Poll: Blind or not, what kind of Let's Plays are better?

[silver wolf009]

Title pretty much says it all.

I was watching this Let's Play of Jurassic Park Trespasser by a Youtuber named awesome24712, and it's really good. I reccomend you guys watch it.

But what struck me is how he knows the game so well. He actually heat-seeks onto weapons, knowing where they all are, shows bugs and Easter eggs, and generally walks us through what's going to come next.


I really don't like this to be honest; I feel like he's giving a tour, not showing us the story of a game.

And so, with this in mind, I made this thread. Let's gauge the Escapist's temperature on the matter, shall we? What do you guys think?

 

[hazabaza1]

Depends on the game and the LPer.
For example, anyone doing a blind Dark Souls Let's Play deserves to be castrated and fed to the dogs, unless they've mastered Demon's Souls first.

But, there are exceptions. I've started watching Cry plays Lucius recently. Good fun.

 

[Rose and Thorn]

The best kind of Lets Players are the ones that essentially role-play in their games. The ones that really get into it and make the game an experience for not just the player, but the viewer. Much like a TV show.

Some of my favorites are
:TheShadowCookie
amo2986
:Linus117
:Nagidal146
:Northernlion
:Samyoulonline
:TheZemalf

Also Jefmajor & TheRPGMinx can be really fun sometimes.

 

[machblast]

An enormous majority of the people who do blind let's plays are completely fucking awful at whatever game they're playing, and no one likes watching someone get stuck for 30 minutes on an incredibly easy to solve puzzle from your perspective.

Also you actually need to be funny/interesting enough for someone to actually care, when it comes to just essentially recording everything you're doing in the game.

The best Let's Plays are ones that give special background info about the game, or show off secrets, and are properly edited. Also properly recorded (no horribly shitty camcorder-pointed-at-TV let's plays, no UNREGISTERED HYPERCAM 2, no static-y mic with popping noises), and the person in question usually is better suited to have a script.

It is exceedingly rare that someone is funny and/or interesting enough for an unscripted let's play. Also learning to enunciate, and not speak in a goddamned monotone for the entire LP.

 

[AD-Stu]

I don't really watch many video LPs in the first place but whether it's video or screenshot, I think rehearsed is definitely the way to go. I don't really see the point in watching someone wander around lost inside a game and bringing nothing new to the party when I could just do the same thing by playing the game myself.

 

[scorptatious]

Depends on the LP'r.

On one hand, if it's a game I really like. It's enjoyable to watch people's reactions to the various stuff that happens in the game.

On the other hand, there are those times in which they get stuck for a really long time, and I find myself wanting to yell the solution to them. Even though they can't hear me via a pre-recorded video. :/

 

[DustyDrB]

I prefer LPs of games that the LPer is intimately familiar with, to the point that they provide insight that that would likely go unnoticed otherwise. See: Scorchy's KotOR II one on lparchive. Lots of wonderful little nuggets in that one.

Also, I tend to only follow LPs of games I've already played and am very familiar with myself.

 

[LooK iTz Jinjo]

I've never watched a Let's Play with any intention other than getting a specific achievement or item, easter egg etc, so yeah I prefer it when they know what they are doing instead of watching them die in the same section 8 times before they stumble upon what I'm after.

 

[recruit00]

It depends on the game and the LPer. Some games work well with crazy blind runs and some basically require practiced runs. I would rather play Dark Souls myself than watch some guy try to figure it out.

I vote for the other option that does not exist right now.

Also, give some love to written LP's. Those are so much fun, especially the ones on the Nuzlocke forums. So hilarious.

 

[TehCookie]

Not, if I wanted to see someone suck at a game I'd play it myself. On the rare occasion I watch an LP it's to see how the game is meant to be played, from extras to kicking ass. I also hate comedy ones, they're never funny. At least having fun facts about the game are interesting.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Only watch them if the person is humorous and it usually turns out better on a blind play.
But if I want to see solid gameplay/solutions then someone blabering over it is just irritating, show the moves and shut your trap.

 

[SoranMBane]

I prefer it if the Let's Player has actually had some experience with the game before, simply because it can be extremely frustrating to watch someone stumble their way through a game they've never played. I also like it when the person playing can also critique the game in-depth or even teach me a bit about it (like development trivia, not just Easter eggs), which they can't do as much on a blind run. I want the commentary to be about the game, not just them chattering away about random crap and occasionally reacting to the game.

 

[Zanderinfal]

Mikennemonic is one of my favorites. He makes LP's on games like Magicka which are (to my knowledge mostly) blind, at least 99% of the time. His LP on SCP-087b was amazing.

It wasn't blind, but the way he lovingly mocks the bullshit jump-scares the game has is the best thing ever. A guy not being scared by a horror game, but mocking it when everyone else is screaming while playing it is rare, but the way his sarcasm works just makes it.

 

[Chairman Miaow]

Wow, I didn't know that you could play as a wacky waving inflatible arm flailing tube man in Jurassic Park.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

Blind runs can still be informative whilst being comical, I think rehearsed runs are good for walkthroughs but generally not great for entertainment. Unless it's speedrunning. ^^

 

[lionsprey]

depends on the LPer and the game watching a guy try to figure out a puzzle most viewers figured out 5 minutes ago is really painfull but watching someone encountering and solving new puzzles has a charm of its own.

 

[Simonism451]

I usually prefer rehearsed runs, because I like to see more or less everything there is to a game I'm watching a LP of since chances are, if I'm watching a video about it I'm not going to play it for myself (and wasn't going to in the first place). Besides it scares me how infuriated I become with people who are worse at videogames than me, especially when they blame their own incompetence on the game. Obviously that's kind of hypocritical, since I too am pretty shit at videogames, but at least I don't make youtube videos of me getting angry at them.
That said, my approval or disapproval of a specific LP is more likely to be connected to the character of the LP'er and its production value. As a rule of thumb most of the LP's (but not all) not coming from the LP subsection of the Something Awful forums fail to hit a spark with me.
P.S. Another rather awesome Trespasser LP

 

[JEBWrench]

I was watching this Let's Play of Jurassic Park Trespasser by a Youtuber named awesome24712, and it's really good. I reccomend you guys watch it.

ResearchIndicates did it better. Way, way better.

But then, RI's Trespasser is the gold standard of video LPs.

Anywho, in response to the question, blind is terrible. Just bad. If I'm watching an LP, I'd rather see someone who is skilled in the game, so anything s/he points out is properly informed.

If the LP is trying to be funny, a non blind run usually provides better jokes too, I find.

EDIT: The post above me provides the intro. Watch it. Wonder why anybody else would bother making an LP again, because it's been won. Also RI has a ridiculously sexy voice.

 

[Combustion Kevin]

I don't really mind as long as the LPer is immersed in what he does, giving some more emotional feedback panicky screams or victorious laughter, makes it far more enjoyable.