What are you playing now?

[Rath Darkblade]

It's a line from the Dark Elf at the beginning of Morrowind, not Oblivion. This same character at the beginning of Morrowind was brought back in the Dawnguard expansion for Skyrim and was given the name Jiub. He also does the voice of all the generic male Dark Elves in Morrowind. It's a very gravely "Christian Bale Batman" voice.

Oh yes... Saint Jiub the Eradicator, the one who fought to kill all the Cliff Racers in Morrowind. (And who you meet ... much, much later ... during the Dawnguard expansion).

It's been a long, long time since I played Morrowind. I googled St Jiub to remind myself who he was (and also that voice ... egh. It sounds like someone speaking while smoking a cigarette.)

Haven't seen Christian Bale as Batman, sorry - but Aussie TV has been re-running episodes of the Adam West Batman. POW! ZAM! BIFF! and so on. It's pretty hilarious when the sight of Batman and Robin running around with their undies on the outside, and no-one even blinks, is the least ridiculous thing that happens.

Unless your channel goes viral for some reason, chances are you're not going to get those types of comments - or many comments at all (unless you hardcore advertise yourself). I've had the Neverending Nights channel _forever_ - and I have some comments on each of the episodes (some have none at all), but it's all been positive.

And the Comic Relief Podcast channel, that's been around for several years now - is just me posting videos, 99% of the time, without any comments.

Hmm. How does a YouTube channel become viral? I've had a Vimeo channel for a couple of years, and although it hasn't gone viral, I've had a few 'followers', as Vimeo calls it when people follow your channel. The main difference between Vimeo and YouTube is that people can't post comments on Vimeo.

I've negotiated with some people who posted music on YouTube for me to provide vocals (and, naturally, I would acknowledge their music copyright). In exchange for allowing me to do this, they insisted on my doing it on YouTube and nowhere else. So I'd simply like to know what kind of pitfalls I should expect from YouTube.

[MusicallyInspired]

You seriously have not seen Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, or The Dark Knight Rises? Really? You poor, poor soul.

[Tawmis]

Hmm. How does a YouTube channel become viral? I've had a Vimeo channel for a couple of years, and although it hasn't gone viral, I've had a few 'followers', as Vimeo calls it when people follow your channel. The main difference between Vimeo and

Fate makes your video/channel go viral. If it someone lands on some popular site and suddenly get shared over and over and over again.

But if you're doing "normal" stuff, the chance of going viral is slim. It needs to be something _very_ unique (and considering how many channels are out there now, with thousands more each day), then the likely hood it might take off is there - otherwise, if you're doing something everyone else is doing, that's not outrageous or unique - your channel will never go viral. Not unless you pay Youtube to advertise your channel, and unless you whore out your channel everywhere and hope that somewhere along the lines it takes off.

[Rath Darkblade]

You seriously have not seen Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, or The Dark Knight Rises? Really? You poor, poor soul.

Hold on, now. I didn't get the chance to read Marvel comics when I was a kid, you know. I saw a Batman movie from time to time, but never got into the whole Batman thing. Not everyone has to.

Having said that, I looked up the movies you mentioned (when I googled "Christian Bale as Batman" I only got TDKR), and I realised that I actually have seen Batman Begins. It was on TV once. So.

Hmm. How does a YouTube channel become viral? I've had a Vimeo channel for a couple of years, and although it hasn't gone viral, I've had a few 'followers', as Vimeo calls it when people follow your channel. The main difference between Vimeo and

Fate makes your video/channel go viral. If it someone lands on some popular site and suddenly get shared over and over and over again.

But if you're doing "normal" stuff, the chance of going viral is slim. It needs to be something _very_ unique (and considering how many channels are out there now, with thousands more each day), then the likely hood it might take off is there - otherwise, if you're doing something everyone else is doing, that's not outrageous or unique - your channel will never go viral. Not unless you pay Youtube to advertise your channel, and unless you whore out your channel everywhere and hope that somewhere along the lines it takes off.

Ah. So... what constitutes "normal"? I know that the vast majority of YouTube is movies, music, video game reviews, or people playing video games. What about spoken word, or dramatising the spoken word (i.e. like a radio serial)? I haven't seen that very much - not unless you count radio serials by the BBC etc., who have infinitely more resources than I do. I also perform classical music - mostly the romantic, baroque and renaissance eras.

I know it's not *very* unique, but I don't know anyone who tries - with the limited resources of one person - to replicate what it takes an entire radio program to achieve, sound effects and all!

[MusicallyInspired]

You seriously have not seen Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, or The Dark Knight Rises? Really? You poor, poor soul.

Hold on, now. I didn't get the chance to read Marvel comics when I was a kid, you know. I saw a Batman movie from time to time, but never got into the whole Batman thing. Not everyone has to.

First of all, Batman is DC not Marvel.

Secondly, relax. I was only joking. But seriously, the Christopher Nolan Batman movies are an important part of cinematic history that everyone should watch. It's not just because it's Batman, they are exceptional movies that anyone can enjoy. You don't need to be a comic book fan. I wasn't into comics as a kid either. I had a couple, but I didn't keep up with anything. As a result I have no knowledge of any of the story arcs. But I can enjoy the movies.

Of course, Christian Bale isn't the best Batman ever. That honour is forever reserved for Michael Keaton.

As for going viral on YouTube, there's no way to manufacture that level of success. It's random and often times you have to be making videos constantly at LEAST once a week for years and slowly build a community before anything ever happens. Even channels who enjoy the odd random viral success doesn't reap perpetual benefits. You can't go into YouTubeing with the intent to be instantly successful.

That said, the best way to stand out as a YouTuber is to do something different and [/i]not[/i] do something that's "normal". Do something few (or nobody else) is doing that's exciting and captivating and that you're good at AND you enjoy doing (all of those things are important, don't leave one out) and you stand a higher chance of getting viewers.

It's not like the old days of YouTube where you can start a gaming channel and get 1000s of views. EVERYONE's doing a gaming channel. EVERYONE's doing a review channel. Do something different. Unless you're really unique and have a brand new take on something everyone else is doing, you're just going to get lost in the noise. YouTube is waaaaay oversaturated these days. It used to be a special occasion worthy of note when a channel got up to a million subscribers. Now thousands of channels have more than a million subscribers.

Not to be discouraging. Just do what you love. If it has an audience they will come to you. The important thing is that you keep up with a schedule and upload quality videos at least once a week and that's just so the algorithm favours you. (working with the algorithm is a whole other subject altogether)

[Datadog]

Of course, Christian Bale isn't the best Batman ever. That honour is forever reserved for Michael Keaton.

Or Kevin Conroy, but to each medium their own.

But if you're doing "normal" stuff, the chance of going viral is slim. It needs to be something _very_ unique (and considering how many channels are out there now, with thousands more each day), then the likely hood it might take off is there - otherwise, if you're doing something everyone else is doing, that's not outrageous or unique - your channel will never go viral.

You also need the personality to be a Youtube success. It's not just about pumping out regular content, but making yourself a brand. I think that's where a lot of people check out, because becoming a brand means working overtime to be "Aggravated Movie Complainer" or "Video Game Muffin Chef". Viewers generally like consistency in who they sign up for, and expressing other interests (or even taking breaks) can compromise your viral success, unless going off-brand is your brand.

Personally, I feel going viral is a mental health disaster waiting to happen. I've seen a few gamer channels quit cold turkey just because they couldn't handle talking in front of the camera anymore. So if you enjoy making videos and podcasts, just post them on your own terms for your own benefit. Put something you like into the world. And don't forget to like and subscribe.

[MusicallyInspired]

Of course, Christian Bale isn't the best Batman ever. That honour is forever reserved for Michael Keaton.

Or Kevin Conroy, but to each medium their own.

Touché.

[Semi-Happy Partygoer]

Has anyone else here played the Lifeline series of interactive text adventures? I've previously completed the original and Whiteout, and I'm currently making my way through Flatline.

I love how they play out in real-time. The wait can really build tension and suspense.

[Rath Darkblade]

Heh. MI, you can see how much I know about Batman, if I thought that it was Marvel. I tried looking up Batman comic covers and some of the pictures showed me Marvel - and I, in my naivete, believed them. (Fool me once, google, shame on you...)

As for going viral on YouTube ... I'm aware that level of success is impossible to manufacture. It's like trying to instantly manufacture "the next big thing" in music - you end up with one-hit wonders, or boy-bands that hit the top in a big way and fizzle out just as quickly. (Who today remembers Kriss Kross, Tiffany, Gerardo Mejía, or Vanilla Ice?) Yes, I'm well aware that when it comes to YouTube - or any media - success is ephemeral unless you work extremely hard at it. I have no illusion about that.

As for doing something different and not something that's "normal" - please define "normal"! I created some videos about famous speeches that demonstrate the idea of freedom (e.g. the "Give me liberty or give me death" speech); the videos illustrate why these speeches are important, and dramatise the moment to make the speeches exciting. I also found some stories to dramatise (e.g. Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart"). Finally, I've done some videos in which I perform romantic, baroque and renaissance era music, accompanied by guitar or a full orchestra, and I provide pictures and info about the composers and the music. I'm good at these things, and I enjoy doing them. I don't know many people who can do all three, at least not without the resources of a full radio station.

I have no intention of doing a gaming channel or a review channel, since I know that everyone does those - and I'm no good at that sort of thing, anyway. I enjoy taking old things in general - old literature, old language, old music - and breathing new life into them again. I hope that the result is both enlightening and inspiring. In our current era of sound bites and "fake news", I think that we sadly lack people who know about rhetoric. Think of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, or Paine's "Times that try men's souls", and compare it with the speeches we hear now, full of empty phrases, fire and fury, and signifying nothing. I really believe that words should tell people the truth, not fool them. (You can see why I've never been a politician).

Not to be discouraging. Just do what you love. If it has an audience they will come to you. The important thing is that you keep up with a schedule and upload quality videos at least once a week and that's just so the algorithm favours you. (working with the algorithm is a whole other subject altogether)

I'm not discouraged! I know that YouTube is a mass of many, many shiny things that lots of people watch, and many good things that hardly anyone watches; and I think that's a pity. It's even more of a pity that the standard of comments is so low. Perhaps, in my own small way, I hope to make a difference in that. And if not, well ... how much difference can one man make against the great multitude? At least I can try.

You also need the personality to be a Youtube success. It's not just about pumping out regular content, but making yourself a brand. I think that's where a lot of people check out, because becoming a brand means working overtime to be "Aggravated Movie Complainer" or "Video Game Muffin Chef". Viewers generally like consistency in who they sign up for, and expressing other interests (or even taking breaks) can compromise your viral success, unless going off-brand is your brand.

Personally, I feel going viral is a mental health disaster waiting to happen. I've seen a few gamer channels quit cold turkey just because they couldn't handle talking in front of the camera anymore. So if you enjoy making videos and podcasts, just post them on your own terms for your own benefit. Put something you like into the world. And don't forget to like and subscribe.

Thanks, Datadog. Personally, I'm not the kind to be a complainer or muffin chef of any kind. There are waaay too many people complaining on YouTube already!

I don't mind making videos at all. It's a creative hobby to find something I'm good at, to research the subject, to find the right pictures and the perfect anecdote - and then to put them all together, kaleidoscope-like, to illustrate a person, a speech, a story, or a song.

Oh, and I don't have a camera to stand in front of - just a microphone to hide behind. (Hey, that's not a bad line. Maybe I can use that).

Has anyone else here played the Lifeline series of interactive text adventures? I've previously completed the original and Whiteout, and I'm currently making my way through Flatline.

I love how they play out in real-time. The wait can really build tension and suspense.

I'm sorry, SHP, I've never heard of this game. *looks it up* Ah... I confused it with a text adventure that I played many, many years ago in the Windows 9x days. Maybe someone else knows...?

[BBP]

Finished GK1 with DOSBox 0.74-2!

The audio pops much less, but there are still some headscratchers here:

-How does Bruno work? Earlier on he just wouldn't show up until day 3, now he shows up before that. (still not as often as he did when I played it on Win 98).
-In the same vein - I never got to see the beignet guy in the first three days at the police office. He showed up on Win 98, but not at all on the first days now.
-Upping the cycles works great but there's still for some reason the loud music and slow tempo upon startup.
-In some sections the game speed drops dramatically: Gabriel walks slow and the audio is so slow you'll click it away. In the museum and in the park I assumed it was the amount of things going on but it also happens at the Snake Mound exterior which doesn't have as many animations, and in the Snake Mound where you least want it.

[Tawmis]

Finished GK1 with DOSBox 0.74-2!

The audio pops much less, but there are still some headscratchers here:

-How does Bruno work? Earlier on he just wouldn't show up until day 3, now he shows up before that. (still not as often as he did when I played it on Win 98).
-In the same vein - I never got to see the beignet guy in the first three days at the police office. He showed up on Win 98, but not at all on the first days now.
-Upping the cycles works great but there's still for some reason the loud music and slow tempo upon startup.
-In some sections the game speed drops dramatically: Gabriel walks slow and the audio is so slow you'll click it away. In the museum and in the park I assumed it was the amount of things going on but it also happens at the Snake Mound exterior which doesn't have as many animations, and in the Snake Mound where you least want it.

Should make a DOSBox thread - QBix might be interested (or maybe not?) into looking into it. Not sure if he will see it buried in here.

[BBP]

I'm not sure if the speed problems are caused by DOSBox - I'd guess they're caused by the high quality level.

[BBP]

Installed the game manually (I now have 2 GK1s on my computer).

The Installer version has speed problems that become too much to handle at the Museum, South-West Jackson Square (with the tap-dancing kid and the vendors), the police office, the entire snake mound and the voodoo hounfour. So far I'm at day 5 of GK, there seems to be a bit of a drag in some locations but nowhere near as bad as on the high quality versions.

[Tawmis]

Installed the game manually (I now have 2 GK1s on my computer).

The Installer version has speed problems that become too much to handle at the Museum, South-West Jackson Square (with the tap-dancing kid and the vendors), the police office, the entire snake mound and the voodoo hounfour. So far I'm at day 5 of GK, there seems to be a bit of a drag in some locations but nowhere near as bad as on the high quality versions.

Wait. High Quality one?

Do you mean the 20th Anniversary remake?

[BBP]

No. When you use the manual install as Collector suggests on the GK1 help page, you get a significantly lower quality than when you use the installer.
There are still the occasional points where the game runs slower than it should, but on the whole it runs normally, without upping the cycles, without waiting seconds for an audio clip, and with large videos!