FAQ
Welcome to the FAQ section. This is the source you should consult to before leaving a comment that may be commonly asked. Here, you will know more about myself and my philosophy. Please note that some questions are extremely confidential, that I will only leave very ambiguous answers, or I will not answer at all. That is at your own discretion.
Who are you?
See the About section.
What got you into Let's Plays?
I started watching Let's Play's back in 2009. Before I became obnoxiousoboe, from June 2009 to December 19, 2009, my original username was obnoxiousoboe70. One day I was looking to see if they had walkthroughs on The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and sure enough, I actually found someone play a video game on YouTube. After viewing a few more videos, I finally discovered DeceasedCrab and his LP on Startropics II: Zoda's Revenge. That was the only person I watched until the following year. Back then, I had never even heard of Chuggaaconroy or NintendoCapriSun! I wasn't very active in the Let's Play community back then. But one day in the summer of 2010, I was looking for a LP on Super Mario RPG, and I had actually come across the main inspiration behind my launching of LPs, SSoHPKC (Seamus O'Doherty)! I watched him almost religiously for the next couple years, and as time went on, I had stumbled across other channels like IronFury, BikdipOnABus, Lucahjin, and NintendoCapriSun. I thought their commentaries were enjoyable to watch, and they all drove me to start Let's Play's of my own.
Before I actually launched my channel, there were a few failed attempts at trying to get it going. Paper Mario was originally planned to be my first Let's Play. I tried recording it on emulator with Camstudio, back in summer 2010, but the audio terribly de-synced to the point where it caused me to give up the attempt and abandon the game altogether. I wouldn't record again until late 2011, when I had my old laptop temporarily fixed (why I say "temporarily" was because it easily died on me a couple months afterward.) But I decided to try again when I attempted to record, this time, a Pokémon hack called Pokémon Crono. I tried again with Camstudio, this time adjusting the settings just so I could actually do it right this time. But it wasn't any better than my previous Paper Mario attempt. Months passed. I wasn't feeling as motivated to record a Let's Play, until August 2012, when a godsend happened. I had just saved enough money to afford a new laptop, as well as finally buy myself a Dazzle capture card. My itch to record something had returned.
But it still came off to a rocky start. I decided to do another hack called Pokémon Genesis. But I made another mistake. I decided to record from the Visual Boy's own recorder, which badly de-synced everything. Distraught, I also previously attempted Luigi's Mansion, but I didn't have any settings adjusted yet, so the audio skipped and the recording was still unsatisfactory. And then, one day, I discovered Blueberry Flashback Express, a recording program that could actually pass off as the poor man's version of Camtasia, and after tinkering around a little bit, with a couple test runs, it actually worked! And on September 7, 2012, I finally made my break when I started Pokémon Ash Gray, and it took off from there.
Before I actually launched my channel, there were a few failed attempts at trying to get it going. Paper Mario was originally planned to be my first Let's Play. I tried recording it on emulator with Camstudio, back in summer 2010, but the audio terribly de-synced to the point where it caused me to give up the attempt and abandon the game altogether. I wouldn't record again until late 2011, when I had my old laptop temporarily fixed (why I say "temporarily" was because it easily died on me a couple months afterward.) But I decided to try again when I attempted to record, this time, a Pokémon hack called Pokémon Crono. I tried again with Camstudio, this time adjusting the settings just so I could actually do it right this time. But it wasn't any better than my previous Paper Mario attempt. Months passed. I wasn't feeling as motivated to record a Let's Play, until August 2012, when a godsend happened. I had just saved enough money to afford a new laptop, as well as finally buy myself a Dazzle capture card. My itch to record something had returned.
But it still came off to a rocky start. I decided to do another hack called Pokémon Genesis. But I made another mistake. I decided to record from the Visual Boy's own recorder, which badly de-synced everything. Distraught, I also previously attempted Luigi's Mansion, but I didn't have any settings adjusted yet, so the audio skipped and the recording was still unsatisfactory. And then, one day, I discovered Blueberry Flashback Express, a recording program that could actually pass off as the poor man's version of Camtasia, and after tinkering around a little bit, with a couple test runs, it actually worked! And on September 7, 2012, I finally made my break when I started Pokémon Ash Gray, and it took off from there.
What devices do you record from?
For console games, I record using a Dazzle DVC100 capture card. For PC games, I will use Fraps. For Pokémon games. DS/3DS games, and hacks, I use Blueberry Flashback Express.
What is your regular upload schedule?
My regular upload schedule is baffling. I will usually record on weekends when school is in session, and I will regularly record on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays away from school. The normal upload quantity of videos per week range from 4 to 6, and they will normally be uploaded on days other than Monday. It depends on how motivated I am, and it also depends if I am awake enough to record (My advice for future LPers is to get a good night's rest prior to recording, because your mind kinda wanders when you are sleep-deprived).
What other stuff are you interested in?
I am interested in a lot of things. Outside gaming, I like to read books, write stories, play music, listen to music, and watch TV. My favorite subjects are history, music, politics, astronomy, environmental studies, philosophy, and computer science.
What are your religious and political beliefs?
I'm afraid I can't reveal that. I just don't believe YouTube is the right place to discuss that. If you seriously want to know, I believe in love, equality, and karma. End of story.
Why do you like music?
Music is like medicine. Listening to (and playing) music every day can make a sad day forgotten as if it never existed. I've been into music since I was at least 3 years old, and I still enjoy every minute of it. I've matured to the point where I like almost everything associated with music.
In terms of what music I listen to, I listen to mainly rock, classical, indie, jazz, musical/movie/video game soundtracks, world, and folk, so I am extremely eclectic in my musical tastes. Give me a composer, I can probably name him. Give me a song, I can probably name it. Give me an instrument, I can probably identify it.
Despite what the people on the internet and Wal-Mart want you to believe, you cannot truly put a price on music.
In terms of what music I listen to, I listen to mainly rock, classical, indie, jazz, musical/movie/video game soundtracks, world, and folk, so I am extremely eclectic in my musical tastes. Give me a composer, I can probably name him. Give me a song, I can probably name it. Give me an instrument, I can probably identify it.
Despite what the people on the internet and Wal-Mart want you to believe, you cannot truly put a price on music.
Why do you sound so timid and tongue-tied in your videos?
I know I'm not the best speaker in the entire universe, but give me a break. Sometimes when I am recording, it gives me less room for me to breathe. My brain sometimes does not process information normally along with my mouth, and so as a result, it can be kind of hard for me to spit something out, and it may come out wrong. It may be a speech disorder, but this happens to almost everyone. That's why there is such a thing as conversation filler. You need room to breathe. But even if I do have that, and I still can't exactly communicate articulately, that does not mean I can't do a good-quality video. There is a remarkable quote from the movie Ratatouille that goes, "Anyone can cook." In defense of my argument, anyone can speak, and anyone can do a video game well. What's important is that you enjoy what you're doing, and that you're not forcing yourself to impress everyone.
What is your policy on comments?
I don't mind comments that are helpful, like if I missed something in a Let's Play that was significant to the story itself, or anything extra that's worth showing off. I don't mind constructive criticism either, but destructive comments will result in either being ignored, blocked, or, if it gets too inflammatory, flagged. If you're being a troll, then I will just simply ignore you. Keep your nose clean. Don't try your darnedest to be a moron.
Do you give shout-outs?
Yes I do, especially subscribers and people I admire. I will probably do this on a weekly basis, but I don't want to wear out the gimmick. Just expect to hear yourself be mentioned some week. If you want a shout-out, you can ask me too and I will plan some week to mention your channel's name!
Do you sub4sub?
No. Sub4sub is basically "bribery"; bribing other channels to subscribe to your content, even though that channel thinks otherwise. I highly advise you don't sub4sub. Subscribers and views come naturally. It comes at a more logical pace, than trying to "win" subscribers. You're doing it wrong.
Do you give requests for certain Let's Plays?
Yes, I will accept requests for Super Mario World and Pokémon hacks. Occasionally, I will do these games blindly for the sake of fun, ridiculousness, and review. If you look on SMW Central or check out the Pokécommunity's website, there should be some hacks you can suggest for me. But as far as console games go, I don't mind suggestions, but I don't take requests directly, and I especially don't want you to hint or beg me to do something. There goes your chance right there.
Also to make things more comprehensible, I will do overrated games. People don't watch the gamer for the game; they watch the gamer for the gamer. Everyone has their own perspectives when they play a video game. Unless you love to mimic other gamers, it's okay to do an overdone game if you're familiar with it. Besides, most of the games LPers do on YouTube are either Nintendo or Xbox games, and most of those are overdone in themselves. But what matters is that you have something to talk about.
Also to make things more comprehensible, I will do overrated games. People don't watch the gamer for the game; they watch the gamer for the gamer. Everyone has their own perspectives when they play a video game. Unless you love to mimic other gamers, it's okay to do an overdone game if you're familiar with it. Besides, most of the games LPers do on YouTube are either Nintendo or Xbox games, and most of those are overdone in themselves. But what matters is that you have something to talk about.
Will you apply for partnership in the future?
Yes. I will someday apply to join the ranks of quality gamers around the world. But I will do that ONLY when I'm ready to apply for partnership. I'm not one of those people who only uploads a few videos and thinks about joining RPM or The Game Station. It just doesn't work that way. You have to feel like you earned that potential in order to apply. My final advice I would personally like to give the future gamers of YouTube is know, and I stress, KNOW what you're getting yourself into when applying for a gaming network.
Can you tell me where to find a ROM? I can't find it.
I'm afraid I can't tell you that, and I'm not supposed to tell you that. Google's your more reliable source. Just keep surfing the web until you find what you're looking for.
Are you a completionist?
It depends on the game. I have completed a few games, so chances are, I might do a 100% run on those. But I'm not that meticulous a gamer to record myself exploring an entire game, because a few games I played I have completed only to be disappointed in the end. It seems that you reach 100%, and it really doesn't matter anymore. All you get is an extra feature, and that's it. Nothing else. Waste of time. There are some games that require 100% completion, however, in order to finish the storyline. Those I will exceptionally do. And I will try to do a completionist run, ONLY if the regular storyline only took, for example, 20 to 30 episodes when I could spend some additional time exploring and finding secrets. But I am not the most patient person in the world. I don't want to do a game that unbearably takes over a year to actually complete. I have other stuff to take care of. I don't want to force myself to be an interactive strategy guide. That's Prima's and IGN's job, not mine.
Do you do "practice runs" and "bonus" videos?
I only do practice runs when I need to, for example, Star Fox 64, because you basically have to keep practicing over and over again until you actually become good to excel a mission. But for the most part, I don't practice before recording. If I die or suck a lot, I will apply the "three strikes" rule and then edit away. Plain and simple. Part of my commentary style is getting to know the game as I play, establishing a lifelong friendship with it. And that comes with a lot of reactions. I don't want to be that guy who says "Yeah, you're supposed to do this," or "I've been through this shit before." I want to have a nice, casual dinner with the game. I want it to share its feelings for me, as I would share my same feelings for it. Get the picture?
As far as "bonus" videos go, I really don't like wanting to do extras. It's like, you're up to the finale. You've explicitly STATED that this is going to be the finale, and nothing else, but wait, the playthrough's not over yet. I know a few LPers do this, and I totally respect them for that, but I'm just not one of those guys that wants to add post-game material exceeding the finale, that's all. It's like composing the finale to a symphony, but you decide to add an extra movement after that. It no longer becomes the finale; the extra movement has. To give another analogy, it's like stating that the season finale of New Girl is this week, but you then decide to continue writing additional episodes after the finale, and go on with the regular schedule after the finale is done. Now does that mean I won't show any post-game material? Not exactly. If there is post-game material I would like to present, then I will either continue on with the finale after the credits, or I can simply add an extra part to the finale. That's all there is to it!
As far as "bonus" videos go, I really don't like wanting to do extras. It's like, you're up to the finale. You've explicitly STATED that this is going to be the finale, and nothing else, but wait, the playthrough's not over yet. I know a few LPers do this, and I totally respect them for that, but I'm just not one of those guys that wants to add post-game material exceeding the finale, that's all. It's like composing the finale to a symphony, but you decide to add an extra movement after that. It no longer becomes the finale; the extra movement has. To give another analogy, it's like stating that the season finale of New Girl is this week, but you then decide to continue writing additional episodes after the finale, and go on with the regular schedule after the finale is done. Now does that mean I won't show any post-game material? Not exactly. If there is post-game material I would like to present, then I will either continue on with the finale after the credits, or I can simply add an extra part to the finale. That's all there is to it!
Do you watch other peoples' videos?
Yes I do, as a matter of fact. What a truism. I don't watch many LPers or popular people on YouTube, but I try to. I mainly watch videos by SSoHPKC, BikdipOnABus, Lucahjin, and DeceasedCrab. But I do also watch Darkmindedsith, NCS, people I know in the Nintendo Buzz (NinBuzz) community, and other potential gaming channels who don't have as many views or subscribers, but who are overshadowed by the ever-increasing competition of YouTube.
Continuing on with that statement, I enjoy watching the popular channels. Chuggaaconroy is, who I would call, the Itzhak Perlman of Nintendo gaming, or the Roger Federer of gaming, and I don't mind watching his content every now and then. But one thing I have definitely learned from the YouTube experience is that you should embrace diversity and respect those who strive. To put it retrospectively, this year at Wimbledon, Roger Federer shocked (and crushed) big fans everywhere when he unexpectedly lost in the second round of the tournament. Fans were brokenhearted when they actually watched him lose (which he hadn't lost that badly since 2002) to an unknown tennis player from Ukraine. But during that interview, Federer, although disappointed from the loss, wisely stated that his fans should respect the underdogs, cheer them on, give them some support. I kindly agree with him here. I know it's tough these days trying to get optimally recognized on YouTube, but I personally believe that the viewers on YouTube should also devote a portion of their time to the smaller channels, give them some respect and support. They would appreciate that, and because they deserve it. That's my philosophy, and I hope people who read this answer will also perhaps learn from the experience and take heed of my wisdom to give smaller channels more elbow room. I would respect it. Chuggaaconroy and NCS would respect it too.
Continuing on with that statement, I enjoy watching the popular channels. Chuggaaconroy is, who I would call, the Itzhak Perlman of Nintendo gaming, or the Roger Federer of gaming, and I don't mind watching his content every now and then. But one thing I have definitely learned from the YouTube experience is that you should embrace diversity and respect those who strive. To put it retrospectively, this year at Wimbledon, Roger Federer shocked (and crushed) big fans everywhere when he unexpectedly lost in the second round of the tournament. Fans were brokenhearted when they actually watched him lose (which he hadn't lost that badly since 2002) to an unknown tennis player from Ukraine. But during that interview, Federer, although disappointed from the loss, wisely stated that his fans should respect the underdogs, cheer them on, give them some support. I kindly agree with him here. I know it's tough these days trying to get optimally recognized on YouTube, but I personally believe that the viewers on YouTube should also devote a portion of their time to the smaller channels, give them some respect and support. They would appreciate that, and because they deserve it. That's my philosophy, and I hope people who read this answer will also perhaps learn from the experience and take heed of my wisdom to give smaller channels more elbow room. I would respect it. Chuggaaconroy and NCS would respect it too.