Dear raocow -- a suggestion related to LPing

[Tails_155]

I hope this is the right place, if this fits in suggestions better, move it...

I'm sure this could sound like a whiny rant if I don't monitor it well enough (and it may, I don't know. I expect flack, so I'm over it.)

I, as a fan, not the longest term fan, but a fan nonetheless, believe that there has been a steep decline as of late in the commentary department of your videos. I still watch, and I still DO enjoy (this isn't one of those hyperdramatic ultimatum videos, I'll probably still watch basically anything you make, as I've mentioned) your videos, but your affinity, reasonable as it may be, for harder games and hacks, as well as being totally savestateless in some, sometimes absurdly, difficult hacks really causes a decline in commentary quality (I'm not suggesting random, I know you're done with that, but perhaps a more relaxed tone as opposed to the, sometimes high stress, voice that comes out lately.) Commentary is pretty important to an LP.

Here is what I propose. Not that you stop doing harder hacks and stuff, if you love to do it I wouldn't request you stop. However, I do urge you to find, if you have the time, some sort of easier, or possibly more familiar game, activity, or hack as a b-side where you can just have some more relaxed fun:

Spelunky - When you played this it was familiar, however, it is not something you can rote memorize since it changes, and as such you didn't just automate your way through the game, but you still had some fantastic commentary
Easier hacks - this is one that is kind of hard to gauge, and the quality is very affected by Sturgeon's Law
Drawing videos - I, personally, find the drawing videos to be really interesting because they are a blend of your art life and your LP life -- commentary and artwork, sometimes about video games, and it's just really neat.

Another thing is that, while there is editing, and you seem to want to avoid episode 0s as much as possible, the episode 0 attitude creeps in with the way the videos are edited. When you start to mess up, you tend to express a distaste for the level or your own playing to the point it consumes the commentary. It makes it hard to follow when it's a 12 minute video and 10 minutes of it is you either criticizing your mistakes, "simonac," or mentioning the same crummy obstacle's irritating position. Editing could remedy this, possibly, I don't know.

I'm sure there are other suggestions, these are just the ones that came to mind writing this.

I am in no way telling you to stop what you are doing, that would be selfish, however, I know I'm not the only one to notice a deviation in style (again, not suggesting what you call "monkey cheese," but perhaps just a less frustrated commentary, even if it means more post-production commentary) but I haven't heard of anyone actually mentioning it aloud. As such I figured I'd give it a shot, whether it comes across as a whiny rant or as heartfelt as I hope it does.

You were one of the LPers I started watching fairly early and are in a sense the reason I am practically IVed into YouTube. You are also one of only two LPers I watch on a consistent basis, and the ONLY one from whom I watch a new video every day (as you are the one who uploads daily) and I really would like to see a better quality -- that is -- if you're willing. If you want to keep doing what you're doing, I am not going to stop you, I can't, and it'd be silly, you have to enjoy what you're doing to keep going. However, we, your fans, (or if somehow I'm the only one who thinks like this, I, your fan, in which case this has far less impact,) would like to find a happy medium between your enjoyment and a better quality commentary.

Thanks for stomaching this, I hope it came across as reasonable and not as just a whiny rant.

[kilon]

The thing is that you don't want to change someone because you feel it's better. Even if you don't mean it that way. It's well known by now that if raocow feels the commentary is off, he'll scrap the take and most of the times we don't get to see it.
Then again, suggestions as well constructed as this one are never a bad thing.

It's like a band though. Musical tastes change and 95% of the bands have a completely different feel between their first and last album. My favourite band hasn't released a REALLY good album since 2003 (or one can argue 2005) and while I still hope that 4 albums later I'll get to hear the beauty of the earlier albums, I know it's not going to happen because the band changed its style a bit. Still really good, but not of the quality I came to know and love.

With raocow it's pretty much like that. We have these different 'era's' where in the beginning was new raocow, then monkey cheese raocow, which evolved into a still random but more calm and more insightful into the game raocow. And maybe we are in another transitional phase right now, I can't tell.

I do enjoy the commentary in b-sides a lot more than in mario hacks, even when it's crazy hard, but that's probably because I like the change of scenery. But that's just a personal thing.

[peteyboo]

I'm going to have to take a slightly different side.

I actually don't like the commentary in most of the b-sides as much as when you're playing Mario. For example, Nitroid is basically just you saying how hard this particular part of a puzzle is followed by random sounds once you get done, at least in world 5. Voxatron seems to be sort of a false past of sorts, like you're trying too hard to just be silly and spontaneous. Your talking is truly the best when you're doing what you love, which seems to be (of course) Mario hacks and art.

However, it is true that you might be taking things a bit too hard on yourself. I don't know how much you mean everything you say for "oh I'm playing like an idiot" and whatnot, but for myself, I rarely actually mean it. I'd just rather put the blame on myself than Haimari even if the level is super unfair (of course, we all see how that's working out in world 8). Plus, it's funnier that way. And sure, it is funny when we get a "Part 0" and it's just rage rage rage all the time. But with A2MT coming up, maybe you should take a break and do easier hacks.

I dunno. I can't really formulate thoughts right now. Too tired. But you have to do what makes you happy, no matter who it pleases and who it makes mad, because the people who want you to do things you don't are the ones that are going to stop watching once you stop doing what they want, and probably weren't worth the entertainment anyway.

[Tails_155]

@Peteyboo: I find Nitori to be one of those exceptions in that (at least the late game) is designed to be 100% ridiculous. If you look back at older b-sides some of them have been good examples of the raocow that is easier to enjoy. As far as Voxatron, I thought it was actually a lot of fun, but that's just me.

Other than art, the well runs dry with any ONE game suggestion, though.

Also, I'm not demanding him change for me. I am wishing he would adjust back to a less high-strung raocow, yes, however I still want him to do as he wishes, and am only giving a suggestion as a fan and possibly a buddy.

I also made sure to suggest that if he has time do a secondary game that is less demanding (or art videos, which I have always thought would be very enjoyable, and have enjoyed) simply because the commentary, in my mind, at the very least, has been less of a downer.

[morsel/morceau]

I don't know. The commentary is partly a function of the game, but it also depends to a large extent on mood and disposition. Surely he has been changed as a person over time, and how he chooses to present himself has changed over time, so asking him to play an easier game or equivalently(?), as some people do, to go back to using savestates/rewinds is unlikely to lead to you getting 'your' raocow back.

I still like the videos. Today's video was good, wasn't it? If I don't really care for something, like nitroid, I just don't watch it. I can live with this.

[Tails_155]

That's what I do, but I'd hate to stop watching him, I really enjoy his videos off and on (like I said, this isn't supposed to be an ultimatum, just a friendly suggestion) and I'm not looking for an old raocow, but a new one with less of a bitter tone.

[RobinLSL]

I think that you're kind of exaggerating the problem here. The only problem we have at the moment is that the two games caorow are playing right now are S Mario and Nitroid, which BOTH are extremely extremely demanding on the player. As soon as one of these is over with, we'll have one more "happy go lucky" game and all's going to be fine... And the random Voxatron videos are already doing a good job at that.

Anyway I for one don't dislike the "raocow's having a super hard time" videos and I COMPLETELY identify with all his "why am I playing like an idiot, this isn't even hard?!" -style exclamations, and find this kind of videos very interesting as well - I'm just focusing a bit more on the game and a bit less on the commentary than usual.

[Servant]

I COMPLETELY identify with all his "why am I playing like an idiot, this isn't even hard?!" -style exclamations

I don't. And I think that is probably what's making me upset with his videos; if the romhack is hard, fine, it's understandable why you die so many times. But if you're calling yourself a bad player, then it just raises the question of why you're LPing this game in the first place. Play it yourself, in the home, but there's no reason to publicize your failed attempts for the world to see. If we want continuous failure, we'd play the game ourselves. I'm not calling for TASes or a return to savestates, but I am looking for at least semi-decent gameplay footage, and as the commentary begins to decline in quality, it's becoming harder and harder to watch. Switching to non-Mario romhacks could help make the videos more...watchable IMHO, both in terms of gameplay and in terms of commentary.

It doesn't matter what I type anyway, as LPing is a pseudo-hobby so raocow can do whatever he wants and ignore what "we" say. Which is good, the idea of a fandom is creepy.

[AUS]

The "idea" of a fandom is creepy? Hate to creep you out there, but it already exists.

[Tails_155]

I really don't even think the issue is romhacks so much as which romhacks are played... high demand romhacks are fine for the enjoyment of the struggle, but are a bit too demanding to be the best for commentary...