If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the
Forum Rules. You may have to
register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
Welcome to RPGamer's new forums running under Vanilla Forums! If you're run into any odd or strange issues after our software migration please see
this thread for details
RPGBacktrack Advice Needed
Salutations!
It's a new year, and we would like YOUR feedback regarding RPGBacktrack! We've done nearly two dozen shows in 2010, and we need your help in shaping 2011. Tell us what you like, and don't like about the podcast! To help get the ball rolling, here are some specific questions, though you all are more than welcome to talk about any aspect of the show.
What do you think of the skits?
What do you think of the PC Pitshop segment?
What do you think of the Blast from the Recent Past Segment?
What do you think of our discussions of the games in the main segment?
What do you think of the Import Corner?
Feel free to talk about various aspects of the segments, as well as the show as a whole. How do you feel about the content, focus, length, guests, etc? What would YOU change? What would you keep the same? Now's the time to speak out. And, please...brutally honest feedback. Tell us what you really think so we can make this a much better show that YOU want to listen to!
Comments
Podcasts really are subject to the 150 minute rule - any longer and I start to zone out. If it's going to go long, maybe split it up like you did with the Tales episodes. Plus, our UK friends aren't on the call until 6am local time and completely out of it at the end.
I think that JCServant announces the show in a way that needs to change. Holding out the “a” in “track” for so long is perhaps the number one thing that annoys me about the openings. I’m also not sure why you augment JCServant’s voice when you discuss the framework of the podcast. It is clearly him due to the elongated “a” in “track” which is repeated more than once. There was a podcast where JCServan did not hold out the “a” in “track” and it was like music to my ears. I wish he would do it like that from now on.
That said, JCServant, as host, should be commended on his drastic reduction in the use of the term “what not” which he used to use excessively. I don’t mind it being used, but it should be doled out sparingly.
Finally, I would caution hosts and panelists alike to curtail how much they laugh at their own jokes. If it is funny, the other panelists and listeners will laugh. If you laugh after your own joke, it is generally not funny. So I think that a little less of that would go a long way.
Below are my responses to your specific questions:
What do you think of the skits?
I like the skits in general. That said, I think that you might want to make better use of the staff that is available. Whereas I find it particularly annoying that JCServant does almost all the female voices, I respect that it might be a personal annoyance of mine. I think using many of the women from the panel might be a better choice. I also find it strange that sometimes you discuss the remainder of the podcast without knowledge of how the opening skit sounds upon completion. I think that whoever is on the panel should be more involved on that podcast skit. What I do like is the writing. For the most part you make the skits humorous, and I appreciate that. I think sometimes you might want to condense certain phrases, as sometimes it appears you are all running out of breath. Remember commas are your friends.
What do you think of the PC Pitshop segment?
I like this section when it is in the podcast, but I no longer have a PC capable of playing more recent PC games. This section is so rarely on the podcast, and so it seems odd that there is a designated segment for it. If the segment was used more often, but kept to a minimum time frame (10 minute max) I think it could be used well.
What do you think of the Blast from the Recent Past Segment?
I really enjoy this segment. It is fun to think about games I remember not to long ago. I’m not so wild about the term “yesteryear” which describes this section, but that might just be me. In the earlier podcasts the section was hit or miss, and I find it kind of boring to listen to people who have no played the game. Even if only one person has played it, there isn’t a discussion to be had at that point. I think that if your panelists have not played it, then don’t mention it.
What do you think of our discussions of the games in the main segment?
I appreciate the discussions your panel has for these games. I’m not really sure that it helps generate interest in games a listener has not played. Describing game mechanics is difficult, but I think you all do it quite well. Describing plot, however, is not always crystal clear. I have attempted to listen to every podcast to date, and I successfully completed most of them. Some of the games that I had not played, however, would have long discussions about how great certain characters are. The problem being…I didn’t really understand who the character was, and the description as to why they were awesome usually was difficult to follow. I know that if I were to discuss in a panel my love of FFIV characters I would be prone to gush, but I would like the hosts to reign such worship in a little. The podcasts run long, and sometimes I’m not sure the length is necessary.
I’m also not sure you need to address every aspect of every game. There are a lot of times where the host asks a question and no one has a real opinion on it. Then the panelists seem to feel the need to say something, and listeners receive about 15 minutes of speech that says very little.
What do you think of the Import Corner?
I like the import corner. It is normally short and to the point. The main questions people want to know are:
What system?
How easy to play?
How necessary is a FAQ?
Why is it worth the hassle of playing in another language?