General Lets Play Discussion Thread

Super Lazuli

I noticed that there was not a general thread for discussing Lets Playing (or at least, I could find none), so I made one.

I don't really know how to start this, so some Lets Players I like, and a couple I'm iffier on.

• RockLeeSmile (Nick) -- Probably has the most "critical" approach I've ever seen in an LPer, though he's not above making jokes and such, he points things out about game design and such. He's big on indie games but his only ongoing LPs are of Shadow Warrior (which seems to be on hiatus) and a Magic the Gathering game, which is a co-op with Alpacapatrol (see below). Nick's also got his own, non-LP series of videos (that he's far better known for) called Indie Impressions, where he takes a quick look (the average time seems to be about 20 minutes, though there are certainly episodes that have run far longer or shorter) at various indie games, he's been doing this every day for over a year now, which is pretty impressive in its own right. He's fond of pulling the weirder/more offbeat titles from indiegam.es, and his most recent video as of this post was of a dishwashing simulator where you can not actually wash dishes. He's usually a pretty positive critic, too (though he'll occasionally lapse into mock-cynicism, and he had about a week where people kept sending him abysmal horror titles). His channel's pretty worth checking out (though if you're the type that screams at the screen when things are missed, you may find the experience somewhat frustrating, his observation skills are not the best. He also had a Dark Souls co-op wiht a dude named Anzariel at one point, though that series is concluded.


• Northernlion -- Probably the best-known LPer I watch with any regularity. He sometimes collaborates with Nick (though usually only on Livestreams), but his style's far more casual. He also has a quick look series (though his is not solely indie games), and is also a fair critic when he's in a more serious mode. Usually though, he jokes around and makes a lot of pop cultural references. Also, he has a nice voice and is very bald. Has a pair of long-running LPs of The Binding of Isaac (over 400 episodes at this point) and the XBLA version of Spelunky (approaching 100). He's also done a series on FTL, as well as a number of other things. His fans have a ton of in-jokes which tend to spread to the LPers he collaborates with. He's a part of the Saving Progress group.


• JSmithOTI (Josh) -- Josh is kind of an oddball in terms of what I usually like to watch. He's sort of a dudebro, in all honesty, but he's usually pretty funny and he's down to earth the majority of the time. I tend to find Josh as a guest on Northernlion's livestreams, and recently, he concluded a weekend-long 52 hour livestream on his twitch.tv account (though he usually uses Youtube, as does everyone on here), which featured (among other people) totally unscheduled appeareances from The Developers of Frog Fractions, Spy Party, Thomas Was Alone, Chasm, and Risk of Rain, as well as a dude from Mojang and a Sony Rep. Also, PewDiePie briefly showed up and was surprisingly relaxed during his cameo there. He also has a brother named Zack who is technologically inept. I tend to watch Josh in small doses. Josh is also a part of the Saving Progress group.


• Alpacapatrol -- I really couldn't tell you why I like this guy. I just sort of do. He's relatable, I suppose.

Iffies:

• Helloween4545: I like him, and he's funny, but his commentary can get repetitive and he also tends to play games I have zero interest in whatsoever. So I don't watch him very often.


• Cryaotic/ChaoticMonki: Despite what one might think by looking at some of his videos, Cry is a surprisingly down-to-earth dude. His voice has been described as "brutally film noir", a descriptor I find accurate. However, he tends to ratchet up the "AGLHELBALG SCARY THINGS I AM FRIGHTENED" when playing horror games, which makes him a lot less enjoyable imo. Also, his fanbase is completely fucking insane, and it's really not a surprise he's as private as he is.


• raocow: Probably the only "first-generation" Youtube LPer I will ever watch. I like raocow, but I have to be in a really specific mood to find him funny. Otherwise he just grates. 

So yeah, those are some LPers I like I guess.

Tell me what you think or suggest some of your own.

MadassAlex

Epic Name Bro is a fantastic Dark Souls LPer, with easily the most expansive, complete and in-depth gameplay coverage of Dark Souls out there. He was among the first (if not the first) Westerners to play Dark Souls in completeness, and is responsible for the initial spread of the Drake Sword secret (it was a secret back then, okay). I wouldn't expect a whole lot of updates from him soon, though, as apparently he's just had a child. In particular, I'd recommend his Dark Souls lore videos, because he collates a lot of subtle data from different sources in the game, and clearly designates what is his own speculation and what can be taken as hard lore (spoiler: it's mostly speculation). 

TeamworkCast do a good Monster Hunter podcast, updates roughly each week. They span a variety of games, and recently started Ultimate. They are Krystian (German game designer; the worst player and sometimes endearingly naive), Shepard (well known MH LPer; great strategic player, often the unofficial leader during hunts), Putty (the comic relief; plays well when he's not trolling or relaying the Ghostbusters story) and K.O. Han Nahxela (the quiet one; being the best player, he's often the one to snatch any given mission from the jaws of defeat. The silence of his focus is like the inversion of a thunderstorm. Or something. His uncle was an Uragaan, which he took on the chin.). The podcast is a great source of information for new players and a great source of entertainment for those with more experience. 

Myrmidon

Chippowai is my faorvrite let's us player