Cities Skylines Youtube Show - Episode 17- Now over 75,000 ppl

[Elz_41 10]

Hi Everyone

I've just joined these forums and this is my first post on here. Love the game, although haven't had it very long. I've just started my first city and am doing a Youtube series following it.

If you go to my youtube link you'll notice I've just started broadcasting on that too so would love to get some feedback, subscribers (its free!) and some likes - I hope to make the videos as entertaining and banterous as possible, and not take it too seriously. I'm keen to hear about what you think about the 'show' itself (my commentary, jokes etc) as much as the city.

 

I apologise for the first couple of responses in this thread - I took a comment the wrong way - I urge you look towards the bottom for updates - many thanks.

 

Here is a link to the latest episode:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4P4AwibyIc

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Many thanks

Elz_41

 

 

[YorkshireMayor 214]

Good start! Keep up the good work! I find being consistent in releases and quality is the biggest way to success!

[Elz_41 10]

Thank you - are you actually from Yorkshire UK?

I'm planning to release a new EP every day or every other day at worst.

Likes and subs are also great ways to succeed

Also Ep2 is out and I'm playing other games on the channel too.

 

Thanks again

  Edited November 13, 2015 by Elz_41  

[YorkshireMayor 214]

I am indeed in Yorkshire!

I used to be obsessed with subscriber count, but view count is much more indicative of success.

Even more than that, enjoyment. The moment you stop enjoying it, stop doing it! Views, subscribers and likes are good motivation, but shouldn't be the motivation for making the videos, IMO.

[dedgren 830]

Hi Elz.  Please don't take this as negative criticism- I think that it takes a brave and daring soul to join these forums and immediately begin a CJ with one's first post (I lurked for a year, I think, before my first and then waited another nine months to begin CJing)- but I think you might be taking a couple of steps in a direction that many authors here have come to realize over time is a mistake.  

If you are still reading this, thanks for not taking offense.  None is intended.  But ask yourself, "why, when a potential reader/viewer probably remembers the hours spent in the initial part of the Cities: Skylines learning curve with some distaste, would he or she want to spend half an hour (that could be spent reading five or six CJs, leaving a few comments and likes, and then playing the game for 15 minutes) watching someone else do that?"  It doesn't sound like your journal is intended as a tutorial, and even if it was there are already many fine basic ones out there- that field is pretty crowded.  So if it is a journal (in video form) what is it that you are journaling?  You don't really give us anything more than an invitation in your introduction.  You don't tease us with interesting screenies or promises of novel content.  Without at least those things I think you are going to find that a 30 minute video will be a hard sell to people who might otherwise be interested.

I watched 10 minutes of your video.  It was nicely done, but it was not special enough to make me feel like I wanted to see the rest of it.  Our friend YorkshireMayor has kindly given you some great tips, but you need, at bottom, to have a point to what your CJ is about beyond just that you have the ability to create one so you did.  

I know my CJ style is not to everyone's taste, and have no expectation that it would be.  I've been doing this for a long time, though, and have watched journal after journal abandoned by their authors because there are low numbers of page views and only a handful of comments- what must seem like a poor return for all the time and effort that the authors put into them.  I'd be delighted to see more CJs, certainly including yours, succeed, because the ST Cities:Skylines city journal forums are currently a pretty windswept and desolate place.  Abandoned and out and out dead journals comprise more than half of the first page of the index.  I'll do anything I can to help change that, to include giving advice that isn't just a pat on the head if I think that such, IMHO, is warranted.  Please feel free, by the way, to come over to my CJ, Twin Rivers Region, and say anything you want.  I've learned a lot over the years from commenters who didn't necessarily like what they found.

I'll certainly come back and look at your future updates and wish you the best of luck with your journal.

 

David

 

[Elz_41 10]

I am indeed in Yorkshire!

I used to be obsessed with subscriber count, but view count is much more indicative of success.

Even more than that, enjoyment. The moment you stop enjoying it, stop doing it! Views, subscribers and likes are good motivation, but shouldn't be the motivation for making the videos, IMO.

yep I totally get that - I am doing it for my own enjoyment too. Once it gets too much I'll stop. 

I'm still learning youtube myself so thanks for the tip.

I'm in Harrogate myself.

 

 

Hi Elz.  Please don't take this as negative criticism- I think that it takes a brave and daring soul to join these forums and immediately begin a CJ with one's first post (I lurked for a year, I think, before my first and then waited another nine months to begin CJing)- but I think you might be taking a couple of steps in a direction that many authors here have come to realize over time is a mistake.  

If you are still reading this, thanks for not taking offense.  None is intended.  But ask yourself, "why, when a potential reader/viewer probably remembers the hours spent in the initial part of the Cities: Skylines learning curve with some distaste, would he or she want to spend half an hour (that could be spent reading five or six CJs, leaving a few comments and likes, and then playing the game for 15 minutes) watching someone else do that?"  It doesn't sound like your journal is intended as a tutorial, and even if it was there are already many fine basic ones out there- that field is pretty crowded.  So if it is a journal (in video form) what is it that you are journaling?  You don't really give us anything more than an invitation in your introduction.  You don't tease us with interesting screenies or promises of novel content.  Without at least those things I think you are going to find that a 30 minute video will be a hard sell to people who might otherwise be interested.

I watched 10 minutes of your video.  It was nicely done, but it was not special enough to make me feel like I wanted to see the rest of it.  Our friend YorkshireMayor has kindly given you some great tips, but you need, at bottom, to have a point to what your CJ is about beyond just that you have the ability to create one so you did.  

I know my CJ style is not to everyone's taste, and have no expectation that it would be.  I've been doing this for a long time, though, and have watched journal after journal abandoned by their authors because there are low numbers of page views and only a handful of comments- what must seem like a poor return for all the time and effort that the authors put into them.  I'd be delighted to see more CJs, certainly including yours, succeed, because the ST Cities:Skylines city journal forums are currently a pretty windswept and desolate place.  Abandoned and out and out dead journals comprise more than half of the first page of the index.  I'll do anything I can to help change that, to include giving advice that isn't just a pat on the head if I think that such, IMHO, is warranted.  Please feel free, by the way, to come over to my CJ, Twin Rivers Region, and say anything you want.  I've learned a lot over the years from commenters who didn't necessarily like what they found.

I'll certainly come back and look at your future updates and wish you the best of luck with your journal.

 

David

 

Are you serious?

I'm making an informal, non-serious video series about a game I enjoy playing, and tried to get a few likes on a forum where I believe people might like it - and according to you because I've only just joined its not worth it. Put simply, it's me enjoying playing Cities Skylines, not some deep-dive into the fundamentals of the game.

You're taking what I'm doing far too seriously. Re-read what you've written from the point of view of someone that doesn't spend 24 hours playing it and is just having a bit of fun and you might realise how utterly ridiculous and obnoxious your post sounds.

But in truth if you don't like it I really don't care. 

No offense meant.

[dedgren 830]

Sorry that you took what I said the way you did.  The only audience a city journaler truly needs to please, at bottom, is him or herself.  If you are satisfied with your journal then it really doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, does it?

Like I said, good luck.

 

David

[TPB 563]

Hilarious.

First you post here asking for feedback and thoughts, and then you seem to take offence when someone gives you just that.

Good luck, you'll really need it if that's how you plan on replying to anyone who gives you the most useful kind of feedback: critical feedback.

By the way, do you have any idea how many "informal, non-serious video series" of some random person playing a video game there are? Millions. dedgren gave you some very useful information on how to get those "likes" you seem to be after.

Your very ill-thought reply just took away any trace of interest in watching any of your videos at all. OH sorry, I forgot: you don't care anyway. And thank goodness for that, because I can anticipate you'll be getting very few likes or even views for that matter.

[Elz_41 10]

I didn't take offence at the feedback, I actually took into consideration most things dedgren said, and have made more of a concious effort in my most recent episodes to implement some of them. 

I guess I didn't feel very welcomed by being told how to act because I hadn't been here for a year - but I do apologize.

I'm now 5 eps in and things are going well. If you'd care to watch and offer any more feedback I'd appreciate it and sorry for any feathers ruffled. 

 

  Edited November 15, 2015 by Elz_41  

[dedgren 830]

Elz, I'm sorry too that we got off on the wrong foot.  Sometimes I realize I've been around so long I take stuff for granted- shame on me.  I'd encourage you to keep posting content here in the CJ section.  I can't begin to convey to you how wrong-footed my first city journal, Three Rivers Region, was for about the first 10 updates or so.  Slowly but surely with a lot of advice I turned things around.  Your video was- the bit I watched- miles ahead of where I was back then.  Learn and persevere, and you'll be here down the road with all the readership you could ever want.

 

David

[Elz_41 10]

 

Thanks David.

I'm also sorry we got off on the wrong foot. So what exactly was wrong with your first journal? too informal? -

I'm not sure that this is intended as a 'journal' (a diary?) as such, but I suppose it is also a reminder of my journey.

I'm now on episode 4 (5 coming tonight, may already be out when you read this).

eps 1,2,3 and 5 have all been 'happy' - in that everything I've done has largely gone to plan and looks good - where as in 4 I struggle for a fair bit of the episode sorting the roads out. I'm keen to see people's thoughts on an episode that was more 'grindey' and 'frustrating' - I still want it to be enjoyable, but wonder if it's not so enjoyable because not so much 'cool stuff' is happening.

Anyway, I'm keen for any responses, likes and follows (as ever).

Cheers

Elz

[Elz_41 10]

And Episode 5 - Finally get things back on track and get to something of a system to create decent roads. Also grow the city massively

[Elz_41 10]

 

Episode 6 and the city is getting bigger! I think this might be my best episode yet.

I know this thread has started off with an argument but really would appreciate feedback - do you like my commentary? is my show fun to watch?

[dedgren 830]

 

<snip>So what exactly was wrong with your first journal? too informal? -

I'm not sure that this is intended as a 'journal' (a diary?) as such, but I suppose it is also a reminder of my journey.</snip>

Sorry I couldn't get back more quickly- had my hands full over the past few days.

When I started the SC4 CJ Three Rivers Region here in March of 2006, the journal forums were full of CJs by the biggest names in the game.  Most of the CJs on the first page of the index were updated every couple of days, and the new content was often jawdropping.  I came along and made all the $%&^! mistakes- UDI and grid in pics, ridiculously unrealistic steep slopes on roads and rail, posting six pics where one good one would have done the trick, not being discriminating enough about what I posted about, and incorporating some really pretty pedestrian content.  The funny thing is that it was one of those things that is usually a mistake- making quirky responses to readers (the reason it is a mistake is that CJs, at least back then, often lost focus and thus a reader's interest when there was a string of five or six back and forth comments about "inside baseball" sort of stuff)- that somehow struck a chord with folks.  That and tutorials about stuff that I was surprised to find many players knew little about.  I also found early on that if you wanted comments from other CJers you needed to reach out and show interest in what they were posting.  It takes a lot of time to do that, yes, but I used to joke that all of 3RR's best ideas were stolen from someone else's CJ. Oh, and informality is a feature, not a bug.

I'm intrigued by your "Prison!" update and will take a look at that later this afternoon and get back to you.  Hope to see your nic in comments on other CJs in the forums.  There's lots of journalers here who would enjoy your interest in what they are doing, I'm sure.

 

David

  Edited November 17, 2015 by dedgren  
Wordsmithing

[Elz_41 10]

And here is episode 7 - I've added a few spots of class with the big opera house and other amenities - but, despite my happiness in the show, think I may have caused myself a lot of work with where I've put that cargo dock! Also, I put in a mod directly out of Skyrim - and worshippers come in their droves!

Again any feedback welcome and hope you enjoy the show.

 

  Edited November 19, 2015 by Elz_41  
spelling

[dedgren 830]

Hi Elz- OK, so I watched the "Prisons!" update.  It was sort of misbilled, as very little of the video dealt with getting the prison going and dealing with its impact on your city.  Those aspects certainly could have been beefed up, and perhaps the video trimmed around them.

You have a nice relaxed approach to the game, but again- I think you really need to ask yourself how many folks will watch an entire lengthy video of just more or less "let's do this...oh, and let's do that" gameplay.  There was no real sense of "what's going to happen next?" on my part as I watched.  None of these things are any more than my preferences and expectations applied to your CJing style, so don't take what I say as meaning more than that.

If I would have any specific suggestions they would be 1) shorter, maybe 10 minute max, video length; 2) tighter editing- nail the 30 seconds of something really happening and leave out the additional two minutes it takes to get there from the previous thing- use your nice narration style to bridge the gaps; 3) a clearly focused topic for each video, with some info up front about what we will be seeing; and 4) a summary and lead in to the next video.  I don't think you should worry about cranking these out, either.  Spend a few days making a great video, and while you are working on the next one you can deal with the comments you get on it.

All this is IMHO, of course.  Do what works for you, as the main point in having a CJ is satisfying yourself that you are contributing something to the community.  Good luck.

 

David 

[Elz_41 10]

Thanks again for your feedback.

Interesting point about the video length - I guess with a lot of editing I could probably fit a 30min episode into 10, but I think my point is to do more of a 'lets play' and I have also been told elsewhere (only 2 ppl said this tho) that they like me talking about my 'thinking process'. 

Can I ask who else on Youtube or here's videos you like to watch?

I've noticed - and this really isn't a criticism - that lots of people on this site care more about the 'city design' than the 'game' - almost turning it into a city-builder-sandbox rather than a city-building-based business video game (What a great game it is, by the way, that lends itself to both ideologies). I'm surprised the amount of people who play the game with the infinite money on. Then again I've certainly done things like 'turn the money off' on Rollercoaster Tycoon in the past to make the best looking theme park possible. 

The reason I ask is that I watched a fair few Youtubers play C:S - Although I'd say these are people that play a whole bunch of different games, and C:S is one series among many - like what I'm trying to do (I'm also playing Fifa 16 and Unturned atm.... Fallout 4 is calling). I followed Youtubers like Keralis, BDoubleO, TOvlogs, Fluxtrance (and I know they're in a WAY different league to me).

I noticed that:

- Their videos are generally between 25-35mins
- They don't really 'edit' the videos - occasionally they will 'go offline' and build like a complex road network or something to save the viewers watching 3 straight hours of road building. (I did this between eps 4 and 5)
- They make mistakes deliberately - I make them because I'm a bit carp at the game haha
- They play the 'game' - ie keep the money on, try to please the citizens etc.

I wanted to try and follow this model because honestly IMO I prefer it over someone 'painting' a city - as beautiful as they are.

So I'm wondering what you would think of their style of video vs what you are suggesting? They are probably trying to appeal to a more 'general' market - as I am really.

Anyway they're my thoughts - interested in your thoughts on what i've said?

And now after reading all that you deserve a reward - here's ep 8

 

[dedgren 830]

Elz, I guess I'm just old school CJ, and videos just don't work for me.  I will stop and look at some that are done in video format because they are here, but I rarely watch through to the end.  The ones I have found interesting, At'ysland and The City of Shoreline come to mind, I like because of particular content, and I find myself frequently wishing that they were done with traditional pics and text.  So it isn't you- it's just the evolution of the genre.

Your city is becoming more interesting, too, as time passes.  I watched the whole "Skyscrapers" update just a bit ago and found your take on expansion and the things you considered as you grew the city to be much more along the lines of the sort of CJing I like, even though as you've seen I'm not really an urban-oriented kind of guy.  Couple of still pics, some diagrams, a map showing proposed roads and rail and, in my book, you'd be in business.  But that's me, not you.

 

David

[catty-cb 4,412]

So I'm wondering what you would think of their style of video vs what you are suggesting? They are probably trying to appeal to a more 'general' market - as I am really.

Anyway they're my thoughts - interested in your thoughts on what i've said?

Hi Elz_41

Well you know my thoughts on your videos from my PM, and I do like your style, and I did watch the first 10 minutes of your last video before I started fast forwarding again so its not that I'm not interested in them ... just maybe less is more sort of thing.

But at the end of the day this is your CJ and its what you want to show people in the format that you are happy in, and if you are happy then it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks.

-catty

 

[Elz_41 10]

 

Episode 9 - and I'm struggling with that 'forestry' area - I think building the residential round the outside might limit it - but I've had some ideas for Episode 10 that might be able to sort it out - do you guys have any decent tips on building 'specialised' industrial areas?

 

Also - is there a way on this forum to delete the slightly unsavoury messages above? - I don't want it stopping people from reading further?

 

  Edited November 23, 2015 by Elz_41  

[catty-cb 4,412]

So I'm wondering what you would think of their style of video vs what you are suggesting? They are probably trying to appeal to a more 'general' market - as I am really.

Anyway they're my thoughts - interested in your thoughts on what i've said?

Hi Elz_41

Well you know my thoughts on your videos from my PM, and I do like your style, and I did watch the first 10 minutes of your last video before I started fast forwarding again so its not that I'm not interested in them ... just maybe less is more sort of thing.

But at the end of the day this is your CJ and its what you want to show people in the format that you are happy in, and if you are happy then it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks.

-catty

 

I won't quote dedgren post as its pretty much saying the same thing as my post

...Also - is there a way on this forum to delete the slightly unsavoury messages above? - I don't want it stopping people from reading further?

Well its certainly stopped me reading any further, good luck with your CJ, you might want to change the name of it as I don't think "... Feedback Appreciated" is really working for you as a title.

-catty

[Elz_41 10]

it stopped you from reading further but then you posted afterwards? I meant the convo with Dedgren btw?

[Elz_41 10]

and Here is Episode 10 - the title is Ironic - because the majority of the episode is dedicated to building a massive oil refinery to purge the land of its riches! 

Still having the worker shortage problem - and already starting to see ways that city 2 can be much improved. 

[boformer 3,169]

and Here is Episode 10 - the title is Ironic - because the majority of the episode is dedicated to building a massive oil refinery to purge the land of its riches! 

Still having the worker shortage problem - and already starting to see ways that city 2 can be much improved. 

I wonder why you always use the default interchanges. The game allows you to create your own interchanges, which are usually cheaper and take up less space. Why don't you experiment with it?

[Elz_41 10]

I think mostly because I'm being a bit lazy in that respect - and for speed - also I'm not that good at road design yet to create anything better - I will certainly try experimenting with a few more going forward.

Are there any good ones in the Workshop you can recommend?

[Elz_41 10]

Episode 11! - I start adding a few cool mods, and we go nuclear!

[Elz_41 10]

Episode 12 - and we sail past the 50,000 people mark!

Despite the traffic problems and the worker shortages - going past this mark after 12 episodes (at about 30 mins each means I've been going around 6 hours) makes me feel like I'm doing well?!

[Elz_41 10]

Two Episodes to report! 

In the first - the city gets a new governor - in the form of the Dark Lord Sauron! (best mod ever?!)

and then in Ep 14 - I create a zone using the new Nightlife district bringing flashy hotels, bars and nightclubs!

 

[Horus_Kol 118]

I love the Barad'dur building - hopefully the city won't end up a wasteland like Mordor...

[Elz_41 10]

3 more episodes! We're now well over 70,000 people