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2022 Travel Content Plans / 2021 Objectives (Patreon)

Published:
2021-03-06 22:11:36
Imported:
2026-06

Content

Hello!

I want to make some announcements and clarifications about my plans for travel content and how I've been investing your money.

The first thing is that I've had to bump plans for travel content into early 2022. I honestly have no idea when I can get a vaccine, and that's the key factor in getting those videos going. It might be all the way until late summer and fall, and I don't want to get into a situation of having promised something I'm unable to deliver. I'm confident that by the spring I'll have gotten both shots and will be ready to move on my plans. Also, the cost of these plans is significant and I'll need to save for the entire year to pull it off. 

Here's what pulling it off means:

1) 'Real Life Landscapes of Fallout 3,4, and 76'. Possibly with some Tactics locations included. 1-2 hours.

2) 'Threading America: A Drive Along the Lincoln Highway'. Most complex project. 3-4 hours.

3) 'Roads of Future Past: Along the Natchez Trace and Blue Ridge Parkway'. Comparative travelogue. 60-90 minutes.

4) 'Deconstructing Route 66'. A critical deconstruction of Route 66 in pop culture and its oversized influence versus more interesting roads. 1-2 hours.

To facilitate these videos and provide maximum thematic/aesthetic cohesion in the footage I got a classic American road car, a 1978 Ford Thunderbird. I actually purchased it last year, but the COVID situation made it pointless, so I mothballed it until now where I've been taking automotive classes and fixing it up actively. 

School is going well, I've gotten through the first quarter and all the basic prerequisites for more advanced classes, so by the time next spring rolls around I'll actually be well on my way to ASE certification in a number of areas. 

Some of you who follow me on Twitter know I've been having difficulty with getting angry at my own work after it's released because of what people tell me are disqualifying errors. For my own mental health, I need to find a different way to approach my own work and what I do. Where I've landed is that the only people I'm going to be listening to about quality issues are you, the patrons. I am accountable to YOU. I've been doing serious mental injury to myself trying to take everything anyone's ever said about me into account in good faith, even when some of the negative things being spoken are obviously in bad faith themselves. 

I know this might be seen as if I'm trying to avoid accountability, but for me it's about refining it. You decide what I make per month. You decide if I deserve it. Not me, or bonerhitler69, or whoever crawls out of the woodwork to tell me I'm aggressively incompetent. I am fully accountable to my 900+ bosses and that's really all I can do.

Because of this, it's more important than ever that you let me know if you feel there are quality or argumentation issues in my work. I will diligently work to address whatever a Patron brings up.

Meanwhile, the unlimited/anytime refund policy will continue. Patreon allows me to reverse up to three months worth of recent transactions, but I can refund further for your entire lifetime amount via Venmo or Paypal. 

I've done up a video tour of the Thunderbird and an in-person discussion of some of these issues on YouTube. 

https://youtu.be/Huljt0g0Y3Q

Thanks so much for your support. I will continue to make best-faith efforts to live up to it and be worthy of the money I'm receiving.

Comments

S.Envall

Bosses... Isn't it bit more like we are all just shareholders in the Noah Caldwell-Gervais enterprise? Heh, I don't really feel like bossing you anyway. I have few, more ... formal issues. I would suggest investing in somekind of an windshield for the microphone of your camera as long as you enjoy filming outdoors. It would cut away all that wind buffering noise from the footage. Also what are your plans for any videos that has been removed for copyright issues, like the second CoD compilation? I wish you the best. -S. Envall

Rhian Jones

Noah - I love your videos for your point of view and the lovely way you weave images and feelings with words. Your videos are what I chill out too, what I listen to when I can't sleep but want to feel rested and what I watch when I need to hand sew A LOT but don't really have the patience for it. I don't give a lot but it's what little I can spare and I give it because of the amount of times I NEED your videos to get through my day. Professionalism is a shiny idea that I don't need, and I don't think you need either. Just be Noah with interesting videos and that's enough for me. Your future plans sound rad as hell and I am excited to be along for the ride and I am glad you feel better!

Cerys

Noah, I just joined the Patreon as I now have a new job I could not have dreamed of this time last year, and I can afford a small luxury here and there now. Also, However wanted to show you how much your content as it is now means to so many of us. You are professional, you work hard on a topic, present it well and speak from the heart. That you do all this in a more "lofi" presentation only adds sincerity to your words, and uniqueness to your content. You are wonderful just as you are, and I cannot wait for any and all new content from you. Love, Cerys.

Sela

As a Patreon subscriber I'll say you do great work and I'm more than satisfied with the quality of the videos. That's it, that's the post!

ILikeYarnAlot

You are hands down my favorite Youtuber. More than that, your videos are among my favorite content from any medium. I respect and understand the attempts you've made to be more "professional" in your delivery, but honestly, I loved the stutters and coughs from your older videos. Much like you've said, it really added to that DIY Youtube aesthetic which gives a relatable quality to your videos. Of course, whatever production decisions you end up making are secondary to the brilliant and thoughtful things you often have to say. Your insight and poeticism are the reasons I donate to the channel, and I suspect they are the reasons so many others have done the same.

C2

Just watched the CP2077 vid and the patreon 2021 vid. Realised I wasn't supporting you yet. That has been rectified.

Peter Flink

Thank you Noah. You are by far my favorite creator and I’ve hated seeing you beat yourself up listening to the opinion of people who don’t really matter. Your work is brilliant and you are such an honest, humble and true person. Bad faith criticism is really hard to deal with, but please remember that there are a ton of people for whom your work is a highlight every month. I find myself rewatching your videos quite often just to soak in every detail of the high quality writing and thought provoking ideas. It isn’t unusual that watching them again makes me appreciate them even more. I see new interesting details and think about your words in new ways. That’s true quality, not what microphone you use or whatever it is these people try to beat you up about... I don’t come to you for production values. There is no other channel that can provide what you make. Not even close. Originally I came to you for the games. I’m a person who’s life, both privately and professionally very much revolves around the medium. And yet, I’ve found that it’s your travel content I’ve come to enjoy the most. The passion you feel for the subject is infectious. Needless to say, I’m very much looking forward to seeing these new adventures of yours! My partner is as well! We both really enjoy watching your videos together and discussing them. What you do works! Keep doing it!

Matthew Fraund

I want to add my voice to the sea of others commenting their support of you. You're absolutely worth the positive events in your life, you deserve good fortune and happiness. As your audience grows, listening to all criticism is untenable. The job of filtering out which criticisms are made in good faith is a herculean task in the first place, and it would take a huge mental toll on anyone. Focusing on the patrons of your channel is a good idea, especially since it might make you feel a bit better about your income. Comments about the audio quality and production values are entirely subjective. I would rather your time be spent thinking and writing rather than focusing on audio quality, since your writing is what is uniquely excellent about your channel.

Whitman Schorn

Noah, I'm a patron of 2+ years and I've just doubled my monthly allocation to your terrific work. I'm excited to see what comes of the thunderbird. You are overwhelmingly adored by your patrons of many years, myself included. I suspect you've been the victim of negativity bias multiplied by your own high standard. Those of us who see the value in your videos have nothing in common with people making bad-faith comments on youtube. If you haven't read it already, I highly recommend 'Blue Highways' by William Least Heat-moon, a travelogue of America taken along minor roads (drawn in blue on the old style Rand McNally road atlas, thus the name). Your travel videos are fantastic, and you're the first person since the NPR 'Car Talk' brothers who can keep me interested in matters automotive. So, in short, take my money!

Derek Sudbury

Noah, just became a patron of your channel and I will happily continue donating for as long as you want to make content. I'm not sure if you read all of the comments here but I do hope you read this one at some point as I think it might help in framing your relationship with your fanbase. I promise there's a relevant point tucked in here somewhere... In my hometown there was this fantastic jazz trio that played at a local restaurant/bar every Thursday. I went to these sessions weekly for several years. The show was free, and I'd tip the band every time - generally $5-10, sometimes more. I certainly didn't have to, not every single attendee did... But the experience they provided was so special and unique to me at the time that I wanted to make it clear in some tangible way that I wanted it to continue. It was important to me that they knew their work was meaningful to me and it made me happy to support and hopefully incentivize the experience they provided. Never once would I have dreamed of demanding of them an account of what they were using their tip money for or how it was being 're-invested' into the lens through which I enjoyed them... Can you imagine? "Hey. I've been tipping you weekly for a year now - why are you still playing that same drum kit? Can you tell me how you're working to improve your live 'audio quality?' If that guy doesn't get a higher quality piano sometime soon I'm going to need a refund on all of my tips." It would be unthinkable! Services like Patreon are the same sort of thing. Freely given financial support rooted in an appreciation for your art. Thinking of your fans as shareholders or 'bosses' that you need to show constant growth in order to please is inevitably going to warp the work that you do... Please keep in mind that the fanbase you've cultivated is no accident, and my only regret is not thinking to contribute on Patreon sooner. Keep making the content that you want to make and I think you'll find that people will support you in those endeavours. There may be a vocal minority trying to poison the well but we are here for the depth of your insights, high quality writing, and your passion for creating art. The rest is just window dressing.

Azroix

I've been a huge fan of your work since your FEAR videos and I always recommend your channel to anyone interested in quality writing and a genuine personality. I don't comment often cause I never really have much to say other than verbalizing a pat on the back. You're good at what you do and your body of work and overwhelming support on patreon is a testament to that.

Ben Murray

I’ve been enjoying your videos for years, but just started contributing after your update video. Don’t listen to dweebs in the comments moaning about sound quality. We humans love to tear others down for some reason. Your videos are leagues ahead of anything else on YouTube in terms of length and research and high quality, informative and funny writing. They’re not just information, but critique and comparison and opinion and insight... a heady mix that no one else comes close to. Keep doing what you’re doing ... and maybe look into getting one of those mics that you can clip onto your collar so so that you can minimise wind and traffic noise when you record videos on the busy roadsides of the Lincoln highway! (I suspect that last sentence now has me tagged as one of the ‘dweebs in the comments’ that I just slagged off, but hopefully the unbridled praise that came before it shows that I am not a detractor and it is not a criticism ... I just want to hear what you’re saying!) All the best from England!

RobinOttens

Looking forward to those travel videos. They are bound to be fascinating. Nice car too btw! As for the usual audio quality complaints. I am by no means an audio engineer. And I'm sure you've already done your research here. But you could look into getting a good microphone that can filter out wind and car noises so your future travel videos won't sound like the patreon update? Then again, your previous travel videos had perfectly fine sound to me. And I know audio equipment could end up costing more than that car if you really choose to go down that rabbithole. Also, I agree with your assessment that the occasional stutter and breath only helps to make the video more conversational and makes the content feel approachable. It's about what you're saying anyway. The actual writing and content of your essays is what we're here for in the end.

Pascal Mouret

Hi Noah I don't feel it's any of my business how you go about creating your content. The way I see it, I'm a patreon of yours, not a boss of yours. Being a boss would imply I'm qualified to supervise you, which I'm most definitely not. I'm simply in the position to support an artist I deeply enjoy to keep doing what he's doing. This is the reason I created a Patreon account way back in 2017 and also why I have never done more than pay my pledge. However, after reading this, watching your update video and also recalling some older posts of yours here on Patreon, I thought it might be my tuen to help even the scales a bit as it where. Let me just start off by saying that you're probably my number one favorite content creator on YouTube. I'm not going to speculate on what makes your content what it is, as I said, this is your area of expertise. What I can talk about is the effect it has on me. Each of your videos feels like an adventure. Somehow you manage to make me nostalgic for games I've never played or that just came out. It's the weirdest thing. It's like hitching a ride somewhere out in nowhere and being picked up by a guy wearing a bandana, who promptly enthralls you with the story of how he crossed a whole continent on a bike or some such and by the end you realise you just sat in that car for a few hundred miles longer than planned and are sitting around a campfire with the guy, going who knows where. I'm still on the road with that guy. Never asked him where we're going next, but so far it's always been a blast just to be on the road with him. Let's not torture this metaphore any longer. Point is, just having watched your videos fills one with that sense of having experienced something worth retelling later. I don't know how you do it, but I'm pretty sure the magic is not in the kind of production values you're talking about, simply based on the fact that even your old videos have this effect on me. This is already longer than I planned, but there is one more thing I want to touch on: I don't know what's going on in your life or how you're doing mentally. And again, none of my business. But I do know that recent times have taken a toll on about everyone I know. It sucks. And if I'm to be cast as your boss, there is one thing I feel I'm qualified to tell you: I want my employees to be healthy mentally and physically and work should never get in the way of that. I might be a bit of an idealist there, but I think I speak for most of us patrons when I say that we won't go away if you need a break or if a video doesn't hit exactly when you wanted it to. I don't want you to beat yourself up over such things (easier said than done, I know from experience, but it should still be said). At least for my part, I'm here in the hopes of taking some of that pressure away, not to add to it. I wish you all the best on your future endevours and I'm excited to see where this wild trip is going next!

Kevin Martell

Noah - Longtime viewer and first-time Patreon subscriber here. I just wanted to personally reach out and thank you for the excellent work that you do on your channel. All of us can improve our craft, so I appreciate the steps you're taking on audio quality, but I also think it's important that we stop and give ourselves a pat on the back when it's deserved. You deserve a huge congratulations for your success and for being the best in the business when it comes to video game content. Cheers!

Mark Whiting

Noah, just want to add my voice to the list of others here to reiterate the : Stay true to your North Star, don't change on account of what people are saying on YouTube.

Jimbo

Watching your Patreon Update video right now. Your Lincoln Highway video should take you through Cheyenne, WY, which is not too far from me. If you give me the opportunity, I will absolutely, 100% serious, smoke you up with a blunt rolled in a Benjamin just to show my appreciation and maybe let you feel like you've made it, even if only for a couple of hours. Barring that, I'd be happy to buy you dinner or a beer or something when you come through as a way to show my appreciation. In the meantime, I plan to keep supporting via Patreon because I genuinely appreciate the work you do. Imitation being the most sincere form of flattery, you've inspired me to plot out and document the midlife crisis trip I'm hoping to take either this year or next.

Rich Stoehr

Hi Noah - I'm sorry I wasn't aware of what you were going through with your work. I'm not on Twitter, which I know means I miss some things... but I gain a certain measure of peace from that too, I think. Thanks for checking in with us here. Nothing much to add to what others have already said quite well. You got here - to the point of being self-sustaining through YouTube and Patreon - because what you do is already worthy. Whatever the armchair critics might have to say about it (and what exactly are they producing that measures up?), you've developed an audience who does appreciate what you do. The choices you've made along the way have done that. The work you've accomplished along the way has done that. Stay true to those choices and that work, and I'm all in. But I'm not your boss...you are. I'm just some schlub who pitches in 10 bucks a month because I love what you do and I (selfishly) want to see more of it. If I have any say at all, I say only to keep doing what's gotten you here. You've been doing great so far. Rich

Jack O’Donnell

Finally became a Patron after years of enjoying your work. Just wanted to echo what everyone else has said - keep doing what you're doing. I look forward to every video you put out. Thank you for the hours of free content and your enlightened, ruminative take on a medium that is wanting for them. If you're ever road-tripping on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes, I'll leave the light on for you. Jack

Sam Thompson

I just joined; I didn't realize I wasn't already a backer. Personally I wouldn't be even a little annoyed if you just turned off youtube comments entirely. Your work doesn't precisely fit the youtube mass-market style, nor should it, because you're already breaking all of the youtube rules by posting lengthy and nuanced deep dives instead of 10-minute flashy-but-vaccuous "game bad" videos. You (and every other video creator) are always going to displease some randos online, but their opinions here are just not relevant. In short, we like what you do, please keep doing it.

Epitome22

Love your work, appreciate you taking on our feedback and so happy to hear you're going to spend less time dwelling on what bad faith ballbags say to try bring you down. You do you and I'll keep contributing. Good luck in this and all things.

Philip Decloux

Your travel videos are my favourite. Looking forward to them!

Mark Whiting

Noah, just want to add my voice to the list of others here to reiterate:  Stay true to your North Star, don't change on account of what people are saying on YouTube. I've been supporting your channel ever since I discovered it several years ago.  It would be an understatement to say that in a world of game related media and YouTube in general, Noah Cadwell-Gervais stands alone.  I've often cited you as my favorite YouTuber and gaming personality and I subscribe to hundreds of channels, blogs and what-have-you across a wide swath. When I rep your channel to others - which I do regularly - I describe your work as being something like the Velvet Underground of game criticism.  You are one of those 'artist's artists' - someone whose work is destined to be niche but influential to the specific set of plugged-in creators that actually care about the art they make.  Its quality is impeccable, with a singularly distinctive voice.  You will never be pop in the demographic sense - so don't worry about trying to be.  Stay secure in knowing that you are appreciated by by those of us who possess the same eclectic wide-net passion for gaming and adjacent art forms.   I dig how the lo-fi homespun takes (DO NOT change the title cards) and incredibly well thought out analysis flip flop back and forth constantly between personal anecdote, literary criticism and gamers-eye-nitpicking.  It echoes the beats of the best authorial and travelogue writing, only bent towards exploring Call of Duty and what-have-you.  When you make a video, you always bring the whole man traveller's perspective to the table, learning something and growing with each production.  It's clear that you love exploring the medium while accepting its flaws.  Keep doing this. This poetic mash-up of old-skool gaming enthusiast with Essayist Regards Contemporary America is something we need more of in this world. Who else out there would "review" Red Dead across 4 hours in a wild mashup of Lonesome Dove, The Searchers, GUN and the Cowboy trope in cinema while also complaining about specific mechanics and deep-dive mechanical gripes of the PS2.  Who else out there would studiously labor to review ancient Neverwinter homebrew mods in the context of Curse of the Azure Bonds and the history of D&D, paying equal attention and respect to both the AAA tentpoles as to some gonzo skunkworks mod that a guy threw together in their basement? The videos you make are the equivalent of something like a "Travels with Charley" style Steinbeck book in both form and tone - which is to say Kentucky Route Zero in a YouTube format: a comparison that I hope you can accept without complaint.  I love these winding, meandering travelogues - stories that have a destination in mind but who pull off constantly along the highway to peruse unique waysides, twine balls and sunsets framed by miles of road. Your videos do not rush - they take their time and ease along to where they are going, but they always get there in the end and they make a great road trip every time. I've always appreciated that in your work you deliberately try to incorporate lots of non-gaming "whole person" experiences like your service industry stories, road trippin' tales and anecdotes about random people you used to know because it brings to the fore how the different venn diagrams of a specific person's life can overlap to create fascinating perspectives.  Your art showcases personal growth in a way that is greater that just the sum of its parts - universally resonant themes, sharp observations grounded in specific experience - again, like all good travel writing.    You seem to me to be starting to accept and internalize that not everybody is going to be there for the Steinbeck treatment, and that is OK.  I appreciate seeing you personally growing to value and respect your own legitimacy as an author and human being in the scripts and words you produce.  Beating yourself up constantly because of something a bunch of haters said on the Internet, is not necessary.  You can't please everyone, don't try.  Nobody ever created good art by focus grouping it.  The people supporting you (i.e. those paying each month and reading this message) recognize this.  There is something special in the human, humble presentation of Noah Gervais.  Watching you deliver a "fuck it, I'm buying a Thunderbird and what happens happens" speech was cathartic - my wife actually pumped her fist and said "Well done Noah!" as we streamed the video while making dinner together. Your patrons support you because they want to support this developing story and developing artist to see where it goes. You are a rare individual - obviously gifted yet lifted up seemingly by random chance from a cruel fate in Pizza Hell to become a speaker for the philosophical chin-strokers and thoughtful types quietly hanging about the margins of gaming who want a frontman for their perspective.  Why you? Why now? Are you deserving? Short answer is yes, but honestly why question the fates.  It's Arabian Nights logic - the Sinbad story, Heroes Joruney stuff. Some dude, minding his own business in Baghdad, swept off without prior warning on what amounts to a wild ride, not understanding how the hell he got here but doing his best.   People love these stories Noah.  We're pulling for you because we want to see you emerge from the Cave of Wonders and make it back home to tell the tale and spread the word.  Doesn't matter if you "deserve it" or not - the destiny aspect is immaterial.  Is it The Force?  Or was it just circumstance and fate rising to prop up Sinbad given the proper opportunity.  Don't worry about any of that.  Just make stuff and adventure. Why do I fund your channel?  Sure I love the idea of this improbable Baggins story, why not?  But it's the quality of the work that really does it. To be honest it just feels good to hear someone who thinks like I do, sounds like I do, talking about things in the same way I do. It makes me happy to recognize a kindred spirit who has done well for himself by yodelling across YouTube's mountain peaks, even if we don't know one another from Adam. There's damn few like us out there in the wild Noah - we need to nurture the species. When I click play on a 3 hour Noah gaming ramblelogue it raffirms my faith in the medium because it indicates that there are still people like me out there thinking about games.  That this pastime of gaming and the medium of YouTube in general can be a place where chin-stroking olds who remember Dune 2 can find a place in this weird new ecosystem. Sure, maybe survival in 2021 means coexisting alongside sixteen year olds whose contribution is shrieking for clicks as they jump around in their cages and hoot at jumpscares, but who cares?  This later category is well represented on the 'Tube but I can count on one finger the number of people who sound like Noah Cadwell-Gervais. Trust that it is 100% OK to use my money to level yourself up and explore your path, whether that be transitioning into the Bill Bryson of Gaming or just existing as some dude who gadabouts on Half-Life mods while travelling with Charley.  I am 100% on board to finance wherever it is you are going in your Thunderbird just to see what happens.  Don't worry about me, buddy.  My real world adult job and real world adult responsibilities prevent me from having the time and resources to put together a 4 hour breakdown of Fallout locales in the context of the history of Route 66 and the larger US Rust Belt Sociological collapse - BUT GOD IF I COULD, I WOULD. I'd just do it half as well and one quarter as thoroughly as you do.   Go forth and be free, lean into the Hero's Journey of Noah Gervais. Drive a T-Bird across the wasteland, kill radscorpions, don't stop doing what you do. Want to write about casinos or cyprus trees or Proust and come back to gaming only tangentially?  Want to siphon maple syrup from trees in Quebec and write about the James Bay Power lines and how they relate to Tesla coils in the command and Conquer series?  Go for it. Knock yourself out.   I got enough money these days but not nearly enough time- Cats in the Cradle, Silver Spoon, all that - to be the voice I want to see elevated and championed in gaming   It therefore falls to someone else to take the helm and sail the ship across the wasteland, fighting radscorpions and hauling back 4-hour stories.  I consider it money well spent to toss coins into the box to fund a curious expedition so that someone whose perspective is similar to my own is out there doing this work, cataloguing, documenting, writing and making the kind of art I respect in a world that (most of the time) doesn't seem to value it much. If my dollar can better put you in position to be the appointed stand-in for this tribe, I'm happy to give it. Go and represent Vault 13 and be the proxy for all the miles I can't drive right now and all the God of War and Baldur's Gate replays that I'll never get around to making 5 hour videos about.  I'm too busy writing scopes of work and employee assessments these days - just go for it.  By all means replay Thief and Thief II and Frostpunk only to then drive to Pittsburgh so you can talk at length about the collapse of raw goods manufacturing in post-industrial America. I loved that series and sure as shit nobody else is gonna think about it like that, much less do right by it.  Take my money. All I ask in exchange is to do what you're already doing.  Be thorough, be introspective... take 3 months if you have to. Just do it justice, take your time, keep it real.  If you ever get to Toronto perhaps we can share a beer and you can pay me back with tales of the sights and adventures you saw on your 7 Voyages funded by our collective tab.  Until then, there's always YouTube.  Vaya con dios.

SergeantQQ

Noah, I am so incredibly glad to be a small part of this journey you have planned. Don't change unless it's part of your personal creative narrative. Art made on someone else's sensibilities can be great, but it can also feel hollow. As for me, I love what you create as it is. Be safe and take care of yourself.

VenusInFurs

Hi Noah, just want to add to the chorus of people who say the audio is just fine! It honestly saddens me that you feel any anguish at all about people who complain, who the fuck are they? I've always considered it intentionally a bit lo-fi, or just exactly hi-fi enough to do what it needs to (which is to be a medium for your thoughts!), and that is perfect imo. The title cards always felt like a nod to this "my work has a few rough edges, but it's all the more interesting for it, wouldn't you agree?" Your writing voice is so strong, I love the ways you tie in personal experience into your reviews. The anecdotes never feel irrelevant or distract from the game, but always add to my appreciation. I know you weren't asking for a flood of new patrons with your last update, but I've been meaning to throw you a few bucks for ages. Your travelogue content was a great comfort a few years back when I was going through some tough shit, so a sincere thanks for that.

Rosettenwurm

I am a patreon member from Germany and I find it very ironic how you talked about sound quality while having decided to film this in some forest next to a road and with quite a lot of wind blowing into your mic for some reason. :D But it doesn't matter one bit, since I just love your content. If you want to improve the production value gradually, then do it but take your time and please do not feel pressured. A tip from the podcast world would be to not do more than 1 or 2 retakes for segments you record since it consumes too much time, but to just restart a sentence or word each time you stumble, then note down time stamps, use certain signals or pauses that you can easily see in the waveform view of the audio file and edit everything out with open source software like Audacity. It's actually relatively simple and saves a lot of time. And if you need one month only to edit something out or learn how to do it yourself, well then I'll gladly donate for that. And maybe some day you can also find some trustworthy and reliable freelancer or similar to help you out a bit. I am looking forward to all your future videos!

The Rambling Bard

In case you don't look at YouTube comments (advisable and understandable), I wanted to basically echo mine from there. I'm here to support you AS - IS. I didn't sign up to shape your work, I signed up to support it. Keep going, all ahead full. And fuck anyone who's whining that doesn't have a damn cap to ante into this pile. PS- I am SO thrilled for these plans. I am excited and waiting patiently for your inspired words and adventures.

Bebop Da Unsteady

Others here have already described the value of your content, so I will only echo that your writing is absolutely incredible. I've created this account to subscribe to your Patreon simply because I adore the sincerity and candor you show regarding your situation. Best regards.

KidZoso

Have just watched this video. As a new patron I'm coming at this having just uncovered what is to me a treasure trove, so I take a dim view of your critics, or certainly the bad faith ones. Plenty others have already said it, just keep doing your thing, which is excellent. Some fans have an unfortunate view that they take ownership of the things they love, and expect those creators to serve them. This is just incorrect, and besides, doesn't actually serve the fan well at all. We're generally a horribly spoiled bunch these days, expecting things for free and feeling entitled to stamp our feet when not happy because we're contributing something equivalent to a couple of coffees a month. And where would we be if we didn't have passionate creators who were willing sacrifice their time to put themselves out on a limb to share their views? The only advice I'd have is to completely discard the sense of pressure or expectations you might have developed as a result of a healthy following. Take this instead as affirmation that what you do is good, and be liberated.

Austin Workman

Became a patron after this video. I love all your content, especially your travel content. Don't have much else to say besides keep up the good work.

Matthew K

Love what you've done so far; will probably love what you do onward. Rock on, man.

spren

Thank you for all the work you put into your work. It is disheartening to hear about the negativity you receive and the pain that comes as a result of that. I feel that you have put out so much incredible content. It is thoughtful, thorough and above all interesting and has a great style. I enjoy this essay you bring forward for the viewer and you way of talking, no matter any verbal errors or other perceived issues that some have brought up. I personally have not found any fault with your content. All I expect from you is to enjoy your journey. I look forward to the content you will put out, but I wont put onto you any creative pressure. Be happy with your own work, that is the most important part. Be confident with what you create. The Youtube comments, along with most of the internet is a hive of negativity and it can be a tough place to navigate, especially if you create content for the mass to consume. Alas I have no advice. All I can do is support you. I am happy to do so. Love and peace, Ladislav

Jo Tull

Thunder. Bird. Thunder. Bird. Thunder! Bird! THUNDER! BIRD!

Marcus Berg

Noah, you make the best content on Youtube. Just the way it is, it's what makes it the best. Keep being you.

mxmx

I hope that you always do whatever you to be find creatively validating, but it's great to hear that you won't be changing your approach as a result of this criticism. I had been meaning to support you for a while since I've watched the majority of your videos, but the update really swayed me because I don't want you to think that it has to be a net negative to put your foot down on this type of feedback. Glad to hear school is going well, looking forward to seeing how the Thunderbird pans out!

Alex Keene

Noah, I have followed your content and appreciated your work for years now and decided to become a patron after watching your recent update. Your creative output is among the finest available on Youtube and I am excited to support your work as it fits with your vision wherever that leads.

Christian Fratta

Hi Noah! I've been watching your videos for quite a few years now, and while I can say I liked some videos more than others, I wouldn't ever call your output incompetent: the one "real" criticism I might have had in the past was with the relevance of gameplay footage used, i.e. making your output fit your medium of choice, but 1) you've fixed that issue quite a while ago, and 2) in my case I mainly listen to the videos instead of watching them, so I don't really care :D With that out of the way: I'm really, really glad and relieved you seem to be coming to terms with your patronage! I've been following you on Twitter and was getting progressively more worried about your own reactions to your latest videos during the last year, as the trend seemed to be spiralling downward. I don't know who or what made you snap/gradually come out of it, but I'm glad it happened and you seem to be on the way back to a more cheerful and less tense mood :) I have a lot of respect for you as a professional, and was enamoured with your writing style and insight with the first video of yours I watched (maybe the first Dragon Age Inquisition video? I'm not even sure anymore). I love videogames as much as I love other "high culture" artifacts, but the way you put them together, contrasting and comparing, is just beautiful. If you decided to stop talking about videogames and just did travel diaries, or started talking about nature, or books, or anything else really, I'd be happy to continue supporting you as a patron: you've built a lot of trust with me over the years, to the point where I'm perfectly happy supporting _you_, whatever you decide to create. By the way, when in your update video you said the bus wouldn't cut it for your next planned travels, I made 2+2 in my head with the "large bird news" and immediately thought you'd gotten yourself a small plane :D The car looks beautiful and I'm happy you'll be able to put your newly-acquired skills to the test with it!

Ben

I like the style of your videos. I enjoy the long, uncut clips of gameplay, of games being given the space to be shown as they are experienced, and I appreciated how that style manifested in the travelogues as well. It is only one of the many unique creative choices you bring to your work. And yet all of those touches would mean little if you weren't also one of the most authoritative critical voices working today. Lucky for all of us, you are. Keep the handwritten title cards, keep the paragraph takes, keep it all the way you want it. Keep on being you. I'm here for it.

Timothy Underwood

I don't know what the proper name for this, but an idea that I've encountered, and that has been fairly important to how I think about what and how to write is this idea of polarization as a virtue: Basically, a lot of the time, if someone is optimized to make one group of people really happy, something about that is going to make another group equally unhappy, and vice versa. But the thing is, that to make a living you just need the people who like your work, because there are enough of them to pay for the rent and health insurance, and the people who hate it are literally irrelevant. Also, the way to think about self employed income to salaried income, is just multiply your income by .925 to figure out how much money you'd be earning if you had a job where the employer paid half of the payroll tax.

Michael Kenner

I only make a small donation, but still I'm happy to be supporting your work. Your audio is fine and well suited to purpose. It's just like any live recording of an interview or lecture and it works fine to deliver your good writing and analysis to an interested listener. If it's something that bothers you or you feel an artistic drive to improve it for your own creative satisfaction, I'm sure you could make it sound more like a studio recording but it's not really necessary. Especially if it takes time or quality away from the other aspects of your video or means you couldn't release content as often.

Brad Wallace

Please take it easier on yourself, your work is excellent and singular in the landscape of games criticism. I'd still listen to your videos if they were recorded through a drainpipe in the middle of a thunderstorm, audio quality has got nothing on the quality and depth of observation. 15 takes for a paragraph is bonkers! Your dedication and concern about your ability to deliver on expectations speaks enough to your commitment. You've earned every penny paid your way and I'm glad to account for at least a few handfuls of those pennies. Keep up your exceptional work, and I hope you can find a little more peace going forward.

Jimbo Lescinq

I joined to make this post after watching your 2021 Patreon Update. I've been a viewer for a couple of months, watching/listening and rewatching/relistening to your content. First, thank you for the work you do. I know I like a movie, book or game. But I never know why. I just don't get art. Your video analyses have enabled me to understand and experience art from a completely different dimension. The quality of your writing is something I never expected from a YouTube content creator. After discovering your channel and digesting all your content, I was left wanting more. I tried and tried to find other YouTubers that make videos like you. Turns out video game reviews and analyses are a dime a dozen, but NO ONE comes even close to matching the quality of your writing--even though their sound quality might be more "professional". (I'm not a sound guy, so I don't even know what professional means.) Sorry to repeat myself; but, again, no one does what you do as well as you do by a long, long shot. I hope Brad Wallace doesn't mind me copying his words, but I repeat them because they ring true: Please take it easier on yourself; keep up your exceptional work; and I hope you can find a little more peace going forward.

Mieszko Czaja

Dear Noah, I’m sure I’m not the first person who will tell you that you are being too hard on yourself. But maybe this time you need to hear it not just by framing this as some encouragement based on viewer expectations of your channel. It seems that you are focusing on money, so let me tell you how I believe many of your patrons see the business side of what we pay for. We are not your bosses, this is not some overblown 900+ board of directors who decide that Noah wasn’t performing lately, so we are docking his pay, because some arbitrary target wasn’t achieved. Your work is creative – it’s not manufacturing. I would even argue that the critique your providing borders on art so often that we must think of you as any artists that delivers his pieces rather than just a craftsman. The fact that you been able to consistently deliver content with no real deviations from the schedule is mind boggling. This kind of expression takes, time, stuff needs to percolate before you let it out. Hats off, man! Scheduled programming is what often ruins the zing in it (be it television or comedy, or whatever frankly). I think for many of us it is easy to think of you as one of our favorite directors (our Tarantinos, our Lynchs, our Nolans, our Kubricks, etc.). I’m going to stake my life on the fact that people go watch their favorite creators / directors in the cinema with every release, because they are interested in what he or she will bring to the screen, what we will he or she talk to me about this time. But in fact with movie directors it’s trickier – they have writers, editors and countless people who they cooperate with to bring their vision to life with as little compromises as possible. With you we experience basically an unadulterated auteur cinema. And we know that you don’t like everything that you do and you hate the compromise of inadequate (based on your perception) equipment and that you punish yourself for grunts and pauses that might’ve gotten into the final cut. And let’s hammer this point home, even in your early period of the channel (say the Arcanum video) this was already above acceptable, but since then you improved immensely. And we see that, your quirkiness and iconic style (even this video done outdoors with cars hissing by and wind practically drowning out your voice) is authentic. I know this is not manufactured authenticity. And even though some people might believe that this is iconic, it’s tradition and that a video without stuff like that doesn’t count, as long as you fee like doing it, do it, but don’t be the prisoner of our capriciousness. You’re not a band who after 30 years of albums still needs to play they’re greatest hits before the audience lets them off the stage. And with that in mind, don’t go through some kind of an impostor syndrome - for us you are a real deal, you are voice that we want to tune in to whenever possible and your professionalism is not measured by what kind of mic you use. But back to money – so do you think it is unreasonable for cinemas to charge tickets? Let’s forget for a second that you upload your videos for free. Do you think that cinemas would allow a system in which you can pay anything – from a dollar to whatever anyone feels like to see the movie? Does the artist has to suffer, has to be the stereotypical martyr, living in poverty? We get that you feel uneasy with the pandemic affecting so many who lost heir close ones, their income or both. But by no means you are well off. As a thritysomething year old you are expected to be able to provide for yourself and your family, you are expected to put away something for a rainy day, you are expecting to put away something for your retirement. You’ve made it possible for this to be your full time job, but this is not some common employment with dental plans and pension plans. This is real patronage, the original "maecenate" without which some people would be forced to do different stuff for a living (flip pizzas for example) than creative / artistic expression. So we are humbled that today's technology allows us to to help you not be a pizza cook. There is a story by Mark Twain – ‘Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven’ with a Dantesque overlook of afterlife’s organization in which some people are revered more in some areas than the ones who were on Earth e.g. better playwrights than Shakespeare who on Earth were cobblers and circumstances prevented them from ever writing even a single play. It’s touchingly naive, that we will ever really get what we deserve. So allow us a chance to at least dig up one person out of anonymity and a chance for the world to tune in to you every so often and vicariously travel the US through you. And even though we know that this video wasn’t a guilt trip, but there might be some assholes who will make you feel that way, I’m going to up my pledge after hearing what the taxes leave you with. All the best to you!

CJEngine

I like the videos as they have been. Rough yet always improving. I don't like over produced content or stressed creators. Thanks for all the hours of listening.

Declan Hertel

I really love the “rougher” quality of your stuff. The focus of your video essays is always the essay part rather than the video part, and by that metric, the one that i would argue matters most, you are in the upperest echelon of video game essayists. Your insights are only getting stronger over time and your prose voice has only gotten stronger and more personal, in your essay on Disco Elysium in particular, which I would hold up as one of the finest pieces of games journalism... maybe ever? Also, I personally love when you cough or stumble or have to take another run at a sentence. It’s a human touch, a reminder of the passionate person writing these huge essays. It’s like lo-fi music: the rough edges are a feature, not a bug. Anyway, I can only speak for myself of course, but I think you are doing top notch work. Fuck the haters, baby! Love and respect from a fellow Central Oregonian ✌️

GigaWhatt

I like the content as is. Do what you love, don't listen to the people that don't give any constructive citicism. They're not coming from a place of consideration for you or what you do. They just want to make themselves feel better. The genuineness of what you say is what got you to where you are now. The only thing I wish you'd stop doing is looking to others that you don't know for an affirmation. You don't need one, you've done & continue to do great as far as your supporters are concerned. <3

Me Shell

The only audio issue you've ever had was a couple paragraphs mixed quieter than the game in a couple of your first videos. The occasional trip over the tongue has always been something that stood out as lending to a more conversational tone. It's good, suits the flow of your writing.

BDavs'88

I'm late to the game but wanted to echo the support expressed by everyone else. I have been a patreon for ~5yrs and really enjoy all of your videos. I am 100% here for the writing and perspective, and not high production value. I hope that my $ goes towards you being able to create whatever videos you find exciting and intellectually stimulating as a creator. Further, I hope you know that your unique approach is a big part of what makes your channel great. What really disturbs me about the negative comments you describe is the apparent desire for all creators to make vides that look the same, sound the same, etc. It strikes me as parallel to the forces that have pushed every AAA game to be a big open world to-do list that feels the same. I am confident that most people like your videos because of your unique approach, not in spite of it. Further, something would clearly be lost if you turned your focus to meeting some standard of production quality that would inevitably take energy away from what actually makes your videos interesting. PS – I have really enjoyed your travel videos while being stuck at home during COVID. I signed up for the video game videos, but those have become some of my favorites.

Levi Lovelock

I'm a new patron but have been listening to your videos every night as I fall asleep for the past few weeks (okay this looks creepy in text!), I just wanted to say that youtube comments are a cesspit _generally_, I wouldn't take them without large nuggets of salt. You're awesome, and thank you for all your hard work and content, I'm happy to be a new supporter.

Nikolaus Hampelmann

Hello, fresh Patreon but older viewer of yours. I'm glad you have decided to listen more to your patreons instead of the general internet madness. Apart from repeating most of the praise of the other comments there is one thing I'd like to emphasize, trust your patreons with the decisions they take! If your videos really would reach unacceptable quality or output you would know from the financial support. Of course this would be a much slower process than comments but it's also more reliable. Trust that every Patreon is making a concious decision to support you and every single one is rich enough to do so. Trust that your Patreons are responsible, free thinking people. Thank you for your content!