Why do you follow Content Creators?

[Stelawrat.6589]

Across all social media platforms, Guild Wars 2 has some of the most knowledgeable, engaging content creators in the field. While all of them cover a wide range of subjects, I consider some of them to be specialists, focusing more on certain aspects of the game than others. 

Naturally, they all have their strengths & weaknesses, so without signaling anyone out, what are you looking for when choosing to follow content creators? What keeps you coming back?

 
Other than straight out misinformation, what if anything, dissuades you from following? 

[Kusumura.8642]

I'm going to be honest. I only care about them when there's a release cycle happening and they potentially have information I haven't heard before.

The second I tune into one and they say, "So OMG guys, here's what just came out yest--", I leave and don't come back.

 

Maybe it's vicious. It's definitely mean. But my time's valuable, and I'm not spending it watching someone do something that I could otherwise be doing.
A long time ago, I watched a few of a..-- uhh, a streamer made out of a very firm material that trees are, while being a vegetable --'s videos, and then I realised, "Wait.. Why am I listening to his opinion, when I could just read it and form my own? I don't need his opinion or ideas. I just want to know what the black and white details are."

 

So.. I'll likely watch a couple in the lead-up to EoD, but I'm not going to be a raving fan or anything, and if they waste my time.. I'm off elsewhere. I'd rather be playing the game than listening to someone telling me about how they think I should be playing it.

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

I only watch one, and I do so because I like his analysis of trailers, etc. 

[Danikat.8537]

I don't. Occasionally if I'm having trouble with something and the Wiki or text guides aren't helping I'll watch a video guide (the last one I remember was learning how to do the speed boost on a griffon) but I don't follow or look for any particular people, I just search for a guide covering what I need to know, watch that bit and then go back to what I was doing.

 

On that basis what I'm looking for is simple and clear information with no unnecessary extras. Any talking should be explaining what they're doing and how to do it, and no extra music or added sound effects or whatever else. Likewise a minimum of logos, tags, comments or whatever else covering up the screen.

 

If I start a video which claims to be a guide to something specific and it's them standing in LA spinning the camera around their character while they yammer on about what was in a previous video I'll skip ahead about a minute and if it's not gotten to the point by then I'll turn it off and find one that is actually showing what it claims it is.

[Trejgon.9367]

for me it is same as for any other YT'er streamer - if I enjoy the content I follow the creator.

[Flapjackson.1596]

If they provide the info I need, if I can tolerate listening to them, if they can be positive on things that are worth commending Anet on, and if they are open about something being bad when Anet messes up. 
 

That’s what I care about. I want creators that provide expertise and entertainment while keeping their expectations of the game fair.

[Stelawrat.6589]

58 minutes ago, Kusumura.8642 said:

I'm going to be honest. I only care about them when there's a release cycle happening and they potentially have information I haven't heard before.

Thank you for the honesty! That said, it would be pretty hard to come up with information not readily known... 😐

[Raknar.4735]

I watch content creators that entertain me. So far, none of the GW2 ones have managed to do so, so I'm mostly watching content creators of other games.

[Stelawrat.6589]

33 minutes ago, Danikat.8537 said:

On that basis what I'm looking for is simple and clear information with no unnecessary extras. Any talking should be explaining what they're doing and how to do it, and no extra music or added sound effects or whatever else. Likewise a minimum of logos, tags, comments or whatever else covering up the screen.

 

I imagine this is how most players feel, although depending on the choice of music,  I think it can be a nice complement, as long as it doesn't drown out the speakers voice. 

[Kusumura.8642]

2 minutes ago, Stelawrat.6589 said:

Thank you for the honesty! That said, it would be pretty hard to come up with information not readily known... 😐

Happy to offer it!

I know, it is pretty hard to come up with things not already known, but.. that's. Kind of it. What's worth my time is learning something new - again, Mister Vegetable of Hard Material Man (Since we aren't calling out anybody specifically...) does do some other things - like highlighting new builds that he's found or the like. Those are interesting. They show the game from a different point of view that I wouldn't have otherwise considered, or help understand things just a little better. There's something new being added to my headspace.

"OMG guys, it's so fantastic and amazing, like OMG, we are about to get right into the new information that just got released by Anet but before that... [Insert Sixty Seconds of Advertisement that I press "L" six times to skip anyway] so with that out of the way, let's get right into the new things that Anet has told us about the upcoming expansion back and how awesome and amazing it is and just OMG you guys it's so fantastic the changes that are coming and I think you're all going to enjoy this SO much OMGOMGOMG. When I tell you this, guys, you are going to flip out like enormously, it is just SO good and looks SO fun and OMG... [Keep on going for the twenty seconds of actual content that is stretched out to eleven minutes for the sake of AdSense™]"

Admittedly, that isn't a.. verbatim script or anything, but tell me you haven't heard eerily similar from some presenters (I will call someone out, because they aren't a GW2-specific one - DID I JUST COPY YOUR SCRIPT, JUICEHEAD? I THINK I COPIED IT).

 

I'm old. I don't have it in me to sit there like a zombie for ten minutes before anybody actually gets to the point - OR they get to the point and I completely miss it because I'm zoning-out their nonsense self-important spiel.

 

Mind you - this is coming from someone that IS a brick and mortar radio presenter.

[Mungrul.9358]

Since coming back to GW2, I've been regularly watching a few well-known GW2 streamers, and one new one.

 

A couple of the ones I see as being the most knowledgeable, I can't actually stand their personalities (they're both fellow Brits, so you can probably guess who), so I tolerate them enough to get what I need out of them.

 

The other fairly knowledgeable one is one who I really like and has a great personality. I find him genuinely funny and substantially less toxic.

 

And the fourth is one who recently started playing, and I'm enjoying watch her go through the game with fresh eyes. It's always worth seeing how new players approach content you're already familiar with. It helps remind you why you started playing in the first place, and can shake you out of being cynically jaded.

[Stelawrat.6589]

4 minutes ago, Raknar.4735 said:

I watch content creators that entertain me.

Can you explain a bit more what you mean by entertains you? What do you feel is missing from the media that you've watched? Or maybe it would be easier to mention ways, that those other creators that you do watch, entertain you. 

[Raknar.4735]

2 minutes ago, Stelawrat.6589 said:

Can you explain a bit more what you mean by entertains you? What do you feel is missing from the media that you've watched? Or maybe it would be easier to mention ways, that those other creators that you do watch, entertain you. 

 

It's not easy to explain, as there are multiple ways a content creator can be entertaining.

It's not just one thing that creators do that entertain me, their whole stream just feels entertaining. You can't just pin down what's missing, as different streams will need different content.

For example, watching CohhCarnage or Quin69 is a vastly different experience, yet both are entertaining in their own way, even when playing the same game.

 

Their personality is a big factor, though.

[Stelawrat.6589]

7 minutes ago, Kusumura.8642 said:

Happy to offer it!

I know, it is pretty hard to come up with things not already known, but.. that's. Kind of it. What's worth my time is learning something new - again, Mister Vegetable of Hard Material Man (Since we aren't calling out anybody specifically...) does do some other things - like highlighting new builds that he's found or the like. Those are interesting. They show the game from a different point of view that I wouldn't have otherwise considered, or help understand things just a little better. There's something new being added to my headspace.

... 

I'm old. I don't have it in me to sit there like a zombie for ten minutes before anybody actually gets to the point - OR they get to the point and I completely miss it because I'm zoning-out their nonsense self-important spiel.

 

Mind you - this is coming from someone that IS a brick and mortar radio presenter.

While I realize that the "that's. Kind of it." rationale is valid one, I think GW2s content creators would be pretty hard pressed to meet that high of a bar, much in the same way that professional news organizations rarely get genuine "scoops". 

Also, Mister Vegetable of Hard Material Man has contributed much to my headspace, genuinely, markedly improving my gameplay as a result. I'll go on record here & now to say, that I'm really grateful to him. 😊

Because I'm old, I have the advantage of being able to take as much time as needed. Admittedly, that can be a lot! 

Also, the first thing that I do in the morning is turn on the radio & because I'm old, I've listened to my fair share of brick and mortar radio presenters, some more valued than others. Interestingly, for nearly 6 months now, the dial has been set to 24/7 music & I have to say, I'm none the worse for wear. 😛

[Kusumura.8642]

3 minutes ago, Stelawrat.6589 said:

While I realize that the "that's. Kind of it." rationale is valid one, I think GW2s content creators would be pretty hard pressed to meet that high of a bar, much in the same way that professional news organizations rarely get genuine "scoops". 

Also, Mister Vegetable of Hard Material Man has contributed much to my headspace, genuinely, markedly improving my gameplay as a result. I'll go on record here & now to say, that I'm really grateful to him. 😊

Because I'm old, I have the advantage of being able to take as much time as needed. Admittedly, that can be a lot! 

Also, the first thing that I do in the morning is turn on the radio & because I'm old, I've listened to my fair share of brick and mortar radio presenters, some more valued than others. Interestingly, for nearly 6 months now, the dial has been set to 24/7 music & I have to say, I'm none the worse for wear. 😛

That is entirely valid, news rooms not having genuine 'scoops'! They haven't for a long time now, since news if mostly reported online the very instant that it's happening. Doesn't mean that presenters such as Philip DeFranco haven't moved into the space and done what news rooms need to learn to do - just present people with the facts, have ten seconds to give your own take, have a minute to hawk whatever you need to hawk, and bounce.

 

A radio-related mentor from many moons ago told me, "Unless it's a talkback segment, nobody cares about us or what we have to say. Just deliver it clearly, say something to make them feel anything about what you just told them in ten words or less, and move on. Announce the music so they know what they're listening to and can go find it if they want to, and.. that's it. That's our job. Everything else is superfluous and has a time and place, but it isn't what people listen for."

 

For the same reason I just can't listen to Morning/Afternoon Drive, I can't deal with how a lot of online presenters format themselves. It's the whole, "OMG guys, it's so good, geeze!", dragging out of everything. Radio stations do the same thing - ESPECIALLY for the Drive slots. The eternal teasing of some "Super Mega Prize YOU can win if you stay tuned in!", the non-stop banting back and forth with hosts that annoy you that THINK you're there for THEM, when you really just want music so you can zone out and commute to work, and maybe have the thought, "Huh, what song was that? Might look that up later." 

 

Mister Vegetable of Hard Material Man's content is usually good! I don't hate him. It's just that whenever there're game updates or the like, he falls into the trap of going on and on and on and on about this, that, and the other, and, "That sounds to me like...", or, "This seems like a wonderful change and it's amazing and fantastic and it's really needed and I think it will make a huge difference to the way..."

 

What I'd like more is something along the lines of...
"So, Engineer is having its Power Coefficient on its primary Rifle auto-attack buffed from 0.8 to 1.3. [Insert a whole list of other changes]. Seems like reasonable buffs that will help the struggling class to me - what do you all think? Let me know!", and then he moves on.

[Lyssia.4637]

1 hour ago, Danikat.8537 said:

On that basis what I'm looking for is simple and clear information with no unnecessary extras. Any talking should be explaining what they're doing and how to do it, and no extra music or added sound effects or whatever else. Likewise a minimum of logos, tags, comments or whatever else covering up the screen.

This, and only as a last resort.  Even then, I'll only use them when I can quickly find what I'm looking for, not something where I have to go through thirty minutes of content to find the two minutes I actually need to solve whatever problem I have.  I don't care if it takes a few minutes for someone doing things live to get it right - that shows me where I might have gotten tripped up, or how to solve a problem I might run into - but I don't want to watch you get every single mastery point in Tyria, I just want to know where I missed the jump for the single one!

 

And having found the two people who make those kinds of videos, I'll look for them first when I need one.  😄

[Stelawrat.6589]

30 minutes ago, Raknar.4735 said:

Their personality is a big factor, though.

Agreed, I think personality plays a big part just as it does irl.

I think it's a good thing though, that we are all so different. I would have difficulty criticizing anyone's personality, unless it was offensive. Then again, what is offensive to me, might not be to someone else.

Luckily we have lots to choose from.   

[PhantomGoddess.5174]

Have I seen Mister Vegetable of Hard Material Man?  Yes.  Can he be entertaining?  Mmm...sure...I guess.  But I don't follow his content as if it were the be all end all of GW2 content.  Then again, I don't follow any GW2 content creator as if they were the be all end all of GW2 content either.

 

Usually, when I need to find content creators for GW2, it's because I need help with something that written guides, or my brain is just too kitten tired to figure out on its own.  So I use the video content to help me out...inspire me, or give me direction where I am utterly clueless.  If a video has too much loud music, too much talk about sponsors in the beginning, too much bouncing around or if I can't understand what the heck is just going on, I'll look for another one.

 

I like my videos to get to the point, quickly, or at least have a way for me to get to that point quickly instead of me having to wait for a ten minute long diatribe on why you like "Game Vibe Squeeze Juice!" or whatever other product is helping you keep the channel going by sponsoring you.  Great, you like the product, put the ad at the end of the video or put up an ad banner in your video...I don't wanna hear about it in a video about a JP I'm trying to get through.  That turns me off content quicker than a cat on a hot tin roof for sure. (Ten minutes may be overstating how long it takes for a blurb of an ad to take place in some videos, but putting it at the beginning or the middle of a video instead of at the end, just seems to me, to make the video take forever.)

 

And, I don't know if they still do these, but I haven't been looking for them either...but...GW2 music videos...I don't think I've seen any.  I've seen them back in the GW1 days...quite a few that were pretty funny.  I miss some of those.  I think I'm going to go looking to see.  

[Kusumura.8642]

3 minutes ago, PhantomGoddess.5174 said:

And, I don't know if they still do these, but I haven't been looking for them either...but...GW2 music videos...I don't think I've seen any.  I've seen them back in the GW1 days...quite a few that were pretty funny.  I miss some of those.  I think I'm going to go looking to see.  

I'd rather be a Seraph...

[xenon.3264]

i don't

 

i mean i may use a guide for a jp (i am looking at you stupid volcano) but it's the first answer from a youtube search, do non even read the name of the person who did (and usually i do not even turn on the audio)

 

i appreaciate the effort for the guides, a lot,  but i would not follow any of them.  

 

 

 

[sewenewes.4176]

I don't watch content creators nowdays but I do like to listen to them while I'm gaming. For that reason I prefer scripted videos to streams.

 

My favourite kind of videos are the ones about builds for the different classes, game lore, and funny stories of players.

[Smoosh.2718]

2 hours ago, Inculpatus cedo.9234 said:

I only watch one, and I do so because I like his analysis of trailers, etc. 

That sounds like a 100% WP to me on that one.
I love hearing his theories and thoughts behind what he thinks is to come as well.

[Astralporing.1957]

I don't. I do occasionally  look at some of the vids they produce, if the subject seems interesting, but it will generally be the subject, not the creator, that will bring my interest.

[Dante.1763]

55 minutes ago, Astralporing.1957 said:

I don't. I do occasionally  look at some of the vids they produce, if the subject seems interesting, but it will generally be the subject, not the creator, that will bring my interest.

This basically, yupupyup

[Infusion.7149]

Don't follow anyone but currently it's the only way to see monthly Automated tournament footage. Arenanet should at least put up semi-final + finals.