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Character guide/tutorial video - Opinions pls!

EntropicByDesign

It's all so very confusing.
Moving this off my status. Wasn't a great place to post it in the first.

Please give opinions! What would YOU want (and not want) to see in a YT video for a character you were interested in learning? (Ir)regardless of game, or even if you don't look to videos and such for that kind of info, assume you did. Assume you want to learn X character, what would the perfect video contain? How long is too long? Etc etc. Opinions appreciated.

Me personally, Uncle JBeezY liked depth! So if you can include inputs, or voice audio to explain the character, the better. If you're gonna make the video long, it better include all those things mentioned above.

ChatterBox I'm cool with a decently long video (10-20 min). I want a quick "here's all your tools and what situations they are actually useful in" and a run down of the general gameplan and what to do against a zoner, long range footsie, and rushdown character. Depending on the game, a basic combo structure is nice too.

TurboTaco I don't want to see a 3 minute long intro with shitty graphics.
Make sure you include notations for combos in the video and in the description below.

AZ MotherBrain To me i rather have something short and sweet than have to watch slow mo combos of a bnb that get reexplained with different openers. I like knowing what my frame data is, what my tick throws are, and what i can link on counter hits

HGTV Soapboxfan Optimal combos with notations, combo theory for conversions and stuff, common block strings and best normals with frame data, options in common scenarios (end of said block strings for example), and general gameplan.
And this might be somewhat controversial, but I would include a permanent invite to the character's discord in the description as well if there are any useful TYM threads or anything for the character.

BurdaA To be honest 10 mins is normally enough but a few more minutes doesn’t hurt. Full 20 mins is kind of a turn off, could just be me.
Also, only show combos once (with notation) don’t need to see it at 5% speed as well. If you slow it down, only show the slow - don’t include supers.
As a focus, I tend to look for what the character does better/worse/differently to the average, and what that means to me as player.

Id like to get thoughts on the idea of creating a primary guide video that goes over the relevant subjects and presents the main information, with supplementary videos created and uploaded at the same time, that take some subjects from the primary guide that were lightly covered due to time constraints, and elaborate on them.

That's where we stand so far. I'd love to hear from more people though. I'm going to put together a basic structure here in a bit and see what people think.

Current rules:

-No long-ass personal intro with logos and such. Very short introduction to the video and its subject(s)
-Target length is somewhere around 15m +/- a few minutes on either side. Shorter the better though.
-Combos shown once, no repeat in slowmo. No full-ani supers. Notations on screen and in vid description.
-Time stamps
-concise and to the point information
 
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Second Saint

A man with too many names.
I personally dislike in-depth video guides because most of what gets talked about is better communicated through text. When people try and explain something audibly, most of the time they didn't sit down and plan out what they were going to say in the first place. That's how you get big long rambling diatribes about the tech without explaining anything about it or even showing it in the first few minutes.

Be concise, no matter the format you choose. Have time stamps to jump to a particular lesson in the video, if you aren't breaking it up into multiple videos at least. No one wants to click all through the video to try and find the one thing they're actually looking for on a repeat visit.
 

EntropicByDesign

It's all so very confusing.
I personally dislike in-depth video guides because most of what gets talked about is better communicated through text. When people try and explain something audibly, most of the time they didn't sit down and plan out what they were going to say in the first place. That's how you get big long rambling diatribes about the tech without explaining anything about it or even showing it in the first few minutes.

Be concise, no matter the format you choose. Have time stamps to jump to a particular lesson in the video, if you aren't breaking it up into multiple videos at least. No one wants to click all through the video to try and find the one thing they're actually looking for on a repeat visit.
Ok excellent. Time stamps added to list.

I'm with you on being concise and to the point. I'll have a kind of psuedo script in front of me for audio portions so I can stay on topic and avoid repetition and rambling. I'm tinkering with the idea of committing a lot of information to text on the screen for instances where you have things that are nice to know or minutiae, and possibly including an Evernote document or something with a lot of whats covered in text form for easy storage or copy and paste or whatever.

Keep the opinions and ideas coming guys!
 

Roy Arkon

I will leave my seal on you!
The introduction for the character in each vid should be short enough yet also informative and precise enough. That means it needs to include:

1) A short description of that character in the lore of the game/universe it comes from
2) Character archetype and overall gameplan
3) Level of difficulty of use for the character
4) A set of pros and cons for using that character

Once the viewer knows all of the attributes that a character has, and if it that clicks for the viewer, he would continue to watch and learn.

A great initiative bro, good luck :)
 

EntropicByDesign

It's all so very confusing.
I appreciate the suggestions guys.

I'll say this upfront, I'm not 100% sure if Im going to be making any videos yet, but there's a very good chance I will be. I like making content and its the only meaningful way I can contribute to the broader FGC. There is also a lack of *good* guide videos out there for a lot games/characters. Tons of guides and info and stuff, but its rarely complete or thorough, and in many cases, its out and out wrong.

I'm not going to make any money off this, I dont have the time or desire to throw enough content out there to monetize a channel, the FGC audience is tiny in the grand scheme of YouTube and even the very popular fighting game YT channels dont pull viewers like people pretending to be scared playing video games, MOBAs or ShootyShoot games - and if I step in to that space, I risk thinning it out even more. There are guys out there making great content, and dedicating a ton of hours to it and I really dont want to mess with that.

Of course, I could try to find a YT channel that would be interested in posting the videos itself. Who knows. Im getting ahead of myself here, I should probably MAKE the thing first and go from there.

I'm fair certain the first video is going to be Tien from DBFz, but Im open to suggestions.
 

Parasurama

Dragon
I appreciate the suggestions guys.

I'll say this upfront, I'm not 100% sure if Im going to be making any videos yet, but there's a very good chance I will be. I like making content and its the only meaningful way I can contribute to the broader FGC. There is also a lack of *good* guide videos out there for a lot games/characters. Tons of guides and info and stuff, but its rarely complete or thorough, and in many cases, its out and out wrong.

I'm not going to make any money off this, I dont have the time or desire to throw enough content out there to monetize a channel, the FGC audience is tiny in the grand scheme of YouTube and even the very popular fighting game YT channels dont pull viewers like people pretending to be scared playing video games, MOBAs or ShootyShoot games - and if I step in to that space, I risk thinning it out even more. There are guys out there making great content, and dedicating a ton of hours to it and I really dont want to mess with that.

Of course, I could try to find a YT channel that would be interested in posting the videos itself. Who knows. Im getting ahead of myself here, I should probably MAKE the thing first and go from there.

I'm fair certain the first video is going to be Tien from DBFz, but Im open to suggestions.

Hi, I think the most important thing about a character guide is the gameplan, strategies and character specific ideas. Combo's are good but very common. It is rare to gain insight into the mind of a high level character player.
 

Jynks

some heroes are born, some made, some wondrous
I think most "learn fighting game" videos, particularly for NRS games focus on on long ass button combinations written out while demoing combos. While these are cool to watch, they do not help beginners at all. Getting a person to memorise a 24 button combo, is a really shoddy way to learn a NRS game.

What I would think could be a better approach is talking about timing more. So you pop them up... you sstart your string NOW... combos are not about just plugging in the numbers as fast as you can press them. Think about conversions.

IMO, the best way to learn NRS games is to learn strings and only strings.. and then teaching how during a juggle you can do a new string.. not by showing a ton of input codes but by teach them to LOOK at the screen and just get into the flow of it. AZ new player shouldn't eb thinking of combo codes... but should be watching the screen and getting into the timing.. they will probably even find their own combos that way before they need to look up the optimal shit.

This is something I have never seen in any nrs tutorial video as far as I know.
 

EntropicByDesign

It's all so very confusing.
The "mind of a high lvl player" is something I thought about early on, and would LOVE to do, but convincing legit high level players to sit down and let me pick their brains isn't an easy thing to do.

I thought about taking high level play from a couple players for each character and trying to analyze it, and having a video attached to the primary guide video (I just don't see how to fit it in without pushing the time limit way past target) that discussed and explores the character(s) from their use in high level play. The other alternative is I learn to use them at a high enough level to comment directly but that's not feasible for more than one or two characters. Its also more work, and while I don't intend to cheap out on effort AT ALL, I do have to find a balance, or I'll never finish, or only ever finish one or two.

It's a fantastic idea though and 100% added to my notes. I'd like to add, that when this is said and done, if I decide to start making these videos, I'll be thanking everyone in the vid descriptions who's posted and suggested here for the help. I dont intend to steal your ideas and laugh maniacally as I fade into the night.

@JBeezYBabY it's up in the air at the moment, but leaning towards DBFz, though bbtag is an option as well. They just announced a patch for DBFz though, around second week of August, and that kinda bumps DBFz up a little bit because the chance is good that it's going to slightly outdate a lot of the guides already up.. however, there are more people making content for DBFz, and less-so for BBTag, so that's a consideration as well. A lot of the stuff up for DBFz, even from big name content creators is a little sketchy some times though... Watch anything about Tien to see what I mean, so much misinformation and incorrect stuff for characters with little nuances like him.

Like I said though, I'm not doing this for personal gain exactly. Of course I gain by doing something I enjoy and find satisfying, but I want to do so by filling a gap somewhere. By presenting information thats not already out there, or that's out but handled extremely poorly. . For Instance, there is a GojuBlue guide out there that leaves NOTHING to be desired. It covers every base I'd want to cover and it does it well - so I'd never make a GokuBlue guide. No reason to.

What's most likely is that I will make videos for both games. Since my intention is to hunt out the characters and information handled poorly or largely unavailable, there's no real reason I couldn't release for both games. If that's what I decide, I'll probably create for BBTag first now, where-as I had intended to create for dbfz, with the upcoming patch Im limited in what I can do that won't be outdated when the patch drops and has to be updated or changed.

Handling those updated and changes is another issue that I'm hoping I can find a way to handle.. I intend to create these videos in small, disconnected snippets then stitch it together, audio separate from the video, etc, so hopefully editing in some changes won't be too hard for certain things.
 

Saboteur-6

Filthy Casual
I don't know anything about DBZ but if you're trying to make video tutorials then teach the theory / strategy of a character first before laser focusing on nuance. As an example reviewing a list of basic moves or specials is redundant unless you illustrate how / why they're useful.
 

GLoRToR

Positive Poster!
Current rules:

-No long-ass personal intro with logos and such. Very short introduction to the video and its subject(s)
-Target length is somewhere around 15m +/- a few minutes on either side. Shorter the better though.
-Combos shown once, no repeat in slowmo. No full-ani supers. Notations on screen and in vid description.
-Time stamps
-concise and to the point information
- No logo or intro at all. The way you convey information is how you express yourself in a tutorial video. People always skip to the good stuff.
- Length is whatever. Substance is what matters. If it can be done in 5 minutes, don't take 30 but if it can only be done in an hour, don't cut it short.
- Time stamps.
- Yeah properly articulated information is a given.

So let's see. The question is what kind of player you want the guide for, tbh. You don't need to explain frame data to someone that can just look stuff up in the menu, but if you want an all-out guide you'll have to go through all the normals, specials, how to use them and what not to do because it's unsafe etc.

I've been around so my needs are not so broad a list. When picking up a character I like to know what the character is about, how it plays, what its strengths and weaknesses are, bad matchups and how to deal with them. Punish combo, anti-air combo, best mid-screen and corner combo, conversions into big damage, set-ups, tech, basically how to play the character. How to use some of its less obvious tools. Like Starfire's MB orb I'm convinced I still don't use it correctly.
You don't have to tell me a character has a 6f d1, I'll know that by the time I look up a guide.
 

Cashual

PSN: Cansuela
I think the primary focus should be on gameplan and tools and how to apply them.

Length and thoroughness is cool to me and what makes it worthwhile. Otherwise you’re left with something like those cheesy Kombat Klasses that honestly helped no one.

My suggestion is to structure it into segments with brief title cards and with time stamps to the sections in the description. For example: “Section 1: Normals”or something like that. That way, those with specific questions or short attention spans can skip to the segment they want. At the same time someone looking to soak it all up can too.

Combos imo aren’t that important and are better suited to a separate video. A midscreen meter less bnb, 1 bar, corner meterless and 1 bar is good. Maybe the primary AA conversion and punish combo. Like others said, avoid slowmo unless it’s a complicated or nuanced input like a run cancel or a micro step or something that someone might miss.

I think it’s more valuable to lay out the character’s archetype, optimal range, the use for different normals and specials, the characters movement (backdash, jump, whatever), and how they all fit together.

I think general situational stuff is great. What should you do on oki? How about on wakeup? Cash out damage or go for standing resets or hard knockdowns?

Does the character have gaps in their block strings? What are the best staggers? What’s the character’s meterbuild like and where should it be used?

Just some stuff to think about.
 

Parasurama

Dragon
The "mind of a high lvl player" is something I thought about early on, and would LOVE to do, but convincing legit high level players to sit down and let me pick their brains isn't an easy thing to do.

I thought about taking high level play from a couple players for each character and trying to analyze it, and having a video attached to the primary guide video (I just don't see how to fit it in without pushing the time limit way past target) that discussed and explores the character(s) from their use in high level play. The other alternative is I learn to use them at a high enough level to comment directly but that's not feasible for more than one or two characters. Its also more work, and while I don't intend to cheap out on effort AT ALL, I do have to find a balance, or I'll never finish, or only ever finish one or two.

It's a fantastic idea though and 100% added to my notes. I'd like to add, that when this is said and done, if I decide to start making these videos, I'll be thanking everyone in the vid descriptions who's posted and suggested here for the help. I dont intend to steal your ideas and laugh maniacally as I fade into the night.

@JBeezYBabY it's up in the air at the moment, but leaning towards DBFz, though bbtag is an option as well. They just announced a patch for DBFz though, around second week of August, and that kinda bumps DBFz up a little bit because the chance is good that it's going to slightly outdate a lot of the guides already up.. however, there are more people making content for DBFz, and less-so for BBTag, so that's a consideration as well. A lot of the stuff up for DBFz, even from big name content creators is a little sketchy some times though... Watch anything about Tien to see what I mean, so much misinformation and incorrect stuff for characters with little nuances like him.

Like I said though, I'm not doing this for personal gain exactly. Of course I gain by doing something I enjoy and find satisfying, but I want to do so by filling a gap somewhere. By presenting information thats not already out there, or that's out but handled extremely poorly. . For Instance, there is a GojuBlue guide out there that leaves NOTHING to be desired. It covers every base I'd want to cover and it does it well - so I'd never make a GokuBlue guide. No reason to.

What's most likely is that I will make videos for both games. Since my intention is to hunt out the characters and information handled poorly or largely unavailable, there's no real reason I couldn't release for both games. If that's what I decide, I'll probably create for BBTag first now, where-as I had intended to create for dbfz, with the upcoming patch Im limited in what I can do that won't be outdated when the patch drops and has to be updated or changed.

Handling those updated and changes is another issue that I'm hoping I can find a way to handle.. I intend to create these videos in small, disconnected snippets then stitch it together, audio separate from the video, etc, so hopefully editing in some changes won't be too hard for certain things.

I am sure it is possible to get a few players but not necessarily the main thing. Also time is important so perhaps divide guide into sections (normals and special moves, combos, strategies) - however if you look at Theo 's and Sonic's guides.. They are long but I don't mind watching them. I think if you main a character you have insights that others don't get and can share these.. And with input from fellow mains other info can be included in the guide so people don't have to comb all the forums to get all the tech.
 

Tanno

The Fantasy is the Reality of the Mind
Usually, when I want to learn the char as deeply as I want, I usually go for:

1) Breakdown: Like to introduce the basic moves, the specials, the powers, the finishing moves, what connects with which, the advantages and the disadvantages.
2) Basic/Advanced/Impossible combos: Those are just to get you used to the character and how to utilize them to the fullest. Basic combos are to help you with the meterless and how to do them. Some of them have weird or tight links in the combos. The advanced and the impossible are for those who already know the character, but want to go way deeper than they learned and found so far.
3) Tech/OKI/Setups: For those who are in need to continue the pressure and resets for the combos.
4) MU chart: To let everyone know each character's best and worst MUs. How to deal against the best MUs, and such.
5) Frame Data/Hitboxes/Hurtboxes: For the frame data freaks.
6) Gameplay/Strategy: Each character is unique on his own. You want to tell everyone about his gameplay, and a lot of strategies to deal against his opponents.
7) Lore/Personality: For those who want to know who do they want to main out of interest. Take as example me, who I love the cats and I go straight for the cat characters, like Taokaka (Blazblue Central Fiction), Felicia (DarkStalkers), Cheetah or Catwoman (Injustice 2), etc. You might want to get a character you like so much and want to main him. This is applied for everyone out there.

That's all about it.

Unfortunately, as of lately, I have seen a lot of scattered information about my fav char, Taokaka, and found combos and techs here and there in YT, Niconico, etc. One video with all of the informations and their respected timestamps would be greatly helpful for everyone who want to learn all about the characters and their infinite amount of discoveries.
 
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Marlow

Premium Supporter
Premium Supporter
I find videos that keep things simple and opt for shorter length (5-10 minute range) tend to be more effective. I started watching a YT series called Think, Don't Mash, which basically focues on learning a character by focusing on only using 5ish moves, and that seems like a good way to learn a new character in a fighting game. Try and distill a character down to around 5ish things for a new player to learn and implement.