• Welcome to Talking Time's third iteration! If you would like to register for an account, or have already registered but have not yet been confirmed, please read the following:

    1. The CAPTCHA key's answer is "Percy"
    2. Once you've completed the registration process please email us from the email you used for registration at percyreghelper@gmail.com and include the username you used for registration

    Once you have completed these steps, Moderation Staff will be able to get your account approved.

Everything you need to know - The Let's Play FAQ!

Back to Let's Play < 1 2 >
  #1  
Old 08-04-2008, 08:28 PM
PapillonReel PapillonReel is offline
Bug/Flying
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Edmonton, AB
Posts: 10,444
Default Everything you need to know - The Let's Play FAQ!

All right, since people have been asking for this for a while, and since I honestly wouldn't want to be the person who has to search through almost 30 pages of conversation to find an answer, here's the go-to guide for anything related to the Let's Play phenomenon. Hope this helps!

- - -

FAQ moved to Archive thread.

Last edited by PapillonReel; 11-28-2008 at 08:30 AM.
  #2  
Old 08-04-2008, 08:57 PM
kaisel kaisel is offline
Dick Gumshoe Demon
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Fairbanks, AK
Posts: 3,882
Default

I have a small question, which thread do we use to sign up in the queue? This one, the other one, or a new thread? Other than that, thanks for the FAQ, makes things a lot more orderly.
  #3  
Old 08-04-2008, 08:58 PM
Octopus Prime Octopus Prime is offline
Mystery Contraption
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: The Great White North
Pronouns: He
Posts: 52,927
Default

You sign up for the Queue in the other thread.
  #4  
Old 08-04-2008, 08:59 PM
PapillonReel PapillonReel is offline
Bug/Flying
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Edmonton, AB
Posts: 10,444
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by kaisel View Post
I have a small question, which thread do we use to sign up in the queue? This one, the other one, or a new thread?
Ah, you have to post in the Let's Play Archive to sign up for the queue.

EDIT: Octoprime beat me to it.
  #5  
Old 08-04-2008, 10:31 PM
Jeanie Jeanie is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Michigan
Pronouns: Fem or gender neutral
Posts: 10,150
Default

Maybe you might want to put a link to the other thread so they know for sure where to go.
  #6  
Old 08-05-2008, 06:34 AM
MCBanjoMike MCBanjoMike is offline
Child's safety cactus
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Montreal
Posts: 17,173
Default

Maybe you should add something about the interactive nature of most LPs to the description?
  #7  
Old 08-05-2008, 07:12 AM
Octopus Prime Octopus Prime is offline
Mystery Contraption
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: The Great White North
Pronouns: He
Posts: 52,927
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by MCBanjoMike View Post
Maybe you should add something about the interactive nature of most LPs to the description?
Lord knows this is the more interesting part.

As much as I love Tombs and Treasure, it feels more like a "Look, I'm Playing!" rather then a Lets Play proper. Let this be a lesson against doing them for point and click adventure games.
  #8  
Old 08-05-2008, 07:25 AM
kaisel kaisel is offline
Dick Gumshoe Demon
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Fairbanks, AK
Posts: 3,882
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Octopus Prime
As much as I love Tombs and Treasure, it feels more like a "Look, I'm Playing!" rather then a Lets Play proper. Let this be a lesson against doing them for point and click adventure games.
I don't think that this is entirely a bad thing. Interactivity is nice (and that's why I'm a bit worried about doing Ys 3), but I think as long as you really like the game, and you can write something about it, I think it's fine. Brickroad's FF1 Let's Play only had a little bit of forum interaction, same with the Persona 2 and Soul Hacker ones (there are choices, but most of them only change parts of the plot/little bit of the gameplay).

Then again, maybe I'm wrong and that little bit of interaction was enough?
  #9  
Old 08-05-2008, 09:10 AM
Brickroad Brickroad is offline
Lv. 7 lawful woods faffer
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Tampa Bay
Posts: 24,592
Default

You also might want to make a note of the ten-image-per-post limit, and the ways around it, since that can alter the structure of an LP.
  #10  
Old 08-05-2008, 09:33 AM
SabreCat SabreCat is offline
worse than last time
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 201
Default

So the "queue" is just a tracking measure...? What's the upper limit on LPs that can be in the queue at once, and what is the process like when it's full? Do people on the waitlist get PMs when they can start?
  #11  
Old 08-05-2008, 10:16 AM
Octopus Prime Octopus Prime is offline
Mystery Contraption
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: The Great White North
Pronouns: He
Posts: 52,927
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SabreCat View Post
So the "queue" is just a tracking measure...? What's the upper limit on LPs that can be in the queue at once, and what is the process like when it's full? Do people on the waitlist get PMs when they can start?
There's usually a limit of two per week, to keep the board from getting over crowded.
If it's full for that week, just hop in for the next available spot when you're ready.
No, you just sort of remember it yousrself then create a thread.

If you can't make it for the week you've selected for whatever reason, just mention it in the other thread, in case someone else is ready and rarin' to go.

It's all quite seemless and easygoing, we just don't want a massive influx of LPs that never get beyond the first couple of updates, like we did when we began.
  #12  
Old 08-05-2008, 01:08 PM
SabreCat SabreCat is offline
worse than last time
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 201
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Octopus Prime View Post
There's usually a limit of two per week, to keep the board from getting over crowded.
Ohhh! So it's for pacing the number of new threads that get created, not the number of active LPs at any given time. I think I understand now!

Sabe the Dense, signing off...
  #13  
Old 08-05-2008, 08:30 PM
Issun Issun is offline
Ghost House Party
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Sad Lesbian Capital of the World
Posts: 19,431
Default

Also: Know what you're getting into. Doing even an adequate LP is more difficult and time intensive than it looks. You may think you'll be able to churn out a good update in ten minutes, but you're wrong. Spend minimal time on it, and it will be utter crap. From one who knows.
  #14  
Old 08-05-2008, 08:36 PM
Octopus Prime Octopus Prime is offline
Mystery Contraption
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: The Great White North
Pronouns: He
Posts: 52,927
Default

I've noticed that LPs take about triple the time that playing the game does.

Bear that in mind before you start hopping up and down saying "ooh ooh, I want to do Persona 3 and then FES, with a different save!"
  #15  
Old 08-05-2008, 08:38 PM
Mightyblue Mightyblue is offline
Are You Sure About That?
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: I am a Mountain Man, in a mountain land
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Posts: 24,722
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Octopus Prime View Post
There's usually a limit of two per week, to keep the board from getting over crowded.
If it's full for that week, just hop in for the next available spot when you're ready.
No, you just sort of remember it yousrself then create a thread.

If you can't make it for the week you've selected for whatever reason, just mention it in the other thread, in case someone else is ready and rarin' to go.

It's all quite seemless and easygoing, we just don't want a massive influx of LPs that never get beyond the first couple of updates, like we did when we began.
Yeah, the Mystic Quest thing didn't quite pan out. I was horribly bored playing through it again, and doing the intentionally horribly written prose thing took too long and hurt my writer's pride too much.
  #16  
Old 08-05-2008, 08:43 PM
kaisel kaisel is offline
Dick Gumshoe Demon
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Fairbanks, AK
Posts: 3,882
Default

That's why I'm glad to do a game where I can prepare the updates in advance. I think it's good to write a few updates before pledging to it, to get an idea of how much time it's going to take, and then decide if you can really go through it.

I know that even for the Ys 3 stuff which has simple dungeons and repeating rooms, it still takes about a half hour to an hour per update.
  #17  
Old 08-11-2008, 10:07 PM
Merus Merus is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 15,285
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyblue View Post
Yeah, the Mystic Quest thing didn't quite pan out. I was horribly bored playing through it again, and doing the intentionally horribly written prose thing took too long and hurt my writer's pride too much.
It also hurts when it turns out that no-one cares about the game you're doing, so it really helps to pick out a game that people have at least heard of. (This is the reason why the DROD LP stopped, because I got the sense that no-one really gave a shit. I really should have done Mornington Crescent instead.)
  #18  
Old 08-11-2008, 10:11 PM
SilentSnake SilentSnake is offline
Fun Club Agent
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Pronouns: He/him
Posts: 9,102
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Merus View Post
It also hurts when it turns out that no-one cares about the game you're doing, so it really helps to pick out a game that people have at least heard of. (This is the reason why the DROD LP stopped, because I got the sense that no-one really gave a shit. I really should have done Mornington Crescent instead.)
Yeah this is why mine stopped as well. Not many replies and the number of views to it were at a low. Heck, the FFX one accelerated to three times as many not long after it started. But it's probably just as well. The sheer number of ones going on at once is a bit much and mine would just be additional clutter.
  #19  
Old 08-12-2008, 04:06 AM
DANoWAR DANoWAR is offline
There's no thread shortag
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Ruhrgebiet
Posts: 2,505
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Merus View Post
It also hurts when it turns out that no-one cares about the game you're doing, so it really helps to pick out a game that people have at least heard of. (This is the reason why the DROD LP stopped, because I got the sense that no-one really gave a shit. I really should have done Mornington Crescent instead.)
I think another reason your LP didn't quite work was that the screenshots of the game all looked the same. That's the problem with puzzle games, it would have been a while until the background graphics would have started to change.
  #20  
Old 08-12-2008, 04:52 AM
Merus Merus is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 15,285
Default

And then they cycle between the same three graphical styles, anyway.
  #21  
Old 08-12-2008, 09:52 AM
Kirin Kirin is offline
What was my other title?
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: NC
Pronouns: he/him (usually)
Posts: 22,950
Default

I was actually reading both DROD and Goemon, but I suppose I can't argue with the numbers. And it's true that keeping up with most of the active LPs is a big time-suck as it is.

(Also... Mornington Crescent? Is that what I think it is? ... )
  #22  
Old 08-12-2008, 10:01 AM
Brickroad Brickroad is offline
Lv. 7 lawful woods faffer
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Tampa Bay
Posts: 24,592
Default

Anyone who is doing a LP solely to get responses out of people is barking up the wrong tree, IMO. For my part, I was enjoying the DROD play, I just couldn't think of anything particularly interesting to say while reading it.

I tend to lurk in the LP threads unless it's a game I know really well or I have questions or input. I didn't about DROD. The game was explained really well, (so no questions) and I hadn't found any of the secrets yet (so no input). I mean, outside of the interactive elements these are a passive experience for the reader, you have to expect more people than not are going to read and not post.
  #23  
Old 08-12-2008, 10:14 AM
Octopus Prime Octopus Prime is offline
Mystery Contraption
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: The Great White North
Pronouns: He
Posts: 52,927
Default

I was reading the DROD one. I love DROD.
But DROD doesn't really lend itself to conversation.

Similarly, though, I was pretty disappointed by the few people who read Tombs and Treasure. Luckily, it's a short game that I enjoy, so I was able to soldier on regardless.
  #24  
Old 08-12-2008, 10:15 AM
Brickroad Brickroad is offline
Lv. 7 lawful woods faffer
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Tampa Bay
Posts: 24,592
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Octopus Prime View Post
Similarly, though, I was pretty disappointed by the few people who read Tombs and Treasure. Luckily, it's a short game that I enjoy, so I was able to soldier on regardless.
I tried to read it but I can't load the pictures at work, so it got ghetto'd in my "check on the weekends" pile. Then I forgot to check it, either because I'm a horrible person or I just hate you specifically, one of those.
  #25  
Old 08-12-2008, 10:33 AM
DANoWAR DANoWAR is offline
There's no thread shortag
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Ruhrgebiet
Posts: 2,505
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Octopus Prime View Post
Similarly, though, I was pretty disappointed by the few people who read Tombs and Treasure. Luckily, it's a short game that I enjoy, so I was able to soldier on regardless.
Now were you disappointed by the few people who read Tombs and Treasure OR were you disappointed by how few people read Tombs and Treasure?
  #26  
Old 08-12-2008, 10:50 AM
Octopus Prime Octopus Prime is offline
Mystery Contraption
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: The Great White North
Pronouns: He
Posts: 52,927
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by danowar View Post
Now were you disappointed by the few people who read Tombs and Treasure OR were you disappointed by how few people read Tombs and Treasure?
The second one.

Also:
Quote:
Then I forgot to check it, either because I'm a horrible person or I just hate you specifically, one of those.
Awwww, don't worry you're not so bad. ~or~ I hate you too buddy, I hate you too.
  #27  
Old 08-12-2008, 10:51 AM
kaisel kaisel is offline
Dick Gumshoe Demon
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Fairbanks, AK
Posts: 3,882
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Octopus Prime View Post
I was reading the DROD one. I love DROD.
But DROD doesn't really lend itself to conversation.

Similarly, though, I was pretty disappointed by the few people who read Tombs and Treasure. Luckily, it's a short game that I enjoy, so I was able to soldier on regardless.
I actually was keeping up with DROD for a bit, and then there were a few days when it didn't update, and got shoved underneath a bunch of other ones, and I thought it hadn't updated.

And I read all of Tombs and Treasure, I just couldn't figure out what else I could say about it than the few questions I asked. It was a good LP though.
  #28  
Old 08-12-2008, 11:06 AM
mr_bungle700 mr_bungle700 is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 8,699
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Octopus Prime View Post
I was reading the DROD one. I love DROD.
But DROD doesn't really lend itself to conversation.

Similarly, though, I was pretty disappointed by the few people who read Tombs and Treasure. Luckily, it's a short game that I enjoy, so I was able to soldier on regardless.
I read the hell out of the T&T LP, I just didn't have anything interesting to say beyond, "Hey, I remember this game! I thought I imagined it! Also, this is funny."
  #29  
Old 08-12-2008, 12:50 PM
PapillonReel PapillonReel is offline
Bug/Flying
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Edmonton, AB
Posts: 10,444
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mr_bungle700 View Post
I read the hell out of the T&T LP, I just didn't have anything interesting to say beyond, "Hey, I remember this game! I thought I imagined it! Also, this is funny."
This.
  #30  
Old 08-12-2008, 01:04 PM
Tanto Tanto is offline
Watch and learn
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: NoVA
Pronouns: He/him
Posts: 9,788
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brickroad View Post
I tend to lurk in the LP threads unless it's a game I know really well or I have questions or input. I didn't about DROD. The game was explained really well, (so no questions) and I hadn't found any of the secrets yet (so no input). I mean, outside of the interactive elements these are a passive experience for the reader, you have to expect more people than not are going to read and not post.
< 1 2 >
Top