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How to make Let's Plays?
theSquid
Sydney, AustraliaRegistered User regular
Sydney, AustraliaRegistered User regular
I'd like to have a go at making Let's Plays with not-old games (i.e. made in the last decade) but I'm not sure what software to use.
Preferably freeware / open-source. Google has revealed not much that is helpful, other than to use CamStudio, but if I do the game lags (and the game I was testing it on was Deus Ex).
Preferably freeware / open-source. Google has revealed not much that is helpful, other than to use CamStudio, but if I do the game lags (and the game I was testing it on was Deus Ex).
No, I'm not going to do a Let's Play of Deus Ex
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Edit - And I'd link it but in my experience direct links to SA don't work unless you're a member, but it works out fine if you just go in yourself from the front page.
Step 2: Haha, I should write an LP of it!
Step 3: Oh god I am bad at writing.
Step 4: This is taking too long, why the hell did I start this?
Step 5: Twist ending/abandoned LP.
Reminds me, LPing that RPG with funny dialogue MAY sound fun at first but don't abandon it halfway through!
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Synth is also on to something. <_<
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I had that problem for the mirrors edge lp. After awhile, it just wasn't entertaining to watch me play the game so I ended up shelving that one....
That said, don't fill up the silence just because you can- I don't think people want to listen to non-stop talking because you're afraid of a little silence.
I was actually referring to your post. But yeah, a game that is so sparse in terms of things happening would make it really tough.
edit:
Those just seem like a behemoth in terms of the work you'd have to do. Screen shotting the right moments in a cutscene or risk missing it forever, writing all that dialog as well as snarky side comments...
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
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With SEV I ended up using maaaaybe half of the screenshots I took. Eventually you just adjust to constantly screenshotting.
I can definitely see why video would be easier. No saving and rehosting a few hundred(or thousand!) images. I started a second with images like my first, but I'm considering switching to video.
Fraps seemed inadequate, since it stopped at 30 seconds. Any other recommendations for recording?
just be warned the video files are huge (2+ GB for 10 min alone- or atleast, that's how they come out for me)
It's quite a bit of work. I did two relatively short portable Zelda LPs (Minish Cap and Link's Awakening) and it was the only time I haven't really enjoyed playing them; it actually felt like work.
Please, if you decide to start a Let's Play, follow through. I've had my heart broken so many times watching LPs stopping dead in the middle (I'M LOOKING AT YOU FINAL FANTASY 9!)
They have their issues.
For instance, let's say I'm doing a let's play.
My images are
and
Ok, so these two shots are ships in a space battle, right? The first one is my little fighter up against some huge dreadnaught ship thing. The second is me taking out that big ship. Basically my ships are being awesome avatars of death.
I could write that connection a few different ways. One of my favorite techniques to use when you're dealing with images that are pretty close to one another is to go with a disconnected over-arching piece of text that then makes sense when put together with the pictures, but is still unconnected. So something like:
This is useful because people will figure out what's going on about halfway through the story(Big+storng getting ass kicked by little), it gives a personal anecdote which allows a connection, and provides a nice break from the "game world".
Another way to present it is the reversal of expectations.
This gives you a bit of flexibility with writing too, because you can get as florid as you want for the bridge, and only need to be concerned with brevity for the punchline.
By the way, you notice how those examples are horrible, horrible shit? That's because I didn't spend any time or thought into the writing of those, and just off-the-cuffed it. It's also because I'm a bad writer. SS LPs require a lot of non-game thought because you don't control any of the pacing. Video LPs will always take the same amount of time and command the same amount of attention. So yeah, you do have some freedom in timing, and Screenshots are basically super line-breaks, but you also have no control in timing, and you do have to think about the writing. The best video LPs do have written dialogue to go with the video, but you can get away with poor writing and speech in a video LP a lot more than if your idea of good writing is
Use VirtualDub or Handbrake to compress the video to something reasonable.
When I did my OOT LP I did this:
1) Hook up GameCube via capture card
2) Use DScaler to record raw video and game sounds. For a dungeon, this ended up being around 20 GB.
3) Record audio in Audacity on a separate PC. (Before the I started, I would rotate the pause menus to sync the soundtracks.)
4) Use VirtualDub to rip the audio from the video.
5) Sync the two audio tracks in Audacity. Adjust the levels and save as one combined track.
6) In VirtualDub, specify your new combined track as the soundtrack for the video.
7) Edit the video (i.e., cut out the audio syncs, parts that drag on, you dying 50 times, etc.)
8) Export as a compressed video. Popular codecs these days are xvid and H.264.
9) Upload to Youtube or Dailymotion or whatever video site hosts large files and doesn't suck these days.
Final Fantasy 9 is on hiatus cause Minion had computer issues and lost his saves. He's probably going to have to play it again. Whether or not he actually is isn't in my current realm of knowledge.
Most things I'd advise have been said here already. Like make sure you're prepared for the amount of work it can be, and like stated in the forum rules, ask yourself: "Can I really make this funny or interesting?" Honestly though, it ended up being less work than I expected once I got the hang of it.
Oh, and if you do screenshots, make sure you have a good host, and don't use photobucket. You'll get to your third update and hit your bandwidth limit, since I know this forum has a fair share of lurkers.
Yes, but the initial video still takes up that space while you're recording. If you have, say a 150 gb HD that's already getting full with music, programs, and videos, you have to think about expanding before recording or else the video could cut off mid-attempt when your HD runs out of space.
Also, compression seems to remove some of the vibrancy of the original footage.
easily the most important aspect of an LP. there are so many embarrassing LP's out there
Also acceptable for video LPs if you're just wicked good at the game. TSR had a sonic let's play a while ago that got abandoned halfway through CD that was fun to watch simply because of the masterful playing.
Basically, watch the Retsupurae stuff. The things they comment on are how to not do an LP. :P
Mine held out for a long time, but I assume that's because it didn't have that many followers.
Thinking of doing a screenshot LP of Star Control 2. I can do funny, but I'm best if I get to polish what I write beforehand, and text + screenshots seems to be best for that.
Plus, I'm always happy to plug an open source game.
I want to recreate my no titles, no gels, no deaths Mania run of Tales of Symphonia. I have a camera I could point at my TV, and I'd only record the important battles and bosses, along with commentary on how I've set each fight up -- with those handicaps on Mania the set-up is more important than the actual fight half the time -- and maybe later on votes on who to keep in the main party. I have no idea if anyone would want to watch it, though.
Any ideas?
Anyone want to beta read a paranormal mystery novella? Here's your chance.
stream
I've never really liked camera -> TV Let's Plays, or youtubes or anything. Would an emulator or TV capture card be more appropriate?
It looks easier like that, since I can do any talking I need to do with the camera next to me.
However, I'd probably want to be listening to music or something while I do it, since I've gone through the game a few times and know everything by heart, and I'm not playing to it show the story.
Youtube should be fine, though; I use basically the same setup when I record fighting game tourney vids, and it works well enough.
Anyone want to beta read a paranormal mystery novella? Here's your chance.
stream
You will spend far more time editing, copy and pasting screen shots back and forth than playing it. I prefer them to video ones and that's why I did mine in this format but just understand that they are time intensive.
Above all you want to enjoy playing whatever game it is you're going to do. Make sure that either the game is entertaining or that you can make that so. If it's a game with custom units or you can customise ship/unit names get other forumers to sign up for a ship of their own so they feel like they're a part of it. The X-Com thread in SE++ is a great example of this and has been going since forever. One of the guys is a weapons platform and upon death has his back up injected into a new one for the next mission.
As an avid LP watcher I'll say this.
Never.
EVER.
Record an LP by pointing a camera at your TV. It is pretty much objectively awful. Get a Gamebridge or an EasyCap USB or something like that.
As far as i know, as long as he actually owns the game and system, playing it on an emulator isn't illegal, but downloading the rom to play it on the emulator is. (i.e. if you a) make your own back up copy of the game, or b) just place the disc in your drive and play that, it is ok)
But i could be completely wrong- so... look it up before you start the lp to make sure you're doing everything legally