*Tap tap* Umm, is this thing on?

Hi everyone,

Well it’s been a while since I’ve given you an update. Let’s explain all that:

Where have you been?

I’ve been doing my thing – reviewing games on the reg, streaming on Twitch intermittently, doing Laymen almost daily. You know, same old. 

So…how come you haven’t been doing anything with Patreon?

Yeah ok so let’s talk about that. I think my content has changed a lot over the past 12 months. I think I used to set a goal for myself that my videos be long, because that would allow me to cover more detail. Since then, I’ve really focused on making my content more succinct, because honestly, the YouTubers I respect the most are those who make every word count. That’s not to say that I won’t ever do longer videos (I anticipate my Destiny 2 Shadowkeep, Final Fantasy XIV and Outer Wilds reviews will be long) but it is to say that generally speaking, I want my content to be able to say in 20 minutes what I used to say in 40. 

So…what’s that got to do with Patreon?

Well for me Patreon has very much been about the special edition scripts, and since I haven’t done many big, chunky reviews that would facilitate a special edition script, Patreon has fallen by the wayside. Truth is, I’ve felt very guilty about that and it’s weighed heavily on me, since you guys are the most generous and supportive part of my community, and in absence of the scripts I haven’t done other things to show you how much I appreciate that. 

So are you still doing the scripts or what?

Yes! I have a few videos planned (some of the ones I listed above) that are the big, chunky reviews and I will produce the special edition scripts for them. Beyond that, I guess I want to just set expectations that I’ll only be doing a few of those scripts a year. I want to do them when it feels right, not because I’m trying to meet a minimum quota per year. 

So what else will Patreon be used for?

I want to use this space as a place to chat with you guys. YouTube comments sections are pretty awful spaces for discussion, but here we get the chance to talk in a way that would allow for good conversations. I used to provide a little note for every review that went live, and I’d like to do that again as a starting point for discussion about the game. I’d also like to do a monthly QnA session where we can just chat about any and everything. 

Will reward tiers change?

No. I think they are fine the way they are. If anyone has suggestions, please let me know. But I’m really against the whole ‘PAY $10 TO PLAY GAMES WITH ME’ thing. 

Final thoughts?

Thanks for sticking with me during this period. I’ve been more busy and more active than ever before, but that hasn’t translated to a showing here on Patreon. That will change, and I’m really looking forward to hanging out with you guys here and anywhere else. Thanks and all the best. 

Ralph