Now Let’s Actually Play Skyrim…

My computer problems seem to be resolved. I did a clean install of my operating system, let it update itself, and I’ve been slowly replacing programs. Fox asked me to back up his level 50-something character, so we have all our save files from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Today I played with my level 39 character – who has more gold than she’ll ever need, owns multiple houses, and makes the best gear in the game. (Better gear will become available as her smithing skill improves.) It provided a nice break from all the reality I’ve been dealing with lately.

I played for a while, decided to take a break, and was pleased to discover that my computer did not crash when I closed the game. Since I’ve been so obsessed with the idea of doing a Let’s Play, I decided to give it a try. Like anything else, videos that combine gameplay footage and audio commentary don’t happen because a gamer wants them to. They happen because the LPer gathers the necessary software and equipment, presses “record,” and does their best to make whatever happens entertaining. It takes a lot of courage and self-acceptance.

I started a new game just so I could practice recording. There are some things I need to work out in the introduction, but it goes smoothly enough. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the comments I made during character creation bore little resemblance to the lines I’ve been compulsively practicing.

I want to share my thought process while choosing my character’s race, but actually making the selection in character creation takes me about 2 seconds because I’ve already made my decision. Do I let the video become static while I talk, or do I make my selection quickly? If I do the latter, should I try to talk about the race I chose while tweaking the character’s appearance? It seems like character creation is set up so it can happen quite quickly, without breaking up the action that is going on at the beginning of the game. I’m torn between going along with that and taking some time to share my strategy.

Perhaps I should record post-commentary: instead of talking while I’m creating my character, I can record my comments while watching the video later. That will leave me free to focus on character creation while recording the gameplay footage, then focus on sharing my strategy while recording my commentary. Yay not multitasking!

The point is, I’m finally trying things and learning what does or doesn’t work, instead of just obsessing over them. I even made a short trial episode! Perhaps as I practice taking a more “hands on” approach to the Let’s Play, I’ll feel more confident about working to improve my skills, complete quests, and level up in reality.

Advertisement