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Impromptu AMA with Soraya (Patreon)

Published:
2017-06-07 00:40:17
Imported:
2026-06

Content

Hey folks! I haven't been roaming the comment sections like I usually do these past couple of weeks... as you've seen, we took on a double load of episodes for the two WWII series we're doing with Wargaming, and that's kept me wildly busy for a while. I've got some time this afternoon, so as I'm crawling through looking for questions I missed these past couple of weeks, I figured I'd drop a post here and invite anyone who just wants to hang out and chat via Patreon comment section to do so!

Who am I, though? Hi! I'm Soraya, the Media Director at Extra Credits and the person who usually posts things on Patreon for you. I've also written a few episodes of Extra History, namely: Mary Seacole, Hiawatha, Samuel Ha-Nagid, Ned Kelly, the Articles of Confederation, and the upcoming episode about the French Resistance perspective on D-Day. Other than that, I am the so-called Shadowy Puppet Master of Extra Credits, who handles most of the behind-the-scenes stuff to keep the company running. Ask-Me-Anything!

Comments

Kenneth Huang

What's your favorite restaurant?

ExtraCredits
>>5546251

It's closed now and I will never not be upset about it. :( It was called the Afghani House, and it was located in Sunnyvale, CA. There are other good Afghani restaurants that I've been to, including in that area, but there was something beautiful about the space in the Afghani House (not to mention how delicious the qabili palau was) that had my heart.

Belinda Zoller

Why are you passionate about history? What do you like best about studying and retelling history? Hopefully that question makes sense, haha!

Steven

Where is the link to the AMA :P

Paul

When did you join the EC team?

Peter Melling

Has the creative team put more thought into providing works cited lists?

ExtraCredits
>>5546359

The AMA's right here in the Patreon comments. I'm not important enough for my own Reddit thread. :P But hit me up, I'll try to answer!

Sean

Your episodes have been wonderful! What motivated you to start writing for the channel?

ExtraCredits
>>5546342

Hi Belinda, and yeah, that question makes sense! I've always been a voracious reader (usually of fantasy and mystery novels) but I first fell in love with history when I realized back in high school that history class was really story time at school. It just happened that the stories were about real people rather than the ones in my fantasy novels, but the things those real people accomplished were fascinating to me because they had real impact on my world today. Once I became active as a researcher in my college years (and now again with Extra History!) I realized that it also tickled my love for mystery: so many times, you're not just reciting what happened but actually trying to piece it together from scattered clues like a detective would. So I love the stories, I love the challenge of trying to piece them together, and I love this feeling that you can understand people and countries a little bit better by understanding where they came from.

ExtraCredits
>>5546360

I joined in late 2013, right before Extra Credits wound up leaving Penny Arcade TV and heading to YouTube, and right before we launched Extra History as a regular show. I've always been very proud of the fact that I had a pretty big hand in launching EH: I've always loved games and history, so I wanted this show very badly (as did James and Dan), so we found a way to make it happen by setting up this Patreon. And you folks did the rest. :)

ExtraCredits
>>5546404

Yes, it's a constant cycle of arguments and counter-arguments on that particular topic. Belinda (our new community manager, who is here by the way and wonderful) and I went over it again recently when writing the FAQ for our new website, which addresses that question specifically: <a href="https://becausegamesmatter.com/faq/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://becausegamesmatter.com/faq/</a>#12 I personally have been on both sides of the fence at different times when it comes to compiling a full source list - largely because I trained in history long enough that I have a compulsive NEED to cite all my sources, but I've also spent enough time in the EC inbox to be concerned about the number of students who fairly clearly request our bibliographies so they can copy them for their history class. Right now I'm trying to hit a middle ground where I'll keep and recommend some of my own favorite sources for a series I've written, but not a full source list. I hope that's at least a good jumping off point for folks who are interested in learning more.

ExtraCredits
>>5546458

Is Steven Universe music its own genre? If not, I don't really have one. I jump around a great deal, and my philosophy is that I don't care what genre I'm listening to if I like the music itself.

Mohammed Deriye

Who does your art? I feel that the artists had changed over time, is this true?

ExtraCredits
>>5546489

You're sweet. <3 I've actually wanted to for a very long time, but I wanted to start small (Mary Seacole was my first set) because doing a full 4-6 episode series seemed like a pretty daunting place to start. Once I got the feel of it with that handful of one-off episodes, I asked if I could write a full series, and James and Dan were both enthusiastic and supportive about that. Ned Kelly wound up being the perfect place to start because it was a biography, and that type of history (because it's pretty linearly following one person) is probably the easiest type of series to write for the Extra History style, so again it was a good way of easing in.

ExtraCredits
>>5546609

Our two main artists are David Hueso and Lil Chan! They have very different styles, which may be why it feels like the artists have changed over time. We also used to have an artist named Heather McNabb whose day job stole her away from us, but we still love her and spend as much time with her as we can. Other than that, EH has actually been fairly consistent in terms of artists, and had less rotation than Extra Credits (which uses guest artists frequently)! Our very first guest art episode of EH was actually the D-Day episode which aired today, and that was drawn by Nick DeWitt, who knocked it out of the park.

Virtual Citadel

First starter? (trick question it was Walp- i mean Charmander)

Mohammed Deriye

Awesome sauce. One last question. How do you match the art to the content? Do the content writers tell the artists what they want to see, or do the artists draw the art based on how they perceive the content?

ExtraCredits
>>5546753

It actually was Charmander. What can I say? I like dragons. Even when they're not technically dragon-type. :P

ExtraCredits
>>5546822

SO GOOD. I used to not drink it as a child, for nonsensical stubborn child reasons. Then I drank it one time at a friend's home and was like "THIS is what I have been MISSING?" Cue multi-year binge of orange juice drinking to make up for lost time.

Lavikon

Who is the best Dan?

Jim McGeehin

Do you have a favorite event in history? Something like Operation Mincemeat, or another event where you just say: "Whoa, that's awesome!"

Pavel Yakushevich

Would you have issues with providing EH patreon page API access for a side project? I'm specifically interested in total pledge sum over time.

Virtual Citadel

My brother (who also watches Extra Credits and History) asks "if you had to drop Extra History or Extra Credits, which one would YOU prefer to keep going?"

Jacob Ashton

What is your favorite Historical Period?

ExtraCredits
>>5546800

We basically have the pre-set Extra Credits style - "bean people," as we call them, but then the artist gives it their own personal spin. David especially! So the artists set the style and do their own storyboarding, but we do have a review process where I look over the raw files from the artist and try to catch historical inaccuracies. Both David and Lil have gotten really good about their research, though, and I try to support them with Pinterest boards full of visual references for them.

Brandon Luong

One thing I've been curious about. Why is it that specifically the extra history portion of extra credits is on Patreon and not extra credits proper? I am a huge fan of the ec team, and this has been on my mind since your extra history launch. Thanks for all you've done!

ExtraCredits
>>5546939

I'm gonna have to steal a standard James answer on that one: it depends on the day you ask me. ;) My favorite is usually whatever I'm researching at the time, because there's always something that just drops your jaw. Right now, because I just finished the French Resistance episode (and haven't started on Khosrow yet), I'm still in love with the story of La Chatte, the British triple agent who almost betrayed one of their first set of agents organizing the Resistance in France. Alas, she didn't make it into the episode, but the short version is that she was part of a Resistance cell that got caught, and the Germans flipped her to their side. The British agents, after working with her for a bit, figured out that was she a plant, got her to confess, and then turned her BACK into their agent, helping them narrowly escape capture at German hands. It's pretty nail-biting, and recounted in "No Cloak, No Dagger" by Benjamin Cowburn, if you're interested in that and many more fascinating moments of behind-the-scenes Resistance.

ExtraCredits
>>5546941

That makes me nervous, gotta say! If you want your personal pledge sum I'd DM it to you, but the API sounds like something that I wouldn't be comfortable with, and I'm also not sure if it's possible for me to assign that on an individual level. I know Patreon has some API availability to developers in general, if you want to contact them about your project.

ExtraCredits
>>5546953

Keeping in mind that this is just my PERSONAL answer, and not reflective of the crew, I'd keep Extra History. I love both games and history, but I'm a bigger history nerd by a slight margin. Also I can write Extra History, whereas Extra Credits (despite a previous career in games) is a little beyond me, so I don't get to participate in that one quite as actively. ;)

ExtraCredits
>>5546954

I have two! One if medieval Spain, during the period of Muslim kingdoms (and caliphate). The other is classical Rome, specifically in the Republican era, right before and right after the collapse.

ExtraCredits
>>5547070

We've thought about it and discussed it several times, but ultimately we kind of like the idea that Extra Credits is its own self-propelled machine which powers along at the core of our content. If we were to launch other shows, we'd at least look at forming other Patreon pages for them (although I desperately wish Patreon did more to support multiple projects from the same Creator), but no plans for EC to get one at the moment.

Daniel Ryan

If you could pick the next Extra History series, what would you choose?

ExtraCredits
>>5547730

I kinda did already! All of the last set of topics which patrons voted on (except the patron suggestion, Khmer Empire, which I was also really happy about) were my suggestions. I'd have been happy if any of them won, but since it was Khosrow, I've already started collecting Persian histories!

Nessf

Which topic have you been most satisfied with so far?

Pavel Yakushevich

You are doing a damn good job being sneaky and staying behind the scenes. If not for monthly q&a, I'd probably never know who Soraya is. Could you give us an overlook of you typical daily duties as an EC team member?

Jim McGeehin
>>5546939

Good answer. My favorite sassy lady of the maquis story (because there are many) is still Nancy Wake. When parachuting in, she was stuck in a tree. When the French maquis captain found her, he said: "I hope all the trees bear such fruit." Her response: "Don't give me that French BS."

Nessf
>>5548505

In general. Also, on an unrelated note: Are all of the buttons on Patreon huge for anyone else right now? The reply button for this is about ten times the size of the actual post.

ExtraCredits
>>5548505

Gah, so hard to choose! So many favorite children! I like that South Sea Bubble showed we can make economic history interesting, but Admiral Yi is my favorite person, but also the First Crusade is so darn funny... how can anyone choose? :(

Herkles

What are your thoughts on alternative history?

ExtraCredits
>>5548578

The fun thing about my job is that there isn't really a daily routine; I basically handle problems as they come up, or do outreach to start new things if there isn't a problem waiting to be solved. But things like the crossover with Alternate History Hub or the sponsored episodes with Wargamings are both things that I have coordinated, to give you one (visible) example of what I do. I also prep the episodes (adding the stuff in the description box, for example) before release, and I organize scheduling and finances.

ExtraCredits
>>5548842

I think it's a fun thought experiment! Not my style to do it, but I enjoy listening to it from others.

Fabian Lenk

Which Topic(s) would you want to do (or redo), if you had unlimited time and money ?

Pavel Yakushevich
>>5546941

I know my own pledge very well, thank you. I'll reach out and explain the nature of the project in more detail in private.

ExtraCredits
>>5549942

I don't know that it's a time or money thing, more like a "when I feel ready thing," but I would want to do a piece on Medieval Spain. As I mentioned above, it's one of my favorite periods of history, and one that I feel gets very under-represented in history even though it is an important part of European history (which usually gets lots of attention). But I don't even want to put it on the voting topics list until I feel like I am settled enough as a writer for EH to do it justice.

Martin Verran
>>5548842

Speaking in my Unofficial Capacity as an Alternate Historian I can confirm what Soraya has just said, but then again it's possible I may be a little biased. The Articles of Confederation have certainly given me an idea or Two, and hopefully Future Series will do the same.

Martin Verran

Question One: thoughts on the Civilization Series? [Which I have been using as inspiration when I write Alternate History Projects but I am struggling a bit to get used to elements of VI, such as making Money, after being so used to the Economic System on V.]

SpoonofEvil

Have you ever had a situation where you had a preconceived notion about a subject EH will cover, and had it completely changed when you actually started researching/writing it? If so, what was the most significant one?

Wesley Squyars

Can you please list your sources? Specifically for the South Sea series and Admiral Yi Series? Please and thank you.

ExtraCredits
>>5560065

I have a soft spot in my heart for Civ. It, along with Warcraft II, was one of the earliest games that my brother and I played together (sometimes on a team, sometimes not) and for all I know may have helped me develop my love of history.

ExtraCredits
>>5562580

I can only speak to the ones I've written, but the Ned Kelly series was a lot of back and forths for me. I knew the broad strokes of what to expect (bushranger, killed police, got hung) but it's really one of those things that gets less clear, not more, the more details you have. I spent my entire time with him completely uncertain how I felt about him: is he a good man in bad circumstances, or do his bad responses to those circumstances show that he isn't the good man he thought he was? It's one of the things I found really rewarding about that series, but it's not one I have an answer to, even now.

ExtraCredits
>>5564478

I didn't write either of those, sorry! I don't have sources for them. I do know that Admiral Yi kept a war diary that James relied on for a lot of information that was used in that series, so I would recommend looking that one up for starters.

Fabian Lenk

What are your views on the planned Extra Mythology ? 1) Would you want to write for it. 2) What would you write about ? Also 3) At anyone who reads this, Extra Mythology will be made when EH gets another 1125 $ a month, so get your friends / family / pets to subscribe.

Martin Verran
>>5560065

Question Two: Thoughts on the Assassin's Creed Series? [A new Entry in which, I have heard, is in Development, so I now have Two Games to look Forward to this Year]

Christopher Smith

Oh gosh I'm so late to the party. lol If you are still answering, I'd love to know if there are any topics you've seen people suggest that they talk about in the comments, that really excited you but didn't get drawn?

Schaaschaa

I hope I'm not to late ^.^ I found Extra Credits only because of Extra History, because I'm not really overly interested in gaming and animation. If I had happened to see a gaming episode first, i would have probably never subscribed and missed out on all your great content!

Schaaschaa

That was a little to fast -.-' I wanted to ask: Since you have set up the Patreon SPECIFICALLY for EH, what are your thoughts on maybe splitting up the content and giving EH it's own channel? Greetings, Schaaschaa

ExtraCredits
>>5560065

I used to be a huge fan - it was the only game franchise that was a guaranteed buy for me whenever a new game came out - but I dropped off that after AC3, which really didn't tickle my fancy. I am excited for them to go to Egypt next, though, so I will probably try it again unless it looks awful! ...Also I miss the multiplayer.

ExtraCredits
>>5567245

I very much want that show to happen, although James would be writing the four episodes if it does. :) I would personally love to write for it if it became more of a thing, but it's something I'd want to approach really, really carefully. There are living religions whose stories I want to discuss, but you have to be very sure that you are a) doing those stories justice and b) not implying that they are "just stories" when they remain relevant to people's lives. Also, I am rooting for us to rename it Extra Legends! I think it has more zing (and opens up a wider field of stories we can discuss).

ExtraCredits
>>5572099

Still answering when I can come by, just not hovering the computer screen with a mug of tea in hand any more! I'm actually really super excitable when it comes to history topics, so I couldn't really point out one topic and say "I really wanted THAT one" because I see them all and want them all.

ExtraCredits
>>5590462

It's something we've talked about repeatedly since EH started, and even made plans for a couple of times, but we canceled them every time. YouTube is not great at supporting multiple kinds of content on one channel... but it is even less great at supporting one creator who has multiple channels. We've come to the position now that as long as the content fits within the original Extra Credits "aesthetic" of engaging, educational content, then it fits on the main channel. Something that goes way off brand (like us goofing around on Extra Play) gets its own channel, but we hope that EC can be a place where people learn about lots of different topics (one day!) and sometimes migrate from one topic they're already interested in (video games!) to another one they don't yet know much about (history!).

Fabian Lenk
>>5567245

I don't know, i think "Extra Mythology" is the better description, even if "Extra Legends" might sound stronger and has a theoretically wider field. So, why no put it to the vote, it need not be one of the official patreon votes, and afterwards you'll be making exactly the show (title) we all want.

Martin Verran
>>5560065

For me, the Game Franchises that are a, Quote, "Guaranteed buy whenever a new Game came out," are Civilization, Total War, and Assassin's Creed. :-) Question Three: do you Think you may have more Time to answer Patron Comments when the D-Day Series has been Finished?