So I've just started up a secondary youtube channel ( http://www.youtube.com/user/SoldierHawke if you care, although there's absolutely nothing on it yet) because I've been considering starting a series of walkthroughs/Lets Plays. I've recently become addicted to watching other people's, and wanted to try my hand at it myself. (I'd use my regular youtube identity, but since I've used it almost exclusively to upload figure skating clips--no seriously; that wasn't a joke--I thought it might be a weird juxtaposition to say the least.)
I know a couple of people on here are avid LP/walkthrough-ers, so I was wondering if there was any advice you could pass on. ANY would be appreciated, because I've never even attempted to record gameplay before and have no clue where to begin. Any tips content-wise would be great too (i.e. be funny, don't try to hard to be funny, whatever.) Also, if anyone has a good, pretty short, easy to commentate game they would recommend as a starting place, I'd be open to that too.
Now all I have to do is overcome how ugly my voice is, and I'll be all set.
William Shakespeare wrote:
Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.
Optimist With Doubts
Title: Titlating
Joined: Dec 17 2007
Posts: 5042
Posted:
May 24 2009 03:19 pm
Well I would choose a game you know backwards and forwards and really like
UsaSatsui
Title: The White Rabbit
Joined: May 25 2008
Location: Hiding
Posts: 7565
Posted:
May 24 2009 03:33 pm
First off, give me a heads up when you send a friend request. I almost completely ignored your "regular youtube identity" because I had no idea who it was.
Yes, pick a game you know very well to start. And know what you're doing and what you're showing. If you're showing off the game, you may want to go out of your way and do things you don't normally do, for example.
Do a test run before you start. Make use of save states to run through an area before you record it. Don't worry about the occasional mistake, but if things look really sloppy, don't be afraid to re-record it.
Voice commentary...don't think it's necessary. Unless you can be funny or interesting, don't bother with it. It's not required, I've got more than one comment saying they prefer the lack of voice.
I use Windows Movie Maker to split process the videos. While the "limit" for Youtube videos is 10 minutes, you can go up to 10:59. Make sure you don't use the default settings, they make the movie look like crap (see my early videos". I use the smallest "Video for LAN" setting.
^ don't worry about the ignore, Usa. I mostly use friend requests just to get people in my address book so I have all the channels I like easily compiled into one place. Sorry it came out of nowhere lol.
I'm glad you mentioned the no-voice commentary option...most of the LPs I really like have it, so I kind of assumed that's the route I would go. But, especially for starting out, that's probably the way to go.
What do you use to actually record your videos?
William Shakespeare wrote:
Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.
UsaSatsui
Title: The White Rabbit
Joined: May 25 2008
Location: Hiding
Posts: 7565
Posted:
May 24 2009 04:13 pm
A "Let's play" includes voice commentary. But really, it's a Something Awful thing. Go ask there.
I use VirtuaNes to record my NES stuff and Fusion to do my Genesis stuff. VirtuaNes converts the movies to .avi, Kega can flat-out record .avi files, but they're unusable as is (they need to be converted to .wmv). If you're playing a DOS game, Dosbox can record.
I watch LPs all the time on youtube, i'm up to give you a view anytime. As for some advice, i guess i could direct you to the LPers i watch and maybe you can get some influence from them:
Cloud8745 is a pretty funny and informative LPer, he has been posting some non-narrative walkthroughs but almost all of his walkthroughs with narrative i've seen are hilarious. I suggest looking for his "I Want to be the Guy" LP, it's not on the channel but it is classic
http://www.youtube.com/user/NaturalBornGamers
I appreciate all the input guys. I'll see what I can do. I'm thinking that my first vid is either going to be LoZ, since I know that one like the back of my hand, or Kirby's Dreamland.
Since I'm going to stay away from monkeying around with voice recording for now, I've CONSIDERED throwing in annotations to point things out, since youtube lets you do that now. However, I know some people find those amazingly annoying. Should I stay away from those like the plague, or do you think they may be useful in small amounts?
As long as the action speaks for itself you don't need annotations.
Recording: I'd highly recommend not using a camcorder as that's severely frowned upon by most people, but you probably knew that. Camstudio I've heard is pretty good, and it's free to boot. Some emulators have built-in recorders but most LPers seem to prefer using things like Camstudio/Camtasia/Fraps/Whatever.
Also yeah, LP is something I've considered doing too, but I'd wanna do it right, and not bad. There's lots of bad LPs on Youtube. I have Camtasia and not UNREGISTERED HYPERCAM 2 and I've looked into buying a headset or microphone for recording stuff.
Also Cloud8745 used to be great but now he's a gigantic prick and hasn't really done anything worthwhile since he had a huge meltdown sometime after he did I Wanna Be The Guy. Also lol at paying for commentary. GamingGoose is pretty good though.
Good LPers (in my opinion at least) include ProtonJon, raocow, and SirRonLionheart. A lot of the older LPers from SomethingAwful are pretty good too.
EDIT WITH MORE STUFF: If you have to do repetitive/boring shit (like grinding), or do the same thing over and over, or you die and have to work your way back to where you were last, that's the kind of thing you should edit out, and then make a note of it with annotations.
As Usa mentioned, commentary, if used, should be funny and/or informative, never boring or just describing the action on screen like "oh now I'm killing this guy, isn't that amazing" (if LPs were done on the radio, then that'd be appropriate) or rambling on about things that have nothing to do with what you're playing.
And most important is to have fun. Far too often LPers take the shit they're doing too seriously and either develop gigantic egos or else get fed up and quit. So yeah, always have fun!
They both go through the entire games without dying too, even the insanely difficult ones.
jackfrost
Title: Cold Hearted Bastard
Joined: Feb 21 2009
Posts: 861
Posted:
May 29 2009 12:07 am
UsaSatsui wrote:
First off, give me a heads up when you send a friend request. I almost completely ignored your "regular youtube identity" because I had no idea who it was.
You know, I just realized I watched one of your videos just randomly searching and never knew it was you.
Just to let you know I sent you a friend request too on Youtube. You will know who I am if you compare it to here. Not much difference really.
Greg the White
Joined: Apr 09 2008
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 3112
Posted:
May 29 2009 01:17 am
One of the guys who did the old Doom LP's was pretty much right- LP's are pretty much a cesspool these days. It's mostly a bunch of unfunny douchebags yelling unfunny things in goofy voices. There are good ones, though. This is the best LP I've seen so far:
The guy did it perfectly. He's low-key, has a presentable voice, and instead of yelling cliched observations, he shares information on the game's history, play style, tech, etc. Essentially, just pick a game you know well, and could say a whole lot about without having to resort to just raving while you play.
So here's to you Mrs. Robinson. People love you more- oh, nevermind.
UsaSatsui
Title: The White Rabbit
Joined: May 25 2008
Location: Hiding
Posts: 7565
Posted:
May 29 2009 01:36 am
Quote:
You know, I just realized I watched one of your videos just randomly searching and never knew it was you.
Yeah, I figured that one out. There's a thread in this forum where I update my current projects.
That particular video you linked I'm pretty proud of, but I must point out Fernin did a lot of work with the translation.
One of the guys who did the old Doom LP's was pretty much right- LP's are pretty much a cesspool these days. It's mostly a bunch of unfunny douchebags yelling unfunny things in goofy voices. There are good ones, though. This is the best LP I've seen so far:
The guy did it perfectly. He's low-key, has a presentable voice, and instead of yelling cliched observations, he shares information on the game's history, play style, tech, etc. Essentially, just pick a game you know well, and could say a whole lot about without having to resort to just raving while you play.
That guy IS good. And actually, exactly the kind of style that I'm going for.
He's not nearly as informative, but for pure entertainment, Kikoskia here is my all-time favorite. His Doom 3 LP is fucking amazing. There were points where I was literally crying from laughter.
Yeah, I didn't mean to sound negative before, but it's that I really like the idea of LP's. They're useful for entertainment and information. I could watch an LP to experience an old, hard-to-find classic, catch up on game lore, or get a good laughs from a genuinely funny commentator (Some of those lines in the Trespasser LP had me crying).
I've been thinking of doing a gameplay/history LP myself, and with summer coming and I'm not taking summer classes, I'm going to have some extra time.
So here's to you Mrs. Robinson. People love you more- oh, nevermind.
SoldierHawk
Moderator
Title: Warrior-Poet
Joined: Jan 15 2009
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 6085
Posted:
May 30 2009 12:08 am
Okay, so I'm in the process of a LoZ LP (...which is currently being sidetracked by a new playthrough of FF I got the inspiration to do after coming up with a cool party idea.) So things should be on there way, slowly but surely, this weekend.
Now, this is not for anytime super-soonish, but I wanted to bounce an idea for a...different kind of LP off of you guys. As you may or may not know, I'm an Empire: Total War addict. I love it. I am also a huge, huge HUGE history buff, and teacher.
What would you think of an LP of E:TW that was history focused? I don't mean using it to teach a lesson or anything, that would be boring. But throwing in historical tidbits about battle strategies of the time, weapons, historical figures, etc etc etc. Obviously that wouldn't be the only thing discussed; this would be for entertainment and interest, after all. Would that be something anyone would be interested in hearing, or am I completely off base in thinking that could be awesome?
If there's interest, I'll record a test/example snippet of like, the opening sequence or something. What say you?
William Shakespeare wrote:
Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.
TheRoboSleuth
Title: Sleuth Mark IV
Joined: Aug 08 2006
Location: The Gritty Future
Posts: 2739
Posted:
May 30 2009 12:17 am
SoldierHawk wrote:
Okay, so I'm in the process of a LoZ LP (...which is currently being sidetracked by a new playthrough of FF I got the inspiration to do after coming up with a cool party idea.) So things should be on there way, slowly but surely, this weekend.
Now, this is not for anytime super-soonish, but I wanted to bounce an idea for a...different kind of LP off of you guys. As you may or may not know, I'm an Empire: Total War addict. I love it. I am also a huge, huge HUGE history buff, and teacher.
What would you think of an LP of E:TW that was history focused? I don't mean using it to teach a lesson or anything, that would be boring. But throwing in historical tidbits about battle strategies of the time, weapons, historical figures, etc etc etc. Obviously that wouldn't be the only thing discussed; this would be for entertainment and interest, after all. Would that be something anyone would be interested in hearing, or am I completely off base in thinking that could be awesome?
If there's interest, I'll record a test/example snippet of like, the opening sequence or something. What say you?
I like trivia, and I imagine big fans of the empire games have a taste for it too(otherwise they would be fighting orcs or something). I think its a great idea, better than both silence and shitty jokes.
jackfrost
Title: Cold Hearted Bastard
Joined: Feb 21 2009
Posts: 861
Posted:
May 30 2009 03:17 am
As long as you have your own style and can just be yourself you will do fine. If your runs aren't the fastest or most perfect runs on Youtube they can still be entertaining. An LP should feel like you are sitting at a friends house watching them beat a video game. If you can do that then you have a good LP. Just talk about whatever pops in your mind, no matter what the subject.
I appreciate all the input guys. I'll see what I can do. I'm thinking that my first vid is either going to be LoZ, since I know that one like the back of my hand, or Kirby's Dreamland.
Since I'm going to stay away from monkeying around with voice recording for now, I've CONSIDERED throwing in annotations to point things out, since youtube lets you do that now. However, I know some people find those amazingly annoying. Should I stay away from those like the plague, or do you think they may be useful in small amounts?
He's fucking hilarious. His Doom 3 LP is one of the best LPs I've ever seen. (His RE one is damn good too.)
I watched the Doom 3 LP up until he was to Alpha Lab 3, at that point i started to miss Turkey Puncher. Maybe i'll finish watching it some time.
Links, pics, vids . . . I shall post these when given the chance
Transformers 2 Review: ". . . Did i mention SHIT BLOWS UP?!!!"
TopShelf
Title: Not the Pantry
Joined: Jan 06 2009
Location: But the Topshelf
Posts: 273
Posted:
Jun 01 2009 03:43 pm
Ever since you started this thread I have also been on an LP binge. It seems kind of ridiculous watching other people play video games, but for some reason I can't stop watching. Anyway soldier, if you get one done I will definitely have a gander.
"I'm the best actor/model and not the other way around! -Fabio
Neutral-Bob
Title: Zarkin Frood
Joined: Aug 17 2006
Location: Casa Del Guapo
Posts: 964
Posted:
Jun 01 2009 04:14 pm
I'll try and add you as a friend Hawk. I don't really use it that much however it's "Neutralbullenfogel" if you're interested.
"When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." - C.S Lewis
Aqua Hedgehog
Joined: Nov 02 2008
Posts: 725
Posted:
Jun 04 2009 08:25 pm
I call Congo: Lost City of Zinj on Saturn.
Optimist With Doubts
Title: Titlating
Joined: Dec 17 2007
Posts: 5042
Posted:
Jul 05 2009 12:18 pm
So any news mamm?
SoldierHawk
Moderator
Title: Warrior-Poet
Joined: Jan 15 2009
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 6085
Posted:
Jul 05 2009 02:44 pm
Yes. The news is that I have not died nor forgotten about this. Summer school just ended for me on Friday, so I will finally be able to devote some actual time to this (as well as writing a couple articles for my blog that I'm working on now.)
I think both for technical and ego reasons, my first LP isn't going to be an LP, as much as completely ripping off Usa's annotation style (with his permission of course. Hi Usa. ), although the notes will be focused less on gameplay tactics and more on (hopefully) interesting factoids and tidbits about the game, characters, etc. I've decided the first game I do is either going to be the original LoZ, or Zelda: LtP. I know both games in my sleep, and think I could do a pretty good job at either. I'm leaning towards LtP just because I like the game more, but its also quite a bit longer and more complicated, so I may just go original LoZ, see what kind of feedback I get, and go from there.
If things go well, I may graduate to doing a full-on LP for LtP afterward, or just sticking with the annotations, depending. We'll see. Hoping at the very least to have my first vid up by next weekend, and hopefully quite a bit sooner.
There's a thread in this forum where I update my current projects.
), although the notes will be focused less on gameplay tactics and more on (hopefully) interesting factoids and tidbits about the game, characters, etc. I've decided the first game I do is either going to be the original LoZ, or Zelda: LtP. I know both games in my sleep, and think I could do a pretty good job at either. I'm leaning towards LtP just because I like the game more, but its also quite a bit longer and more complicated, so I may just go original LoZ, see what kind of feedback I get, and go from there.