Channel Update #7 (September) – to RPG or not to RPG (Patreon)

Update time again. The last video (CRPG guide) has done really well and I’m glad I finally got it finished and uploaded because I’d wanted to make it for a while. I think I messed up a bit on that video by not having a great intro and then taking far too long to get into the main topic of the video, but overall I think it turned out well and it was also nice to get a chance to talk about a few different CRPG’s that I might not get to talk about much otherwise.

On the subject of CRPG’s, I should probably mention that the next video will not be Wasteland 3. I’ve seen a lot of youtube comments asking if I’ll make a video on it but I don’t think I want to. It is a good game. I haven’t finished it because I have both a co-op and single player campaign going, and I also wanted to get started on some other games for the next youtube videos, but I will finish it when I get a chance. Still the main reason I don’t want to make a video on it is simply because I’m not sure the video will be that interesting. I don’t want to make a video just for the sake of making a video and I don’t think my opinion on Wasteland 3 differs that much from other reviews I’ve already seen. So while I’m sure I’d still have things to say about the game, I’m not sure they would justify an entire video. Regardless, I hope no one will be too disappointed by this decision. I’m well aware that most of my audience is here because they like RPG’s and that’s great because I love making videos on RPGs (and have plenty of RPG related videos planned for the future), but I don’t want the channel to just be about RPG’s. Ultimately what matters to me is making videos that I think are interesting because that’s what’s enjoyable to me, and I think in the long run this is something that will pay off for both the channel and my audience. 

So with that said the next video might be a little different. Only a little mind you, it is still video game related and I hope it will turn out well and be a video that most people will still enjoy. But it’s not RPG related and I’ve had a strange few weeks thinking about whether to make a video on Wasteland 3 or this other video I’m now making. It’s made me reflect a bit on how much I want to focus on RPG’s with the channel and whether I want to be "the RPG guy" or not. It may sound like I’m over thinking something that doesn’t matter too much, but the thing about the Youtube algorithm is that it seems to reward those who stick to familiar territory while often punishing those who get a bit experimental. So there’s an argument to be made for just focusing on RPG’s and making that my thing and yet despite that I went for the non-RPG option because that’s what I think will lead to a better video. I guess we’ll see in a few weeks whether it does end up being the right decision (I’m not sure at this stage how the video I’m working on will actually turn out), but I wanted to explain my logic at least.

And so that’s why I’m taking a break from RPG’s… for a month. I mean, the next video after this one will be Deus Ex, and that should lead straight into a Cyberpunk 2077 video to round out the year. And then I’m already making big plans for next year and nearly all of those plans are RPG related. So, maybe none of this matters because it’s just one video and I should stop over thinking these things and get back to work.

Anyway, one last thing to mention before I go: the patreon hit $500 dollars recently and that seems like quite the milestone. So thank you everyone for making that possible. I may sometimes complain about Youtube but really, deep down, I love making videos and I feel very lucky to be in the position I’m in and to have received the support that I’ve received. Don’t tell Youtube I said that though; those fuckers demonetized my Dragon Age video and I’m still mad about it!