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Post by jackbrownii on Mar 28, 2018 20:12:39 GMT -8
I haven’t unsubscribed or listen less. I have noticed, as others pointed out, the lack of “and beer!” I was quite disappointed at that. One of the things that initially attracted me to HJ was the irreverent tone. There seems to be less of that now.
The new hosts are nice to hear. The down-side is some of the other hosts aren’t on as much. Jib comes to mind.
I also miss the sound board much more than I thought I would. “Stork’s hair is great!” The Charles Nelson Reilly riffs. Etc.
Maybe it’s related to the more video orientation. I only listen in audio mode. On the commute, when reloading, etc. I don’t stream or do video. Save for the odd time when I want to see what a new face looks like.
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tomes
Supporter
Hello madness
Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
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Post by tomes on Mar 29, 2018 13:18:42 GMT -8
Oh, because I heard the comment elsewhere... I'd definitely like to see more design guests. Maybe even having the format slightly different when they come on. Instead of focusing on questions, focus on them, their designs, stories of success and failure in regards to design, playtesting, game cons, etc. Some locals come to mind: Monkeyfun Dave (Various games as you know, but like he's doing new stuff... let's hear about it!), mysticfedora (Happiest Apocalypse, and also new things), jazzisblues (Bad Streets), obviously Jason and demigods at some point too. Maybe have the corresponding guests very specifically chosen as well... e.g. if Dave is on, try to schedule the other guests on that episode that have played in his games. Maybe save questions that are pertinent to their GM style or games... as an example, "How to get better at improvise GMing?", "How to be dynamic and keep the table engaged?" Would love to hear some of these questions answered from many of these folks.
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Post by kurtpotts on Mar 29, 2018 13:31:46 GMT -8
Oh, because I heard the comment elsewhere... I'd definitely like to see more design guests. Maybe even having the format slightly different when they come on. Instead of focusing on questions, focus on them, their designs, stories of success and failure in regards to design, playtesting, game cons, etc. Some locals come to mind: Monkeyfun Dave (Various games as you know, but like he's doing new stuff... let's hear about it!), mysticfedora (Happiest Apocalypse, and also new things), jazzisblues (Bad Streets), obviously Jason and demigods at some point too. Maybe have the corresponding guests very specifically chosen as well... e.g. if Dave is on, try to schedule the other guests on that episode that have played in his games. Maybe save questions that are pertinent to their GM style or games... as an example, "How to get better at improvise GMing?", "How to be dynamic and keep the table engaged?" Would love to hear some of these questions answered from many of these folks. All of this! I love the emails, but sometimes it feels like they don't fit the guest. Getting to hear why they created their thing, what problem they were trying to solve and how they went about it would be great. Especially tales of failure. Is there a mechanic or concept they struggled with? How did they eventually make it work.
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tomes
Supporter
Hello madness
Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
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Post by tomes on Mar 29, 2018 19:43:15 GMT -8
Oh, because I heard the comment elsewhere... I'd definitely like to see more design guests. Oh, and seriously: Have Stu Venable as a guest one day, to talk about Moment of Truth and such, with Kimi or gina sitting in the drivers seat.
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Post by vyrrk on Mar 29, 2018 20:11:47 GMT -8
Oh, because I heard the comment elsewhere... I'd definitely like to see more design guests. Maybe even having the format slightly different when they come on. Instead of focusing on questions, focus on them, their designs, stories of success and failure in regards to design, playtesting, game cons, etc. Some locals come to mind: Monkeyfun Dave (Various games as you know, but like he's doing new stuff... let's hear about it!), mysticfedora (Happiest Apocalypse, and also new things), jazzisblues (Bad Streets), obviously Jason and demigods at some point too. Maybe have the corresponding guests very specifically chosen as well... e.g. if Dave is on, try to schedule the other guests on that episode that have played in his games. Maybe save questions that are pertinent to their GM style or games... as an example, "How to get better at improvise GMing?", "How to be dynamic and keep the table engaged?" Would love to hear some of these questions answered from many of these folks. 100% this!
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outofprintGM
Apprentice Douchebag
one man's wilderness is another man's playground
Posts: 59
Preferred Game Systems: anything thts fun for the group to play
Currently Playing: D&D5E, Blood of Heroes, FFG Star Wars,
Currently Running: Blood of Heroes, Night Black Agents, Pathfinder, Rolmaster,FFG Star Wars, Monster of the week,
Favorite Species of Monkey: spider monkey
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Post by outofprintGM on Mar 30, 2018 17:21:29 GMT -8
answers for me 1, i don't listen to the AP podcasts and i have a lot of other podcast i listen to and only a small amount of time to do them in.
2, a, This is my main pod cast and my number 1 podcast about rpgs and has been since finding it in season 11. b, I use podcast addict on my smartphone and subscribe through that. c, The other rpg podcasts i listen to are system specific i.e. the savage cast and the Dragon talk podcast. d, my only issue on occasional episode is when you all ramble off topic about none gaming related subject, some times the stories are fun but sometimes they can drag on a wee bit.
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mysterycycle
Apprentice Douchebag
Living in a van down by the river.
Posts: 50
Preferred Game Systems: Dragon Age, GURPS, Fate, D&D retroclones
Currently Playing: Ryuutama
Currently Running: Marvel Super Heroes (FASERIP) NYC 1940
Favorite Species of Monkey: Chimpanzee
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Post by mysterycycle on Mar 30, 2018 21:44:45 GMT -8
I also miss the sound board much more than I thought I would. “Stork’s hair is great!” The Charles Nelson Reilly riffs. Etc. Me, too, like the demonic Gaming Horror Story laughter; and especially CNR. “How’s that for a topper?” Just makes my day to hear him.
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Post by Monkeyfun Dave on Apr 1, 2018 11:34:09 GMT -8
Oh, because I heard the comment elsewhere... I'd definitely like to see more design guests. Maybe even having the format slightly different when they come on. Instead of focusing on questions, focus on them, their designs, stories of success and failure in regards to design, playtesting, game cons, etc. Some locals come to mind: Monkeyfun Dave (Various games as you know, but like he's doing new stuff... let's hear about it!), mysticfedora (Happiest Apocalypse, and also new things), jazzisblues (Bad Streets), obviously Jason and demigods at some point too. Maybe have the corresponding guests very specifically chosen as well... e.g. if Dave is on, try to schedule the other guests on that episode that have played in his games. Maybe save questions that are pertinent to their GM style or games... as an example, "How to get better at improvise GMing?", "How to be dynamic and keep the table engaged?" Would love to hear some of these questions answered from many of these folks. Sounds cool, you will want to separate it into two different motifs - games currently in development, and lessons learned on published games.
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Post by alverant on Apr 1, 2018 12:11:51 GMT -8
I download to Media Monkey on an RSS feed and listen to the show at work or at home at 1.5 speed. I listen to about a dozen other podcasts that come out on a regular basis (and about half as many that are released whenever). Some of them are long requiring me to use Windows Media Player at a faster speed just to keep up. I'm so used to the faster speed it's hard for me to listen to the show live. HJ is the only RPG podcast I listen to at this point. I haven't listened to the APs because I have a hard time telling everyone's voice apart and the chatter makes the game too hard for me to follow.
My habits haven't changed but there is one part of the podcast I have to address. This won't be popular but I think it may be why numbers are slowly dropping as this has made me consider leaving as well.
Cut back on the tangents and interruptions! Or at least make them related to the letters! I started listening to 21-13 and as of 11:14 Stu got interrupted while listing the social media, interrupted twice while reading the first letter, then went a full minute about when to eat mollusks because of the PS joke in the letter. It made the show lose momentum. I remember one time one of my letters was being read and there were so many unrelated interruptions that the overall meaning of my letter was lost and everyone focused on a minor part. It was very frustrating. It feels like most of the interruptions don't have anything to do with the letter per se but some question one of the hosts has for their own personal reasons.
Jorge Luis Borges said, "Don't talk unless you can improve the silence." Along those lines, the hosts should interrupt the letter reader unless it improves the podcast. For example, wondering if a certain actor was in a certain movie because you're not sure doesn't help anyone but yourself. If you must ask, wait until after the discussion on the letter is finished.
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Post by RudeAlert on Apr 1, 2018 13:59:41 GMT -8
Cut back on the tangents and interruptions! Or at least make them related to the letters! I started listening to 21-13 and as of 11:14 Stu got interrupted while listing the social media, interrupted twice while reading the first letter, then went a full minute about when to eat mollusks because of the PS joke in the letter. It made the show lose momentum. I remember one time one of my letters was being read and there were so many unrelated interruptions that the overall meaning of my letter was lost and everyone focused on a minor part. It was very frustrating. It feels like most of the interruptions don't have anything to do with the letter per se but some question one of the hosts has for their own personal reasons. Jorge Luis Borges said, "Don't talk unless you can improve the silence." Along those lines, the hosts should interrupt the letter reader unless it improves the podcast. For example, wondering if a certain actor was in a certain movie because you're not sure doesn't help anyone but yourself. If you must ask, wait until after the discussion on the letter is finished. I'm actually sort of on the line about this because on the one hand, I love the tangents and random side-conversations. They make the podcast feel more organic and more like listening to a bunch of friends talk about RPGs and other random shit. And the "other random shit" is actually quite important to me, if I want strictly monitored and structured podcasts, there are dozens (actually probably hundreds) out there that do just that, and I've quickly gotten bored of all of those that I tried listening to. On the other hand, I have to admit that when it gets TOO random and hectic it can become a case of too much of a good thing. Namely when topics get lost entirely or the overall point of an email gets pretty much ignored, or when someone gets overly fixated on some utterly meaningless little thing that derails the podcast for several minutes. And even though those random tangents can often turn out interesting, it's unfortunate when they happen at the cost of the previous topic that was being discussed and got abandoned as a result. I can imagine it would be annoying for someone who sent in an email and had it read on the podcast (not that I would know what that feels like...........) only to have it more or less ignored or talked over and have the question left answered or even barely addressed at all. So, it's kind of a fine-line type of situation, and not one that I imagine would be easy to walk. For those like me who truly value the feel of a more random, casual conversational tone it can be frustrating when things feel too arbitrated and structured, yet at the same time, if things get too chaotic or random, things can start to fall apart as little actually gets addressed. On the other hand, there have been episodes when that turned out to be fucking hilarious and entertaining... I guess you just have to take the good with the bad. A less structured approach is a slightly riskier one but the potential rewards definitely make it worth it in my opinion.
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Mike from MI
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 6
Preferred Game Systems: "I play BOTH types of RPGs, Dungeons AND Dragons!"
Currently Running: Eberron 5e
Favorite Species of Monkey: three-headed
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Post by Mike from MI on Apr 1, 2018 15:12:01 GMT -8
I've been a mostly steady listener for a few years now. I don't remember when, but at the time there was at least one "When's Tappy coming back?" a month. I think I found out about your podcast when you had a Fear the Boot crossover? Anyway.
I also subscribe to the AP channel, but I don't listen to most of them. Due to the way podcasting seems to work, unless I have an advanced client that I can set up very specific logic operators based on name, it downloads them all anyway, and you get no feedback on which ones I actually listen to. I'm not much of an AP listener anyway, and will probably stop mainly due to the time required to listen when my time available to listen is shrinking.
As to guesses why listenership is going down? Well, there's correlation to no longer using the baby crying sound, and I haven't heard a good round of burping directly into the microphones in a while. But correlation isn't causation.
All I can really think of is the rotating cast. I've got the brain capacity of a goldfish, and I can't keep track of how many of you there are, let alone associating names with voices. I've got Stu down, Stork, and Jib. I know you announce names at the beginning of podcasts, and I thank you for that, but it's not enough for me. Could the uncertainty of who's actually going to be on and providing insight/feedback be an issue? Much like a gaming group's table dynamics, what gets talked about seems to vary depending on who's there. Like one co-host might have some really interesting and relevant things to say about a topic, but doesn't tend to do it without another co-host drawing them out by asking followup questions. Or a couple of co-hosts could set each other off and either sidetrack to tangentville for an hour or retell the same gaming story they've told too many times already for my tastes.
Sound quality is among the best of hobby podcasts that I've heard. But with all the "professional" RPG APs out there, is best-among-hobby not good enough anymore? I know it took nearly a decade of "professional" recording for me to finally be able to hear Chris Perkins reliably on the AcqInc live events. One of the most longest-lasting MtG podcasts I used to listen to, for comparison, only had cheap headset mics and Skype for the last ten years.
Sound levels are a big thing for me. I listen in areas with some background noise, so I have to have the podcast loud enough to overcome that, yet I also need to have an ear free to listen for important noises, so I can't have it too loud. A *lot* of podcasts are incompatible with that level range, forcing me to listen with a hand on the volume knob. The quietest host has to be understandable, and the loudest host has to not split my eardrum. I know a lot of podcasts don't have professional gear, and either just try to make Audacity fix it in post, if they care about fixing it at all. Though it sounds like you guys have been slipping on that? I don't know how much effort you put into testing all line levels and listening to a test recording before going live, or how much you're willing to, but that sort of thing is greatly appreciated by me.
(Oddly enough, I've got a friend who listens to video game Let's Plays and sometimes tabletop APs, and shares my concern with too-different audio levels, but we can't seem to agree on which ones they are. They've given me youtube links that they say is well mixed, but one guy is way too loud and one guy I can't understand at all. Similarly I've given them links to your APs (mainly at the start of Tomorrow Legion) and they've complained to me about the same thing. Maybe familiarity is compensating for it? Longtime listeners might not be able to hear a big difference but a new listener could?)
That's all I can really think of.
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Post by alverant on Apr 1, 2018 15:35:28 GMT -8
I get what you're saying, RudeAlert, and agree to some extent. It's the chatter that makes the podcast interesting but there's a time and place for it. It's one thing to interrupt the letter reader with an appropriate quote from a movie. It's another thing to spend time talking about that movie. I've experienced this in my own gaming group. Sometimes you just have to accept that you can't always use the witty joke you just thought up no matter how good it is. So cut back, don't cut out.
The thing is, this thread is about finding out why the podcast's downloads are going down. Most of the people commenting here are still listeners. We need to find people who quit listening and ask them why they stopped. My guess is the excessive random banter is pushing people away. But maybe it needs more to distinguish itself(unlikely). I just don't know how to find them to ask.
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Mike from MI
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 6
Preferred Game Systems: "I play BOTH types of RPGs, Dungeons AND Dragons!"
Currently Running: Eberron 5e
Favorite Species of Monkey: three-headed
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Post by Mike from MI on Apr 1, 2018 17:25:45 GMT -8
After reading people's replies, I've come up with more to say.
Diverse cast is good, yes, broad range of opinions is great, especially when it comes to Diversity diversity. Whether you want to call it "Politically Correct culture run amok" or an embroadening of viewpoints, I enjoy it. There's enough douches wanting to keep traditionally excluded people out of "their" hobby. Personally, as a gay dude, I at least appreciate that you guys don't do gay-bashing, and aren't mean about player-gender-doesn't-match-character-gender, among other things. That said, I don't want to be bad-SJW-y and say stay "safe" - be genuinely, openly, and honestly yourselves!
I have felt a little left out at times when you guys are engaging with chat room streaming, or I can tell you're making hand gestures or laughing at things I can't see. I recall Stork trying to help, but one time one of his "For those of you listening at home.." was followed by "He's holding his hands about *this* far apart." I hope that was just a meta joke.
As for how I listen, I use DoggCatcher on Android, which is a basic/power podcasting app with no associated helper service, unlike Stitcher. It just checks RSS feeds directly on a schedule, and downloads any audio attachments directly from the device if there's a change. It doesn't maintain its own database or re-host files as far as I know.
Missing "and beer"? (literally) I'm not a drinker at all, and I get turned off by sustained discussion of alcohol, but you guys never were too much for me. Another podcast I actually really liked (not RPG related) formalized a 10-15 minute segment in the middle of their podcast called What Are We Drinking, where they spent way too much time imho talking about beer and other drinks, always totally unrelated to the focus of the show or the topic being discussed. It drove me away from listening. You guys though just seemed to only casually mention it, and never shoved it in my face. (I enjoy a good belch though, no matter the source.)
Tangents and side-treks. They're entertaining, but as pointed out above, you guys have lost the entire points of letters before, and only commented on the PS. I know it can be hard and adds more time to preview, but how about adding a "stop and discuss" part in letters, and asking listeners to help by adding them in themselves? I don't know how much that can help - in my recent letter you read, titled "Pathfinder horror story" - you guys were wondering what game we were playing, and half-guessed 4e D&D.
Other shows I listen to and what I like about them that HJRP doesn't have, plus what they have that I prefer HJRP for.
Gaming & BS - Two constant hosts (but sometimes a guest I think), a structured show with a dedicated topic plus some miscellaneous items (but on a numbered list). One of the hosts is a hunter, and for a bit seemed to be getting too in-depth on hunting practices, and seemed to be happy to offend those more sensitive (like me). If he'd have kept it up, I would've unsubscribed. Like 15 minutes of talking about beer in a science podcast, it's out of place.
Dragon Talk - I'm mainly playing D&D 5e, and this is their official podcast. Two constant hosts and a guest, structured show with either a lore or mechanics segment, interview, and news. It's a long delayed audio capture from a stream, though, and they seem to mainly pander towards live listeners. I've more than once been interested in them announcing something "coming up in a month" only to find it actually started and ended a month ago by the time they posted.
Gnome Stew's Gnomecast - A short, quick look at what they have going on. Also features a seemingly rotating cast of co-hosts that I can't seem to get attached to.
Panda's Talking Games - A short discussion on a particular topic from two different perspectives. I don't like that it's very tightly edited, sounding like they have a two hour recording edited down to a half hour of eventual audio, the last 1/3 of each episode is "outtakes" - with a lot more available to Patreon subscribers. This type of meticulous editing is also why I absolutely cannot listen to things like Critical Role.
I could've sworn I listened to more than that, but I regularly refine and re-add podcasts depending on my tastes at the time. I remember really liking Ken & Robin Talk About Stuff, then dropping it, then picking it back up again, and now it's dropped again. I guess it can also depend on the types of games my gaming group is willing to play - it had been D&D/Pathfinder only for the longest time, but with some changeups we're more open to narrative based games now, even if we haven't actually started one.
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Post by ericfromnj on Apr 1, 2018 18:58:24 GMT -8
Ok. I talked with two guys I know who don’t listen to the podcast anymore and also happened to hear a comment from someone who still listens that all reflect the same thing.
Each of them basically suggested that the two hour plus episodes were too long. The guy still listening said he was excited for Faire season to start because the podcast would probably be shorter.
I, personally, like the long podcast but people I know don’t agree with me. Granted the sample size was really tiny so who really knows.
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andreasdavour
Patron (Supporter)
Posts: 257
Preferred Game Systems: M0, Savage Worlds, Over the Edge, Warhammer FRP 1st ed.
Currently Playing: None
Currently Running: Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate
Favorite Species of Monkey: Llama
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Post by andreasdavour on Apr 1, 2018 23:53:16 GMT -8
I hear what you are saying about the main point of your letter being lost in the side chatter. It has happened to me as well, and while a bit annoying I take it as an excuse to send another letter... Then again, my letter about accurate time records have made it into the DNA of the show by now so sometimes you loose, sometimes you... well.
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