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judgementbringer posted:So, I'm working on an SSLP and I'm wondering, what's a good rule of thumb for update size? Like, in terms of the number of images? Cause, I don't want updates to be huge, but I don't want them to be too short either. The LP in question would be for Final Fantasy 8, if that helps clarify anything. There's not really a rule set in stone or in anything else, especially if you're not concerned about filesize (and with FF8 JPGs, you're right not to be). Update length should be relative to the plot, although how you divide that up is up to you. Best advice: Cut off at the point where you want people to start discussing what just happened.
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Jan 18, 2014 23:14
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Updates should be as long as they need to be. Screenshots are a little bit different than video, but the fundamental point is the same - play until you have a reasonable stopping point (you just beat a boss, it's the end of a mission, a plot dump, etc), and turn that into your update. If that's still too big (depending on your size and frequency of screenshots, but I usually shoot for somewhere between 40 and 50 as an upper limit), then you can break it down into multiple posts.
Artix fucked around with this message at 23:18 on Jan 18, 2014 |
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Jan 18, 2014 23:16
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I've never really heard of people stopping reading a SSLP update for being too long. It's just pictures with a few boxes of text on the screen at most. I don't think there's really a rule of thumb - feel free to look at other SSLP LPs to get a rough idea of how many images they use per update. If there's enough activity on the thread, you can use longer updates, and if you transcribe parts of conversations using portraits you can fit more text in the same amount of space. Just be prepared to have plenty of griping about the game for a FF8 LP.
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Jan 18, 2014 23:17
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judgementbringer posted:So, I'm working on an SSLP and I'm wondering, what's a good rule of thumb for update size? Like, in terms of the number of images? Cause, I don't want updates to be huge, but I don't want them to be too short either. The LP in question would be for Final Fantasy 8, if that helps clarify anything. Depends on how much text accompanies the pictures. If you're worried about length, make your judgement call based on the pure text length as opposed to image number. Personally, I shoot for roughly 10K to 15K characters, which is an awkward metric, but gets the job done alright.
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Jan 18, 2014 23:17
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judgementbringer posted:So, I'm working on an SSLP and I'm wondering, what's a good rule of thumb for update size? Like, in terms of the number of images? Cause, I don't want updates to be huge, but I don't want them to be too short either. The LP in question would be for Final Fantasy 8, if that helps clarify anything. Some people shoot for between 30 and 60 images per post. Others overachieve. I think the last update for my LP had 105 and the one before that had 195. I wouldn't really go over 100 images. It really takes forever to pen the updates past that point.
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Jan 18, 2014 23:17
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judgementbringer posted:So, I'm working on an SSLP and I'm wondering, what's a good rule of thumb for update size? Like, in terms of the number of images? Cause, I don't want updates to be huge, but I don't want them to be too short either. The LP in question would be for Final Fantasy 8, if that helps clarify anything. If you have archives, you can check out Azure_Horizon's LP of FF8 which covers the game in 40 updates. That works out to about twelve for each of the first three discs, with disc one being slightly longer, and then a few for the last one. That seemed to work out pretty well in terms of update size. I'm not bringing the old LP up to discourage you from doing it, but it's not necessarily a terrible idea to check that one out. It was pretty good, and you might get some ideas from reading it.
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Jan 18, 2014 23:20
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SourceElement posted:Some people shoot for between 30 and 60 images per post. Others overachieve. I think the last update for my LP had 105 and the one before that had 195. I wouldn't really go over 100 images. It really takes forever to pen the updates past that point. Speaking from personal experience, this is very good advice. 100 screenshots is a lot for any update, and people may start complaining about the thread bogging down their computers when they try to load up the latest update. Like others have said, there's no hard and fast rules for how many screenshots an update, but you can't go terribly wrong with 30-40 screenshots an update, slightly more if the update needs to be longer, slightly less if it needs to be short for whatever reason. It's best to play it by ear and find out what works for you, but that's the number I'd advise.
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Jan 18, 2014 23:26
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gatz posted:but a community like SA, for better or worse, doesn't like your videos That's a little harsh. Since I've got two active threads right now with few complaints I wouldn't say that. Mario as a choice of game for the SA sand castle was bad. I've got other ideas in the works with other less well-known games. However my choices of SimCity and Ballance from the sandcastle worked. Unreal isn't going so bad either. Plus, it isn't mentioned often but a large portion of users who peruse the LPArchive or the Let's Play forum never peruse the Sandcastle. There's long stretches where I myself don't. I won't post a thread in SA that the sandcastle doesn't like. I may do a LP of whatever game of my own choosing outside of SA but that's my own business. Just don't hold it against me later on if you find non SA videos in my channel you don't like when I do a completely separate game for SA. If I make the LP mostly for this audience, it will be obviously different than one I make for my youtube channel only. I do apologize for stepping on any toes for that choice of game. I was only trying to come up with different ways of making something, and none stuck for that particular game here. I do LPs because I enjoy them and it's fun. If I can make something that appeals to this audience, then great. If not, then I'll do it elsewhere. No harm, no foul. The next game I choose might work for SA, or it may not, we'll see. Thanks for your criticism regardless.
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Jan 18, 2014 23:37
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I normally shoot for 40-50 screenshots per update. But don't be afraid to go long or short if it makes the update flow better. The last update of my latest LP had 98 screenshots, because there was just no logical spot to split it.
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Jan 19, 2014 00:27
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Alright, thanks for the advice guys. 40ish seems pretty reasonable, in terms of work load. I definitely don't want to do over 100 if I can help it. I might have to split up a couple sections, but I'm fine with that. One more question, is Tindeck generally the best choice for hosting music? Or is there an alternative that you think is better? The music in the game is one of the biggest reasons I like it so much, so I'll be linking the music from the soundtrack in updates.
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Jan 19, 2014 00:42
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The FF8 soundtrack is already available on Youtube, so there's no real reason for you to upload it yourself.
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Jan 19, 2014 00:47
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judgementbringer posted:So, I'm working on an SSLP and I'm wondering, what's a good rule of thumb for update size? Like, in terms of the number of images? Cause, I don't want updates to be huge, but I don't want them to be too short either. The LP in question would be for Final Fantasy 8, if that helps clarify anything. How will you be handling Triple Triad?
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Jan 19, 2014 00:52
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I think the most screenshots I ever used in an LP update was 90 or so. It really all depends on the game and the update length. Really, you should try to just find a natural cut-off point and try not to stress the screenshot amount too much.ultrafilter posted:The FF8 soundtrack is already available on Youtube, so there's no real reason for you to upload it yourself. Eh, it depends. You can do that, but youtube links can be unreliable and go down. With tindeck, you know they'll at least be around until Tindeck goes to that great recycle bin in the sky. For something like the FF8 soundtrack, I'd suggest using Tindeck and disabling downloading, since the soundtrack is available for sale. Just posting to say I love your avatar.
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Jan 19, 2014 01:02
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Lance Streetman posted:since the soundtrack is available for sale. slowbeef posted:If you're posting content related to a video game, like soundtracks, comic books, or movies, please check with a mod first. If it's something that wouldn't be allowed in an appropriate SA forum (like NMD for soundtracks, BSS for comics, C/D for movies, etc.) then it's not cool to post here in LP. I'd do this, in that case
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Jan 19, 2014 01:11
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Like Polsy says, check first ^^^^judgementbringer posted:One more question, is Tindeck generally the best choice for hosting music? Or is there an alternative that you think is better? The music in the game is one of the biggest reasons I like it so much, so I'll be linking the music from the soundtrack in updates. Probably not a great idea if it's a retail product, as you don't "own" that music. I didn't post links in my Shadows Of The Empire LP, for example, because the soundtrack is something you can still purchase on iTunes. I talked about it, sure, but no links. Besides, it's easy enough for people who REALLY want to listen to the tracks to find them on YouTube or listen to them on iTunes.
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Jan 19, 2014 01:35
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valkhorn posted:How will you be handling Triple Triad? I'm definitely going to show it off, but it'll be in bonus updates. It's not something I'd do in a normal update, but I use it quite a bit in my normal playthroughs, and there's a couple sidequests involving it that I want to include. Blind Sally posted:Probably not a great idea if it's a retail product, as you don't "own" that music. I didn't post links in my Shadows Of The Empire LP, for example, because the soundtrack is something you can still purchase on iTunes. I talked about it, sure, but no links. Besides, it's easy enough for people who REALLY want to listen to the tracks to find them on YouTube or listen to them on iTunes. I've seen other LPs post the music in their updates, so I thought it would be fine, but I'll check first just to be safe. I'll just have placeholders in the test post I'm working on, until I know for sure that it's okay. The game just really loses a lot its charm if you don't have the music though. That's why I want put it in. If I can't, then I guess I'll have to figure something else out.
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Jan 19, 2014 01:52
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judgementbringer posted:FF8 stuff Triple Triad was never something I had the patience to master so I'm curious how you'll manage with it. You can do some useful things with it, though, during the main playthrough.
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Jan 19, 2014 04:47
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I've noticed that the "Let's Stream" thread is nearing 200 pages. Anyone think it deserves a rehash of sorts? A lot of the information from it is fairly outdated and there are a bunch of daily streamers that aren't on the OP of the old thread.
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Jan 19, 2014 09:16
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Highwang posted:I've noticed that the "Let's Stream" thread is nearing 200 pages. Anyone think it deserves a rehash of sorts? A lot of the information from it is fairly outdated and there are a bunch of daily streamers that aren't on the OP of the old thread. Yes, I think it could use a new thread, by someone who can provide all the up to date information on preferred streaming methods and stuff. And also list the advantages and disadvantages of Twitch and Hitbox (and other sites? Does anyone even use anything other than those two?) Lance Streetman posted:Just posting to say I love your avatar. Thanks! RefinedUndefined bought it for me when I finished my Book of Shadows LP.
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Jan 19, 2014 09:43
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DarkHamsterlord posted:Yes, I think it could use a new thread, by someone who can provide all the up to date information on preferred streaming methods and stuff. And also list the advantages and disadvantages of Twitch and Hitbox (and other sites? Does anyone even use anything other than those two?) I've been streaming for 3 years so I have some experience, but I don't know a thing about Xsplit so someone else will have to provide info on that. Site info's relatively easy to accrue as well, so it shouldn't be too hard.
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Jan 19, 2014 09:46
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I've had an OP for a new streams thread sitting on the burner for a month and a half. I've been meaning to get in contact with Ambisagrus or the mods with regards to maybe closing the current one and starting fresh but I keep forgetting about it.
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Jan 19, 2014 11:08
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Yeah we probably need a new stream thread. The current one still suggest ustream. I think it's been two years since anyone's used ustream.
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Jan 19, 2014 11:45
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So I've recently finished a game called Datajack, which is a freeware game made by one guy over the course of five years. I'd really love to try a hybrid LP of the game, but it came out just under two months ago, which technically puts it under the protection of the 3 month rule. I was just wondering if it would be OK for me to try this LP out before the 3 months are out, considering it's a freeware game that I'd love for others to go out and play, and I'm a bit eager to show the game off.
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Jan 19, 2014 20:35
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Sure. Contact the developer and get permission, then.
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Jan 19, 2014 20:37
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Invisible Ted posted:So I've recently finished a game called Datajack, which is a freeware game made by one guy over the course of five years. I'd really love to try a hybrid LP of the game, but it came out just under two months ago, which technically puts it under the protection of the 3 month rule. I was just wondering if it would be OK for me to try this LP out before the 3 months are out, considering it's a freeware game that I'd love for others to go out and play, and I'm a bit eager to show the game off. If you just beat it for the first time, you probably still have a bit of work to do in making sure you know exactly how you want to present it. Eager is good, but not if you stumble blindly into something you haven't thought through yet. Take a couple weeks to learn about stuff you missed in your first playthrough, how you might show off everything that needs showing off, and so on. Might even take you the whole month until the rule deadline if you're thorough. Now, if I'm misinterpreting and you've already got your ducks in a row, then yeah, go ahead and contact the developer for permission. Heck, if you think you're 80-90% of the way there it'd probably be a good time because you can finish up your planning while waiting for the response.
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Jan 19, 2014 21:03
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Felinoid posted:If you just beat it for the first time, you probably still have a bit of work to do in making sure you know exactly how you want to present it. Eager is good, but not if you stumble blindly into something you haven't thought through yet. Take a couple weeks to learn about stuff you missed in your first playthrough, how you might show off everything that needs showing off, and so on. Might even take you the whole month until the rule deadline if you're thorough. Well I e-mailed him asking for permission, but I think you have a point in saying I ought to more closely examine the game, and possibly take that remaining month to do so. I do get rather eager at times, so I appreciate the advice.
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Jan 19, 2014 21:12
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toddy. posted:I've had an OP for a new streams thread sitting on the burner for a month and a half. I've been meaning to get in contact with Ambisagrus or the mods with regards to maybe closing the current one and starting fresh but I keep forgetting about it. I know Ambisagrus is willing to let someone else take over the thread. Along with mentioning Twitch and Hitbox, probably also mention Livestream, which has a 50 user limit unless you stream enough to get them to remove it.
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Jan 19, 2014 21:13
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I've started recording video for what I want to make my next LP: Battlefield 4's horrible single player campaign. The three month rule won't lift on it for another week and a half, so there isn't any rush. One of the things that bugged me about my Battlefield 3 Let's Play was that I didn't show off the multiplayer mode. BF4 is an incredibly short game, maybe five hours needed to clear all seven levels, so on its own it wouldn't take all that long to get through. I have some ideas for what to do to make the single player videos watchable, but to add to the LP I wanted to do some multiplayer stuff. The basic idea there is that I would get video of me using different classes and vehicles and post videos with commentary explaining my weapon selection and the map and such combined with a post that goes further into depth on things I could only gloss over in the video. To that end I've gone ahead and done a giant test post for the video I want to use to showcase tanks. Thoughts on post format and the commentary would be appreciated. It should be noted that Single Player would be handled with guest commentators, so only the multiplayer videos and one specific single player level would be me alone, so this wouldn't be a good representation of what the main videos would be.
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Jan 19, 2014 22:23
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Rirse posted:I know Ambisagrus is willing to let someone else take over the thread. Along with mentioning Twitch and Hitbox, probably also mention Livestream, which has a 50 user limit unless you stream enough to get them to remove it. From what I've seen, Livestream is overall lower in quality at times. You also are incapable of watching any livestreams if you have an adblocker on, which is really irritating since they played ads pretty frequently in the time I used it in 2011.
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Jan 19, 2014 22:41
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DarkHamsterlord posted:Yes, I think it could use a new thread, by someone who can provide all the up to date information on preferred streaming methods and stuff. And also list the advantages and disadvantages of Twitch and Hitbox (and other sites? Does anyone even use anything other than those two?) SGF just started using instagib.tv for his stream, and it worked pretty well.
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Jan 19, 2014 23:43
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Lazyfire posted:I've started recording video for what I want to make my next LP: Battlefield 4's horrible single player campaign. The three month rule won't lift on it for another week and a half, so there isn't any rush. One of the things that bugged me about my Battlefield 3 Let's Play was that I didn't show off the multiplayer mode. BF4 is an incredibly short game, maybe five hours needed to clear all seven levels, so on its own it wouldn't take all that long to get through. I have some ideas for what to do to make the single player videos watchable, but to add to the LP I wanted to do some multiplayer stuff. The basic idea there is that I would get video of me using different classes and vehicles and post videos with commentary explaining my weapon selection and the map and such combined with a post that goes further into depth on things I could only gloss over in the video. This looks good to me. To be honest, this kind of stuff interests me way more than your Battlefield 3 LP did. For me, Battlefield has always been all about the multiplayer, it's the whole reason why I play the games, and I have zero interest in single-player. Probably because the franchise didn't even have a single player campaign until 3.  I'm interested in seeing more videos like this. With the commentary in the video and in the text, you did a really good job explaining everything. I'll be interested in seeing your take on jets. In the hands of a skilled pilot, they are ludicrously effective killing machines. But if you're like me and you don't know what you're doing, they're basically just death traps. 
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Jan 20, 2014 00:00
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Highwang posted:You also are incapable of watching any livestreams if you have an adblocker on, which is really irritating since they played ads pretty frequently in the time I used it in 2011. This definitely isn't true in general. I've got an adblocker and I've never had any problems watching anything on Livestream. Never even needed to do any sort of special configuration for the site or anything, it worked with the same settings as on any other site.
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Jan 20, 2014 00:49
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Idran posted:This definitely isn't true in general. I've got an adblocker and I've never had any problems watching anything on Livestream. Never even needed to do any sort of special configuration for the site or anything, it worked with the same settings as on any other site. Huh, thats odd. Maybe its browser based? All I know is that from 2011 onward, if I had Adblocker Pro on I can never watch a livestream channel. I've also seen scattered cases among my friends and other viewers.
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Jan 20, 2014 01:07
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This OP needs work, but I really just don't like this game. Why did I ever promise to LP it?quote:Let's Play all sides for Fun and Profit in MechCommander 2
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Jan 20, 2014 01:30
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berryjon posted:This OP needs work, but I really just don't like this game. Why did I ever promise to LP it? It's a pseudohobby, not an obligation. Not having fun? Don't do it.
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Jan 20, 2014 01:47
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Suspicious Dish posted:It's a pseudohobby, not an obligation. Not having fun? Don't do it. It's a hobby. And I'm doing it because while I may not like the game, I do like
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Jan 20, 2014 01:49
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judgementbringer posted:This looks good to me. To be honest, this kind of stuff interests me way more than your Battlefield 3 LP did. For me, Battlefield has always been all about the multiplayer, it's the whole reason why I play the games, and I have zero interest in single-player. Probably because the franchise didn't even have a single player campaign until 3. Yeah, I can understand why people wouldn't want just single player videos in a multiplayer focused game. When I did BF3 it focused on the SP because I wasn't sure how to handle multiplayer stuff in an interesting way and not making every video two hours long. Focusing just on the build I use in a game and putting more information in the posts seems to work, but a major goal is that I don't get into typical FPS video chatter where I just start to describe exactly what is happening on screen without explaining why it is important or what sort of implications it has. That may be difficult with overview videos like "here's how basic infantry combat works" or "this is how levolution works" or something. I also want to throw in a few videos where I don't do well because I'm not some sort of BF god, especially when it comes to air vehicles (sorry).
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Jan 20, 2014 03:26
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berryjon posted:Let's Play all sides for Fun and Profit in MechCommander 2 This looked okay. There's the standard RTS warning for LPs, but this one is different enough that I doubt it will be a problem. I could stand to have more of the game mechanics explained, so we know the specifics of why they are terrible, especially for those that didn't catch your look at the original Mechcommander. Also, I'm sure you're aware you mic is bad, but you are able to be understood. Introductions at the start might help; I didn't need them because I recognized PainGod's voice from the Mech 4: Mercs LP, but that won't be everyone. Otherwise, it was fine.
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Jan 20, 2014 05:59
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Lazyfire posted:Yeah, I can understand why people wouldn't want just single player videos in a multiplayer focused game. When I did BF3 it focused on the SP because I wasn't sure how to handle multiplayer stuff in an interesting way and not making every video two hours long. Focusing just on the build I use in a game and putting more information in the posts seems to work, but a major goal is that I don't get into typical FPS video chatter where I just start to describe exactly what is happening on screen without explaining why it is important or what sort of implications it has. If you haven't checked it out already, James315's BF1942 is an excellent example of showing off BF Multiplayer.
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Jan 20, 2014 07:02
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Magnetic North posted:This looked okay. There's the standard RTS warning for LPs, but this one is different enough that I doubt it will be a problem. I could stand to have more of the game mechanics explained, so we know the specifics of why they are terrible, especially for those that didn't catch your look at the original Mechcommander. Also, I'm sure you're aware you mic is bad, but you are able to be understood. Introductions at the start might help; I didn't need them because I recognized PainGod's voice from the Mech 4: Mercs LP, but that won't be everyone. Thanks. I had to get a new mike, and I was still getting used to it. I also don't have much of a 'mic' voice, but that's not something the Tech Fort or the Sand Castle can fix. As for the video length, remember that MC2 is more in the vein of MC1 and Myth, rather than <Blank>Craft of C&C. There's no 4X component to slow the game down. However, I recognize what you're concerned about, so I will be doing my best to edit the longer missions down to a more reasonable time frame. 30-35 minutes should be enough to establish what goes on in a mission, at most. Otherwise, I'll cut it into two videos. As for the mechanics explanation, I think I may whip up a video showing off the Tutorial Missions for that purpose.
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Jan 20, 2014 07:14
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