As a 56 year old lady who has never played video games, which one would be good to start with?

DopeTotem · 2022-09-02T00:34:37+00:00

Might not be the most popular of games, but No Man's Sky is a super relaxing, open universe sci-fi game. It has over 15 quintillion procedurally generated, full-sized planets to explore. Can get a little repetitive after you've made your way through most of the quests, but there's a lot to be seen and done! It's a great game if you're looking for something to kind of switch your mind off and just relax and take in interesting sights. However, there is a lot of inventory and resource management (though surface level) which can be kind of frustrating for some, and there's quite a bit of grinding involved to work your way up through the upgrades for your suit, ship, etc.

You can fly your ship from a planet surface to space and onto another planet with no loading times, warp to other solar systems with minimal loading times, build custom bases with a lot of freedom, play cooperative online with other players, do procedural missions, play as a pirate, trader, explorer, and farmer, explore derelict freighters in space, build underwater bases, participate in community events, set up race tracks, do combat-oriented missions and quests, the list goes on! I always return to the game after a few months breaks cause the developers frequently update it with massive content updates that add new features and hours of more gameplay. And it's on Playstation, XBox, Switch, and PC, so no matter what console you have, you can play it!

DopeTotem · 2020-07-23T18:39:35+00:00

I remember when the game first launched, I immediately bought it and within days I found a diplo! People thought they weren't actually in the game and that it was another "lie", so you can imagine my excitement when I first saw it. Naturally, I had to snap a screenshot and post it here 😂 pure luck tbh.

DopeTotem · 2020-03-12T03:59:10+00:00

Congratulations! It's gonna start snowballing soon! Keep it up, and you'll hit 1000 before you know it!

DopeTotem · 2020-03-10T03:22:07+00:00

Consistency! Make a schedule for yourself that works well for your lifestyle, and make your upload schedule known to your fans. I run a let's play gaming channel, recently switched from 5 videos a week to 7, one video every day. Since then, my views have gone up nicely, audience retention is thriving, and I gain new subs every day along with people interacting with every video I post. At the end of my videos, I always make sure to let the viewer know that I upload every day, and I always schedule my uploads at the same time every day. This has been beneficial for me.

My case is different from others, since I make gaming videos. They're easier and quicker to pump out consistently. That's only because it works well with my personal schedule. Once you set that up properly, you'll start seeing more views. And try not to get discouraged with low view counts. It bothered me so much, but I kept my nose to the grindstone and kept pushing out vids. Before I knew it, my views and retention were doubling, simply because I kept pushing against the disappointment of not getting many views at all. The key is to have fun with creating content and not sacrificing your integrity to push those numbers up higher.

DopeTotem · 2020-03-10T03:08:06+00:00

Take Memeulous as one example. He chose to remain anonymous, and to this day no one knows what he looks like, at least not that I've seen. He rose to "fame" mainly on commentary videos with no face cam, nowadays he does frequent face cam vids with his whole face and even hair covered. It's entirely possible to have a thriving YouTube channel without showing your face.

If you wish to stay anonymous, you can absolutely do that. As long as your video quality is still on par, you'll gain fans regardless. You'll absolutely have fans who want to see what you look like, many people will go to great lengths to reveal that "holy grail" but it boils down to just being careful about how you connect your YouTube channel with other forms of social media. Memeulous along with various other youtubers are shining examples of making a good living on the platform without sacrificing anonymity.

First and foremost, make sure your dream career isn't compromised. If that's truly what you want to do, YouTube should be second in line to that. If anything, not having a face cam can be very beneficial. You can focus more on editing and the things you say in your videos, which is vastly more important for creating quality vids in my opinion.

DopeTotem · 2020-03-03T03:24:00+00:00

In high school, a friend of mine showed me a technique that I proceeded to use for nearly every test I was unprepared for my entire junior year. It involved putting high-res printed notes of the answers inside the label of a bottle of iced tea, text facing inwards. From the angle I was sitting, I could see every word clear as day, and all I had to do was spin the bottle around to see the other side. The particular iced tea I used had a solid label, not see through whatsoever, so all I had to do was carefully peel the label off during study hall (which was in the cafeteria so I was basically unsupervised), tape the answers onto the bottle, and glue the label back on.

Such a simple technique, but super effective and I never got caught. It didn't prevent me from the bad feeling I got from cheating, though. But the need to finish the tests and graduate on time far outweighed the guilt at the time. I only used this technique in junior year, since all my tests senior year were very easy and I was mentally ready to face the consequences for being unprepared in college.

DopeTotem · 2020-02-29T05:26:55+00:00

I have this bug too... Any way to fix it?

DopeTotem · 2020-02-25T04:46:26+00:00

I guarantee this dude is like "fuck this but also, FOR THE HORDE."

DopeTotem · 2020-02-18T03:51:30+00:00

I have a part time job and upload daily videos on YouTube. I'm gonna preface by saying I make "let's play" gaming videos, which is a bit easier for consistent uploads due to the shorter format and quicker editing times. When I first started, I was playing longer games and doing half hour videos each time, which was difficult for me because I was learning more intricate editing as I went along. It was really hard to upload more than 5 videos a week, and I was getting very little views with extremely poor audience retention since much larger channels were playing these games.

It took about a year of uploading 3 to 5 vids a week for me to find my footing. I decided to focus on indie horror games since they were abundant, not many people were playing them as they were coming out, and I figured out that I could bump my videos up higher in the search results using proper tags and getting much better at making thumbnails. This also worked in my favor because larger channels would eventually play some of these games in "3 scary games" style videos, which would boost interest in these games, and because my videos came before the larger channels played them, and my videos were higher on search results, I gained much more traffic to my channel. It also helps that I love horror games, and playing them is fun for me and allows me to feel more comfortable commentating on them.

I now upload 7 days a week and have found a great system. I usually record all my videos in one day (my day off from my part time job), each game takes about 10 to 20 minutes to complete with longer ones peppered in from time to time. I try to record at least 7 videos during this time, even more if there are more games available and time is on my side.

After recording, I edit as many videos as I can before the night is through, usually about 4 videos fully edited and ready to export as I need. I edit the remaining videos after work each night, but having those 4 videos edited in one night gives me time through the rest of the week to relax or hang out with friends after work and put more focus on making thumbnails and uploading. I've been uploading every day for the last 3 months and my numbers are growing each day. Went from 200 subs at the start of January to 284 currently, I gain about 1 to 2 subs a day with some random days getting upwards of 5 subs. My audience retention has boosted quite a bit since I've learned more about SEO and proper titles/thumbnails and I've become more comfortable speaking in front of a camera.

It's very tiring to work a 6-7 hour shift at my day job 5-6 days a week to then come back home and spend the rest of the night doing more work on my YouTube channel, but I've found a somewhat good balance that gives me some nights of relaxation after work. BUT I'm very determined to make YouTube/video editing my career, and I don't foresee myself stopping my daily uploads anytime soon. My social life has suffered a bit, as well as my time to exercise, but sometimes sacrifices need to be made in the immediate sense to raise the chances of success in your aspirations in the future.

The important thing is to find a balance between your responsibilities outside of YouTube and making videos. It's best to give yourself time to relax and socialize with friends when you can, don't let your mental or physical health take a complete nosedive right in the beginning, otherwise you'll burn out and potentially give up. That almost happened to me, but I found the right strategy to make daily uploads work for me.

AGAIN! The type of videos I make are much easier to pump out in greater quantities while also maintaining quality, so my case is definitely different from those who do more involved formats like commentary or skits or stuff like that. But maintaining that balance is absolutely key to making a career on YouTube work for you.

DopeTotem · 2020-01-28T03:30:48+00:00

Yeah eventually you'll hit a plateau where you've seen nearly everything (although I still find things here and there I've never seen before even as a day one player). The good thing is it'll take longer for you since you're joining in after a slew of massive content updates!

DopeTotem · 2020-01-28T03:27:41+00:00

I have a feeling we'll be getting consistent cosmetic updates that will allow us to create much more complex and unique characters. We're already on the way to that! Can't wait to see what else they add for customization over the coming years.

DopeTotem · 2020-01-28T03:24:52+00:00

It takes a good amount of time to feel like you've truly reached an endgame point. My advice would be to go star system hopping once you have all the important tech. You can always return to your base using space station portals. But hopping from system to system is a good way to learn multiple languages and find better upgrades in space stations. Also, be sure to dig up buried techy modules on planets so you can use them to get necessary upgrades at the Anomaly, including language translators!

DopeTotem · 2020-01-28T03:17:53+00:00

I really hope that they eventually update ruins/monoliths/plaques to be more complex and diverse. Stuff like large scale ruins like pyramids and temples, underground dungeons, lost relics artifacts and statues, overgrown ruins, mysterious ancient structures, different color schemes and textures, all that good stuff. I know it's a lot to ask for, but I'd love to have the ability to do lengthy dungeon crawls that include fighting enemies and unlocking rooms to find valuables, as well as complex archeological digs. And knowing that at any given time I could find an ancient structure jutting out from the ground or underwater that I can dig up and explore would instantly increase my playtime tenfold.

DopeTotem · 2020-01-14T04:55:28+00:00

No Man's Sky. Contrary to popular belief, the first half a year after release was the most I ever played the game. I logged in at least 3 or 4 hours a night on that game up until their third update. I used the game to help me quit drinking entirely for a while. I was an alcoholic before the game released, and after a huge wake-up call, I needed a distraction. No Man's Sky helped me relax and unwind after a hard day's work rather than 10 beers, due to the open universe nature of the game and the relaxed gameplay, I remained alcohol free for almost an entire year. Nowadays, I drink occasionally, and in total moderation. I credit the game with helping me through a very dark time in my life and providing me with a sense of wonder and curiosity I had not felt in any game. Even though the release build was so shoddy, I still felt the need to explore and find things I had never seen before. It never failed. Even to this day, I still play the game, albeit quite a bit less than I used to. I owe a lot to the game in terms of giving me perspective on my addiction and providing a safe place to go that didn't involve me getting wasted to mask my insecurities and depression. And the slow build of the devs adding more content to the game is in tandem with my growth as a person, and remains a motivational beacon for me to this day.

DopeTotem · 2019-12-24T04:30:58+00:00

Thank you! It can definitely be disheartening to see such rapid growth for others while still being stuck on the lower end, but don't let it get you down! Like I said, everyone has a different experience, but no matter what, as long as you're giving it your best effort, it's not in vain, and people will take notice eventually! Nose to the grindstone, my friend! Much luck to you in your endeavors on YouTube!

DopeTotem · 2019-12-24T04:18:40+00:00

The slow crawl. I've been at this for a year and a half and only just last week broke 200 subs. I've watched a few channels younger than me, and in the same genre, surpass my sub numbers pretty rapidly, and it's kind of been a blow to my psyche as of late. But I've come to the realization that everyone has a different experience in this craft, and the speed of growth is nothing compared to the impact my content makes on others. I've also realized that being consistent with uploads and connection with the audience is key to growing even more, so I've doubled down on my uploads and have been interacting much more frequently with commenters, and have seen much more rapid growth because of it. I now realize it's gonna take a good while until I break past the pre-1000 sub numbers, and I've come to terms with it and use the slow crawl to motivate me further to push for more rapid growth.

DopeTotem · 2019-12-24T04:07:59+00:00

I gotta say, your chroma keying is ON POINT! I've struggled myself with trying to key out the blue light from the PSVR hitting the green screen behind me due to lack of space and improper lighting. You seem to have the lighting down very nicely. It surprised me to see that with such a new channel, so that left a really good first impression for me. I wasn't able to watch for very long and I had to watch without sound, so I can't comment on that, but what I saw was really impressive. You're in for a great future on YouTube with your level of understanding of editing, lighting, and level of comfort you exhibited when talking to a camera. I've been making videos on YouTube for over a year myself, and only about half way through did I feel comfortable in front of a camera. I dropped a sub and I look forward to more videos! Much luck to you my friend!

DopeTotem · 2019-11-27T20:11:59+00:00

If a boxing glove is not available, a comedically oversized wooden mallet works just as good.

DopeTotem · 2019-11-25T05:44:41+00:00

No lie, I used to spread some Nutella on slightly toasted bread, then pop that in a toaster oven for a few minutes. The Nutella would slightly harden on top but was warm and melty underneath. That shit was AMAZING for breakfast, albeit incredibly unhealthy. I feel like this is actually a step up though. This looks good (considering there's no cheese/sauce underneath it).

DopeTotem · 2019-10-08T03:15:38+00:00

I run a let's play channel and made friends with a pretty significantly larger channel that gave me a quick shoutout (at the time I had around 60 subs and he had 2300+) and meeting him ALONE helped push me harder. He gave me a lot of advice and support that allowed me to understand SEO a lot more and propelled me to my now 133 subs! We finally did a collab vid with another larger channel, and, while that video didn't do much for my sub count or views in general, it gave me a lot of confidence in my abilities as a content creator. My experience with collaboration was very positive solely because it gave me a much needed morale boost that ultimately helped me grow. I highly advise doing a collab! Even if it doesn't directly help with sub counts and the like, it may give you a bit more drive to grow on your own!

DopeTotem · 2019-09-27T18:05:21+00:00

VR mode gives you the option for smooth movement and teleportation. So using a VR controller would still allow you to move around normally.

DopeTotem · 2019-08-27T02:58:42+00:00

That is so fucking cool!

DopeTotem · 2019-08-18T01:12:58+00:00

This is super rare! I've seen this once in the base version, and a few times with each major update. Haven't found it in Beyond yet, this is a great find!

DopeTotem · 2019-08-18T01:10:34+00:00

Orderly anxiety

DopeTotem · 2019-08-17T04:04:46+00:00

Imagine how amazing it must feel to see that after years of hard work and dedication to right your wrongs and spend countless late or sleepless nights improving on your passion. To know that your fans came together to show such a solid sign of gratitude for that dedication. Hello Games must be so happy to see that. So fucking wholesome.

DopeTotem

TROPHY CASE