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Readership Poll: What do you want to see more of?

Back to Let's Play < 1 2 3 >
  #1  
Old 05-09-2011, 11:16 AM
PapillonReel PapillonReel is offline
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Default Readership Poll: What do you want to see more of?

Three years, huh? I'm still amazed we've been going so long; thanks to everyone who's taken part over the years! You guys deserve all the credit for making this work, and I'm glad everyone's been having fun.

That said, I've been getting comments from readers that they aren't getting as into Let's Play threads as they used to for various reasons, and, well, I think that warrants some addressing. Long story short, I want to get an idea of what people want to read here in the LP forum, and a poll seems like the best way to make things happen.

So: What kind of threads do you enjoy reading? Are there any games you'd like to see given the Let's Play treatment? Do you prefer screenshots or video? What kind of writing style - technical runs, comedies/send-ups, artistic stuff, hybrid styles, etc. - do you enjoy most of? Conversely, what turns you off of a Let's Play? Do you have any pet peeves that you'd like to see addressed? Do you feel there are too many screenshots being used? Too few? Is there anything else you'd like to mention?

Note: I know TTers are good for not causing drama, but just so we're clear: This isn't a place to call anyone out. If you have something to say to someone specific, take it to PMs and don't be a jerk about it.

Last edited by PapillonReel; 05-09-2011 at 05:55 PM.
  #2  
Old 05-09-2011, 11:50 AM
Lucas Lucas is offline
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As people have probably guessed from my own work on the FF3 LP, I'm all about the mechanics. I joined the board when Brickroad did his original Final Fantasy LP, and I remember voting that we do "Master Classes" instead of "Let's Plays" way back when. Mechanics are what make games fun for me when I'm playing them, and discussion of mechanics is what I enjoy when reading about them.
  #3  
Old 05-09-2011, 11:56 AM
kaisel kaisel is offline
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Like Lucas, I really like mechanical discussion, but mostly, I really like discussion of a game, whether it's the story, the mechanics, or even just a long post about personal anecdotes about playing the game. Basically, I really prefer when someone has a lot of strong, positive feelings about a game.
  #4  
Old 05-09-2011, 11:58 AM
Vaeran Vaeran is offline
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I tend to be turned off of LPs that are clearly going for some sort of gimmick in their presentation -- if you're writing up your LP in haiku, that's certainly very clever, but I'd much rather just be informed about the game. A little humor is certainly welcome if it's done well, but sometimes I find LPs where the author is just trying too hard, and it starts to become tiresome.

As for the density of information I prefer, that can be tough to pin down. When it comes to RPGs, for instance, I don't want to read transcripts of every single inane conversation in the game, and I certainly don't need screenshots of every last text box. Generally I think an LP should give you the gist of the game experience, with particular emphasis on the particularly important or interesting parts. If there's an unusual glitch or some secret that many people might not know about, yeah, definitely focus on that. But there's often a lot of content that can be safely glossed over.

Often I read an LP because I want to know what a game is about without devoting 40 hours to playing it myself, and that's the reason that I avoid, with rare exception, video LPs -- because watching them tends to be just as big of a time investment. (The other reason being that I've seen too many videos wherein the LPer feels compelled to fill absolutely every single second with nervous, meandering commentary and awkward jokes. That stuff makes me cringe.)

Fortunately TT produces LPs of fairly high quality on average, and I usually find most of the above points satisfied. So in conclusion, video games.
  #5  
Old 05-09-2011, 12:02 PM
BEAT BEAT is offline
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In direct defiance of the posts right above me, I'm going to encourage more LPers to be willing to go completely off the rails of the game in favor of doing their own thing. Eddie has all but completely abandoned playing FFV in the bossrush thread in favor of regaling us with the cross-dimensional adventures of the best berserker ever, and we are all richer for it.
  #6  
Old 05-09-2011, 12:08 PM
Sky Render Sky Render is offline
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Have to admit, text-dump LPs are kind of annoying to me (he says in massive irony in light of the fact that his own LPs are turning into that these days). The old "show don't tell" principle applies just as much to an LP as it does to anything else. I don't mind amusing little gimmicks and asides myself, as long as they don't detract from the overall experience or drag on without getting to the point.

Really I don't think there's any one "right" way to do an LP. Everyone has different tastes, and some LPs are inevitably going to be more appealing to certain people than others. Some are looking for a purely informative and/or demonstrative LP, others prefer an MST3K-esque riffing, still others like it when the player writes a meta-narrative over the original, and a handful just want to look at the screenshots/videos and not be interrupted by any form of commentary. Many of us are happy reading a mix of different types of LPs, and I know that there are a few who even watch/read (or don't watch/read) an LP more based on the game being played or the person/group doing the LP than anything else.
  #7  
Old 05-09-2011, 12:14 PM
Prinnydood Prinnydood is offline
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Yeah, I encourage LPers to go for a style that isn't just a bland "I did this and I did that" with a pithy joke or two in there to spice things up. Make it interesting. Throw in some anecdotes like kaisel said. Explain away on mechanics that most people may not know about like Lucas said. If the game is part of a series, explain the history of certain parts of the game and where they came from or where they were taken in later games. If you have a favorite part of a game that you're LPing, then gush about it down to the most insignificant detail. If there's a part that you hate, then talk about why it incites such a hatred in you. This is your chance to show off your in-depth knowledge of a game or even relate it to some childhood memories. Why not take advantage of that?

I certainly don't think all LPs need to be funny. I need them to give me something that I can't experience by playing the game myself.

That haiku idea is totally cool, though. Someone should do that.
  #8  
Old 05-09-2011, 12:14 PM
Adam Adam is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BEAT View Post
Eddie has all but completely abandoned playing FFV in the bossrush thread in favor of regaling us with the cross-dimensional adventures of the best berserker ever, and we are all richer for it.
Not after the medical bills I suffered after some asshole in a wolfskin erupted from my spleen.
  #9  
Old 05-09-2011, 12:18 PM
BEAT BEAT is offline
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Dude that was your idea. Don't hate the man for following orders.
  #10  
Old 05-09-2011, 12:49 PM
mr_bungle700 mr_bungle700 is offline
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The only thing I can think of that turns me off an LP is loads of screenshots, especially if those screenshots are of dialogue. I don't care all that much about the dialogue in a game that I'm reading an LP of, and I'd rather just have the player summarize it or skip it altogether.

The things that attract me to an LP are humor, creativity and technical information. I prefer to get all three, if possible.
  #11  
Old 05-09-2011, 01:06 PM
PapillonReel PapillonReel is offline
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I'd like to go on record as saying that I really, really like hybrid LP styles. Video and music really go a long way towards adding to the experience, and for stuff like boss fights and challenges, being able to see strategies play out in action is more fun to me than just reading about it. I also tend to lean more towards games I haven't played before, like NetHack or the Swordcraft games - the less I know about a game going in, the more invested I'll be in the thread. Which is weird, since I first got into the phenomenon through Brick's FF LP, which I've read up on to death in the past. I guess I just like being surprised?

As for turn-offs, I'll second using too many images, though some games get away with it by being incredibly charming. My eyes tend to glaze over more with walls of text, however - I have a criminally short attention span, so if you're explaining things in giant paragraphs every other screenshot or if the game you're playing never gets to the point, odds are you've lost me. Other than that, I'm pretty much okay with anything, so long as they're informative and/or entertaining; I'm really not that hard at all to please.

That said, I've been... well, busy the past while with IRL stuff, so I haven't been following Let's Play threads as closely as I'd like. I guess that just means I have some catching up to do!

Last edited by PapillonReel; 05-09-2011 at 01:23 PM.
  #12  
Old 05-09-2011, 01:11 PM
shivam shivam is offline
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honestly, i don't like straight playthroughs of games unless they're old school platformers. my favorite LPs are ones like brick's FF1, or eddie's masterwork FFT, where the writer spends time teaching me the nuance of the game and going into what is interesting. Zef's awesome infodumps in the SMT one also stand out.

Sometimes, i click on an LP i'm following, and it's just WALL OF SCREENS with long ass convos, and it's a big turn off.

edit- of course, bungle went and said what i wanted much more elegantly above.

Last edited by shivam; 05-09-2011 at 01:56 PM.
  #13  
Old 05-09-2011, 01:37 PM
Meditative_Zebra Meditative_Zebra is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mr_bungle700 View Post
The only thing I can think of that turns me off an LP is loads of screenshots, especially if those screenshots are of dialogue. I don't care all that much about the dialogue in a game that I'm reading an LP of, and I'd rather just have the player summarize it or skip it altogether.

The things that attract me to an LP are humor, creativity and technical information. I prefer to get all three, if possible.
This.
  #14  
Old 05-09-2011, 01:55 PM
ais523 ais523 is offline
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I'm all about the mechanics, really. (I also find I tend to prefer blind LPs of games I already know, and fully-informed LPs of games I don't; there aren't many blind LPs on TT, though.) I tend to gravitate towards LPs of the sorts of games I already like (roguelikes, etc.), and also obscure RPGs for some reason.
  #15  
Old 05-09-2011, 01:58 PM
Kahran042 Kahran042 is offline
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I always have been fascinated by mechanics, so I'd love to see more technical runs, especially of games that I thought I knew well. I also like things done in a narrative style, especially if they can explain some of the plot elements that don't make sense.

Things that turn me off...well, I really can't stand LPs that accentuate the negative, because why would you LP a game just to bash it? Thankfully, I haven't seen that much of that here.

All in all, this has been a very good place to read LPs and learn about games that I might not have even considered learning about before. Keep up the good work! ^_^
  #16  
Old 05-09-2011, 02:02 PM
Aerdan Aerdan is offline
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For me, it's consistency in style that matters the most. If it starts out good and goes to crap, or starts out terrible and improves later—I'm not interested. As for videos: Me love you long time if subtitles are included for your dialogue (and the game's dialogue, if the game has subtitles that can be enabled). Talking while the game's talking, though? Instant F.
  #17  
Old 05-09-2011, 02:10 PM
Sky Render Sky Render is offline
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You know, all this talk of mechanics and technical runs makes me think that a Vagrant Story LP would probably go over pretty well here. It's a game that most people don't get the first thing about, and thus often despise, yet those of us who have taken the time to figure it out usually come to love it with quite a passion.
  #18  
Old 05-09-2011, 02:17 PM
Elements Elements is offline
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Well, the #1 thing I want is the experience of playing the game. As previously said, I don't need every dialogue screen if it's a dialogue heavy game - just the gist is fine, with any notable highlights covered. What I really want, however, is a good coverage of the mechanics. How enemies behave and how you respond, to include failed efforts. For a game with billions of enemies, just what makes each unique.

Humor is certainly appreciated, it can add flavor and entertainment. But failed attempts at it can make the read even worse. this is why I personally prefer that the humor be inserts, rather than the theme.

I definitely like it when people link music, and video for particularly epic moments. Video LP's themselves are sometimes much better to go with, depending on the nature of the game... But, the commentary can suffer a bit as a result, as its rarely pres-scripted in the way a written LP is. So, that's very much a matter of the game and the LP'er.

Of course, for the FF5 Boss Rush, where so many people are covering such similar content, each person doing their own unique (and occasionally outlandish) style is appreciated.

Also, user participation of some form is always great. I always prefer there be some if there's room for it.
  #19  
Old 05-09-2011, 03:33 PM
Elfir Elfir is offline
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I don't like transcripts, especially when the game has a ton of text. I tend to skip past them, hunting for the actual commentary. I prefer story analysis and witty quips, just highlighting the interesting bits.

Seeing people abuse the system is fun, but too much tech talk can be a turnoff. All the stats in Fire Emblem LPs are really addicting and I don't know of any other LP that got me rooting for lots of little +1s all over the screen. Show me how to break the game. It makes me think I'll one day tackle the game myself and have an edge from the getgo.

I don't watch video LPs much. I'm in the habit of having the sound off on my computer and I prefer to go at my own pace. They're fun sometimes but just not my thing. Hybrid LPs annoy me, especially when they don't give advance warning what's planned. At least summarize the video content.
  #20  
Old 05-09-2011, 03:40 PM
BEAT BEAT is offline
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Transcripts are one of those things that's either great or terrible.

For example, I don't think the Majora's Mask LP would benefit from having every conversation transcripted (which it doesnt) but I'm loving the fact that every time Travis Talks, we get to see it in the Killer7 LP.

I also loved the transcripts in E.V.O. so I guess it worked in that game too.

EDIT: Videos seem like one of those things people don't really enjoy. For the record though, I'm loving the videos garrison made for the Parallel Worlds LP. He's put an insane amount of work into showcasing the game in both screen shots and video form, and the end result is nothing short of awesome.
  #21  
Old 05-09-2011, 03:48 PM
Dawnswalker Dawnswalker is offline
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I feel my ears burning!

Quote:
Too many screenshots! Too much dialogue!
Dammit.

Considering that we're a relatively small community, I'm pretty pleased with our LP forum, for the most part. There's always an interesting project or two going on, and we have a good mix of personal styles around here.

I wasn't sure how I felt about the Queue system at first, but now I kind of like it, because there are times where it's hard to keep up with everything going on as it is! That's not even counting the ones that I'm waiting to end first, so I can power through them in one sitting.

I'm personally not a big fan of blind LPs, or romhack LPs, but we even have some pretty good examples of those around here. So, I don't really have much left to say besides "keep up the good work."
  #22  
Old 05-09-2011, 04:01 PM
PapillonReel PapillonReel is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dawnswalker View Post
I feel my ears burning!

Dammit.
In fairness, every single screenshot of Rhapsody was a delight. Some games really do get a pass on charm alone.

Now go play Little Princess.

EDIT:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sky Render View Post
You know, all this talk of mechanics and technical runs makes me think that a Vagrant Story LP would probably go over pretty well here. It's a game that most people don't get the first thing about, and thus often despise, yet those of us who have taken the time to figure it out usually come to love it with quite a passion.
Hell yeah. Actually, I believe someone was set to write a Vagrant Story LP at one point (it was Eirikr, right?), but it ended up getting dropped due to technical problems. A shame, because I would've posted the heck out of that thread. I even owe my username to the game!
  #23  
Old 05-09-2011, 04:13 PM
Zef Zef is offline
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And now, to fret endlessly about whether the criticism above applies to my fledgling style, what with over 400 views since the last update and only two responses to an audience participation question :s If I'm doing something wrong, please let me know.
  #24  
Old 05-09-2011, 04:20 PM
Knight Knight is offline
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I love video LPs, because I can watch while I'm at work. I just put it on, shrink the window down, and put it in a corner while I do my work. If something interesting happens when my attention is completely on my work, or if I don't catch all of it, the commentary usually makes note of it, and I just skip back a bit and watch it.

As for styles, I like them all. 2 video LPs I started watching the other day have been for Demon's Souls, and 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. The former is the more informative type, where he goes over game mechanics and stuff. While the later is more of a comedy, with two dudes MST-ing the game in all of its ridiculous glory.

I think I might like blind LPs most of all, because the live commentary is great the player is pushed too far. Brickroad's "DOORS DON'T WORK THAT WAY!" and "LOST MY SHOE!" had me laughing way too hard.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dawnswalker View Post
I feel my ears burning!

Quote:
Too many screenshots! Too much dialogue!
Dammit.
I feel like my ears are burning too! For what little of my LPs I actually did. I tried to get screenshots of all the dialogue, and fit them together so the whole conversation was presented. I feel like if I tightened it up and just summarized, I would have saved myself a lot of work, as well as gotten more people to read and post.
  #25  
Old 05-09-2011, 04:43 PM
VorpalEdge VorpalEdge is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BEAT View Post
EDIT: Videos seem like one of those things people don't really enjoy. For the record though, I'm loving the videos garrison made for the Parallel Worlds LP. He's put an insane amount of work into showcasing the game in both screen shots and video form, and the end result is nothing short of awesome.
Videos really depend on the game. It works for PW, and it's what I want to transition to when I get back to Redesign at some point. Action games are shorter, making videos less costly in terms of time, and there's a lot more you can miss in screenshots. But RPGs? It depends on the game, but it's hell no for the most part.

I'm also not a fan of transcribing whole conversations. At some point it just becomes, ok, if I wanted this I would simply play the game myself, right? For the same reasons, I'm not really a fan of typical playthrough LPs. There are of course exceptions depending on how the LP is presented, but to me, the format is about transmitting esoteric or privileged knowledge: showing things that aren't obvious, or breaking the game, or stuff like that.

But I'm heavily influenced by speedrunning culture, so my views are hardly standard. Grain of salt, etc.

Last edited by VorpalEdge; 05-09-2011 at 04:53 PM.
  #26  
Old 05-09-2011, 05:01 PM
Torgo Torgo is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dawnswalker View Post
I feel my ears burning!
Your Rhapsody lp is still one of the forum's best in my book. Your own running commentary along with the game's script was fantastic.

Anyway, as someone who in fact attempted a blind lp, I gotta say I'm not the hugest fan. Especially, especially, especially if the person doesn't already know how to put together a decent lp and commit to getting it finished. Again, speaking from experience here. If I were to try to do something again, it would probably be something very short form and in the microgames section.

Ultimately though, I can't say there's anything I particularly like or dislike. If the game itself interests me or its one I like, I'll probably follow the thread or series regardless of how it's presented.
  #27  
Old 05-09-2011, 05:28 PM
dosboot dosboot is offline
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I really like video LPs since I can watch them while eating my morning cereal. I tend to watch the first few episodes and then hold off for it to be completely done however. I feel like I have to be more choosy with text LPs for this reason, even if they don't take as long to read.

Text dumps are an instance of constraining yourself to a certain structure. The potential problem with any such structure is you might end up not really screening for quality. Maybe it is helpful to ask oneself this: If you weren't doing a full LP, but were for some reason going to post screenshots+commentary on this one 5 minute portion of the game, would it still be interesting to read? This applies to mechanics explanations just as much as story.

I think people have covered the 'likes' - anything that fosters discussion is what I like. Personal stories, historical/notable things, technical analysis. For video LPs the random chaos that comes with live commentary is a big plus. I think the equivalent sort of thing for text LPs is hard to judge. I don't have a good answer here when it's good to talk about unique outcomes to your particular playthrough. Anyone?

I'm going to stick my neck out here and say that MST'ing / parodying / well-deserved-mocking of a game is not what makes me keep coming back for the next update. It is not a dislike thing though (well usually at least). I tend to either enjoy it or ignore it, but I feel one should consider that too much mocking can displace more interesting content.

I think I also have a sort of weird dislike where I can end up not enjoying the framing between the LP'er and the audience. I'm not sure how to explain it but, for example, if there is a secret in the game you can choose to show it as if the audience wasn't aware (so you act like you are revealing a surprise or teaching something new about the game) or as if the audience knows about it already (so you act like you are referencing a shared experience). Maybe I'm just weird by consistently doing the former puts me off in some LPs.
  #28  
Old 05-09-2011, 05:46 PM
Pajaro Pete Pajaro Pete is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mr_bungle700 View Post
The only thing I can think of that turns me off an LP is loads of screenshots, especially if those screenshots are of dialogue.
S-sorry...

I have no other opinions w/r/t Let's Play types, except that my internet connection is ~super slow~ so watching video LP takes more of a time investment than I'm generally willing to put in.
  #29  
Old 05-09-2011, 05:51 PM
Torzelbaum Torzelbaum is offline
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So does it really matter what "system" an LP'ed game is on? Because there is a Flash game that I think I'd like to LP but how I want to structure the LP would disqualify it from the microgames section.

edit: I don't really have any format preference. For video LPs I would rather have multiple small to medium-sized (like 15 minutes or less) videos than a few large ones. I like the diversity of LP styles here but I usually focus more on the genres I like or the old-school stuff.

Also, I think some of the more verbose games could benefit from some judicious editing.

Last edited by Torzelbaum; 05-09-2011 at 06:04 PM.
  #30  
Old 05-09-2011, 05:58 PM
Elfir Elfir is offline
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One thing I hate: Pretending you don't know the game/story. Blind LPs are one thing but if you've played it a dozen times and are showing off the exploits, "Gee I wonder what's gonna happen next" just feels patronizing.
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