The Let's Play FAQ (written by ElMaligno and slowbeef)
OK, what the fuck is a Let's Play thread?
In a nutshell, a Let's Play thread is when a goon plays game, documents his playthrough in some sort of media (pictures or videos), and then posts a thread about it. Some games lend themselves to interactivity with forums members who can vote on decisions the player makes, costumes, etc. Others don't and serve to show off playthroughs of particularly difficult/fun/terrible games.
LP threads also double as discussion threads for the game in question.
Why do a Let's Play thread?
There's tons of reasons - exposing games that might otherwise have fallen through the cracks to gamers (see Vlaphor's Harvester), waxing nostalgic about older games we loved (see Proton Jon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), or injecting humor where there was no humor before (see The Dark Id's Resident Evil 4).
It's especially helpful for very tough games that most people can't or don't want to complete (see Cyberdud's Robinson's Requiem.)
I want to do a Let's Play of a game!
Slow down, chief! Check out the Master List below or ask in the thread, just to make sure it hasn't already been done. (Unless of course, you have a different twist on it.)
Preferably, if it's your first time out, you may want to try an update here in the castle to see how people respond to your format choice.
WHYYY I WANT TO DO THAT THREAD NOW!
Easy there, cupcake! There's no rules that say you can't just up and make a thread, so if you're really itchin' to go, do it. But again, if it's your first time out you may want to try it here first.
Pictures or movies?
Up to you and the game, really. Try both out and see what's more entertaining to your audience.
I decided to do a screenshot LP! Where do I host the pics?
Waffle Images - Seems to be the image host of choice, but it's been a little wonky lately.
You can find a list of other image hosts here, courtesy of the SAclopedia.
WaffleUpload - A tool which allows you to upload multiple images at once to ~WaffleImages. Once installed, select your images, then right click and select Upload to ~WaffleImages. (Windows only, may require a reboot to start working) (Thanks, Maxxim!)
Anything I can do to crop, resize, etc. pictures faster?
As far as batch processing, I use ~ImageMagick from the command line, but I've heard good things about ~IfranView for those of you who need GUIs.
I have general technical questions about starting an LP thread! Where do I go?
I had something to do on making/producing/translating the game. Can I post too?
Please do!
Name him SEXCOPTER! Rolf!
Alternatively, Doomtrain!
Seriously, though, unless it's a game everyone knows, you may not want the first update to be:
[title screen!] [name choosing screen!] "Oaky guyz wat do I name him?" Also make sure you're naming a character whose name will actually appear in the dialogue - it's silly to ask people what to name a save file.
I love LP threads, but I'm too lazy to look for them in the archives.
FromEarth is compiling The Let's Play Archive for this. Read all about it below.
How do I make a good LP thread?
Fuck if I know. Okay, there's one - and only one - thing common to all good LP threads: Effort. Any jackass can throw up a bunch of screen captures and call it a day. Try to add something - anything - preferably new.
Also, tailor your thread to the game at hand. I would fucking murder someone if they made crappy jokes over the intro to Snatcher.
I want to do commentary! I want to be a guest/host!
Ask in a goon's thread - we're pretty fucking inclusive and always looking for new talent. The only rule I'd say is try to keep technical issues you're having out of the commentary unless they must be addressed. It's really hard to make Kaillera lag jokes, anyway.
No one's replying to my thread! What am I doing wrong?
Ask. Don't be a dick about it or anything - I noticed it took like 2 LP threads before people started paying attention to any of mine. Yeah, it really sucks to put up content and just have people not respond. But be patient - there's a fuckton of LP threads in this subforum and at some point, someone will notice yours.
And again, the more effort you put in - or more specifically, the more unique your thread is - the more likely people will pay attention. And then one friend tells another and another. And then you'll get people banging down your doors to fucking update and you'll be like "GODDAMMIT PEOPLE I HAVE A FUCKING LIFE, LEAVE ME ALONE! I'LL GET YOU CHAPTER 9 OF MAJORA'S MASK WHEN I HAVE SOME FUCKING TIME!!! I HATE ALL OF YOU!!!!!"
Yeah, having a popular LP thread is just fucking peachy.
The Master List
Experimental Wiki version that you can edit and add info pages to:
Slowbeef, my thread is unlisted/incorrectly listed in the Master List!
Fix it yourself in the new wiki! (Current password: lamulana)
Failing that...
Tell us in either this thread or via some other communication channel. There's a ton of threads here and I can't keep track of them all, so when you finish a thread or see an abandoned one, let a man know!
And please provide:
- A link to the thread
- Its status
- Pizza. (I haven't gotten Blowjob 1 since maintaining the Master List.)