that you were crapping your pants, but at points I could barely hear what you were saying over the ambiance in the game. It might take a while to find a good balance for each game.
• Adjust the gamma: What is perfect for you, according to the game, is probably too dark for YouTube. Probably only related to Amnesia, but your viewer being able to see (just a little) in the dark places is more important than you having the perfect balance.
• Think about episode length: It's far better having the viewer waiting for more than slogging through just to get to the end. I understand that some videos have to be long to get anywhere, but shorter is better to grab attention.
• Predictably; try to always be commentating on what's going on: This is the most obvious but also most important point. When I was watching you were doing pretty well, but just remember it's better to have to prepare what to say than have nothing to say.

I hope some of that helps, and wish you best luck on your YouTubings.

[The Fool]

Thanks for the reply. I think I solved the problems in the second and third parts of that one, but I know exactly what you mean.

1. For the second half of the second part and onward (when I continued playing) I moved the mic a little closer, and it worked better, with only a little thresholding. I couldn't do much about it in the first because I captured the mic along with the audio. It's the biggest downside of using just FRAPS.

2. The gamma issue was actually from the .avi encoder, so I just needed to turn the brightness/contrast up a little to make things more visible. I fixed it in time for the second and third parts, but it didn't don on me for the first.

3. I agree that the first one should have been shorter to keep it more exciting. Same probably goes for most of my Metro episodes. I definitely need to work on it. Just because there is a 15 minute limit doesn't mean I need to hit it every time.

4. Making more videos is all I can do there. It'll come with time.

[lordcooper]

• Predictably; try to always be commentating on what's going on: This is the most obvious but also most important point. When I was watching you were doing pretty well, but just remember it's better to have to prepare what to say than have nothing to say.

Except for the talky bits!  There is a circle of hell reserved for Let's Players who chat over the talky bits.

[Neonivek]

Oooh someone asking for my harshest most SCATHING criticism!

Sure, I'll check it out when I get home.

To what standards should I be judging this by?

[kninja50]

I watched one of your Metro 2033 videos, the only thing I noticed was that around half way through you fell completely quiet for the rest of the video. It wasn't too big of a problem for the fights, dialogue, and letting the viewer take in the surroundings, but I didn't know what you were doing or thinking for other parts, like when browsing the shops (you may have explained what you do in shops in an earlier video, but I think even if I had seen that I would still like to hear what you're thinking or doing exactly).

Other than that it seems like a good LP, for more views you may want to start advertising your LPs on other sites, or comment more often on the videos you like to watch. (Got this idea from a how to do a LP video.)

[Aerie]

• Predictably; try to always be commentating on what's going on: This is the most obvious but also most important point. When I was watching you were doing pretty well, but just remember it's better to have to prepare what to say than have nothing to say.

No.

There is nothing more I hate than wanting to watch the gameplay of a videogame and have someone chatting non-stop over it. It COMPLETELY ruins the video. Please, please please only comment when it is necessary to do so (explaining a trick, or if you're at a shop, or distributing skill points, etc), and avoid dumb gimmicks.

Additionally, go watch some Retsupuraes. It'll give you some ideas of what to do, and what NOT to do (slowbeef and diabeetus LOVE making fun of the stupid crap that some LPers do.)

[Sirus]

• Predictably; try to always be commentating on what's going on: This is the most obvious but also most important point. When I was watching you were doing pretty well, but just remember it's better to have to prepare what to say than have nothing to say.

No.

There is nothing more I hate than wanting to watch the gameplay of a videogame and have someone chatting non-stop over it. It COMPLETELY ruins the video. Please, please please only comment when it is necessary to do so (explaining a trick, or if you're at a shop, or distributing skill points, etc), and avoid dumb gimmicks.

Additionally, go watch some Retsupuraes. It'll give you some ideas of what to do, and what NOT to do (slowbeef and diabeetus LOVE making fun of the stupid crap that some LPers do.)

Biggest thing you should learn from this? Some people enjoy different LP styles. Do whatever comes natural to you; if you like to talk, talk. If you don't, then don't. You'll find people who bitch about your style no matter what you do.

[kninja50]

Biggest thing you should learn from this? Some people enjoy different LP styles. Do whatever comes natural to you; if you like to talk, talk. If you don't, then don't. You'll find people who bitch about your style no matter what you do.

Yeah, do what you want and don't expect everyone to like it, but have fun.

[Neonivek]

So far yeah the issue is mostly dead air.

Though I think it goes deeper then that, you do not keep a dialog with your audiance you just say words.

Sword and Sworcery is the first and only video of the collection I saw.

As well, what I didn't hear was "What is this game? What do you do? What is the goa? Who made it? What are your thoughts on it?" and while a letsplay doesn't need those things... There needs to be a reason why we need your commentary. Just ask yourself how many of your videos would lose absolutely nothing had the ability to mute your voice been available.

Biggest thing you should learn from this? Some people enjoy different LP styles

Oddly enough there is this group of people who do Retsupuraes BETTER then the original team. They did do this video where they genuinly criticised a video with constructive criticism.

Though it is gone now and what they said didn't apply. Mostly it was about how you can fill voids with meaningful content.

[Aerie]

Oddly enough there is this group of people who do Retsupuraes BETTER then the original team. They did do this video where they genuinly criticised a video with constructive criticism.

Yeah, see, the point of Retsupurae isn't constructive criticism. It's making fun of the stupid shit that people do.

Not the people themselves, mind you, just the silly gimmicks and bad setup.

Except probably PewDiePie. They genuinely hate PewDiePie. If you watched any of his videos, you probably would too (HERP DERP RAPE HERP DERP HEY GUYS, RAPE IS FUNNY DERP DERP.)

Dude's pretty much the Justin Bieber of LP's.

Biggest thing you should learn from this? Some people enjoy different LP styles. Do whatever comes natural to you; if you like to talk, talk. If you don't, then don't. You'll find people who bitch about your style no matter what you do.

If you are providing a service, it is a pretty reasonable suggestion to tailor the service to fit the wants of your audience. Doing whatever the hell you feel like will, one way or another, alienate the masses. Learn to compromise and take the suggestions of your viewers.

Remember that people are idiots, but they are idiots watching your videos, and without their views, you'd pretty much be LPing to yourself, which I think technically counts as a form of masturbation and who the hell posts videos of themselves masturbating on Youtube?

[Fenrir]

...without their views, you'd pretty much be LPing to yourself, which I think technically counts as a form of masturbation and who the hell posts videos of themselves masturbating on Youtube?

If we, for a moment, accept and employ your muddled logic, wouldn’t that make having views a form of sex, and who would have sex with random strangers on YouTube?

[Aerie]

...without their views, you'd pretty much be LPing to yourself, which I think technically counts as a form of masturbation and who the hell posts videos of themselves masturbating on Youtube?

If we, for a moment, accept and employ your muddled logic, wouldn’t that make having views a form of sex, and who would have sex with random strangers on YouTube?

_{(excuse my shitty drawing skills, I am left-handed.)}

[Neonivek]

Yeah, see, the point of Retsupurae isn't constructive criticism. It's making fun of the stupid shit that people do.

Not the people themselves, mind you, just the silly gimmicks and bad setup.

Ohh no, don't get me wrong. They are much better at Retsupurae then the original team and make better Letsplays.

The only thing I think Retsupurae does better is those flash games.

Also you forget that Retsupurae often include letsplays because they genuinly like them and often not because there is anything really wrong with them. BillyMC and Electrical Beast are both ones that they liked.

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Ultimately Letsplaying is a skill and like all skills it can be trained and practiced and you will improve so long as you have the intent to improve.