First Video Guide - Getting Started in Careers

[Carl]

I'm excited to say that today I released my first ever video guide to The Sims 4. This was an idea I'd been considering for years now, and I finally felt it was time to give it a go. I have been in a slump as far as content creation goes for some time. Sims 4 just hasn't warranted as many pages as the previous title did, to be perfectly honest about it. By doing videos, I hope to expand people's options when it comes to taking in my content. This doesn't change anything in regards to my focus - that'll always be on text guides. I just want a new way to express myself and share creations when we have a dry spell, and this is it.

To get started, I made a guide to getting a job and the factors that influence career promotions. It is a glorified mic test and formatting experiment that turned out well enough to share. Obviously nearly everyone here already knows these things. I just needed a 'first' so that I could figure out the software and work on a setup that makes quality video. Sound is my biggest problem right now but I have a new mic coming that will help immensely with that. If you like it, subscribe and click the bell on the youtube page to be notified of new videos. I have a lot of options for where to go from here, because most skills could have their own video, and many other mechanics are worth talking about.

[Carl]

I have a lot to improve as I continue to learn to edit video and record gameplay that translates well to video. My 2nd effort was somewhat of a mistake, as I attempted gardening. I only say this because gardening is perhaps the hardest skill to cover, and by far the longest skill video. Still, I learned a ton of things from the process. I will likely polish this one up someday with a new version, but I'm still eager for more feedback and will keep it despite its flaws.

One thing in particular I'm interested in hearing is how the sound is on this second video compared to the first. I know it's much more clear, but I'm not sure that I nailed the volume. I'm afraid it could be too low for some devices but don't want to blast people.

[Tynynounours]

Volume is much better for me with the new one.
On my PC, with youtube and computer sounds at max, I couldn't hear much of it, and as english isn't my main langage, I didn't understood most of it. With the new volume, it's really better, even if I still need to push the volume up.

On the video itself, I'm not used to tutorials video, it's not a format I'm comfortable with, I'm doing much better with the written informations.
The only "criticism" I may have, is that you may want to zoom more when you show something specific, I'm thinking to the plant evolution in this video, for exemple. I also play from a distance, but a close up may be more comfortable for explaining something, like you did for the bugs. On the small imbedded vids, it's hard to read, and on full screen, at least for me, it's fuzzy.


But all in all, it's a very great job, and I'm sure I can't fathom the effort and time you put in this. And I'm sure it'll help people who are more comfortable with videos than I am. So thank you for doing this.

[Carl]

You guys provided some great feedback and I think I did a bit better with this one. In particular I set up shots better and focused on my subject, worked on audio quality a bit more and was more on-topic. About a dozen people weighed in and gave me good advice. @Tynynounours Thanks for letting me know how the volume is on your device, I understand how you feel about text and I'm the same way.

I know I've really limited my reach by ONLY doing one type of  guide, and also not really given myself as many options as far as being creative goes. I run out of articles to write and lose interest. I went a year and only did a few little updates when a lot of work was missing. And as far as that goes, me being active with Sims is good for my sites as a whole, because I'm not off writing about Fallout 4

[sdhoey]

Great Bee Keeping Video Carl. I'll have to refer back to this later so I can use this to help in my HUGE gardens.

[Carl]

Yes, it's awesome for the passive effect. Don't think you have to work with them very often to get it (or at all). Let me know if I could've explained it better how to do a good layout. I can't change the video but I can pin a comment

[MarianT]

I listened a little to your first guide but was having trouble hearing. I had a fan running in the room, so wasn't sure if that was the reason. Anyway, the volume on Bee-keeping was perfect for my computer. I usually prefer text; in fact, I think this was the first video guide I listened to all the way through. It was very clear and informative, and I feel more confident about trying bees now. But I still think I'll wait until I get my toddlers aged up to children.

[Tynynounours]

Sound is really great on the last one, at least for me.
It makes me wants to try bees now.

[Carl]

Appreciated what you guys had to say, still working on this... I have a new one today - making a flower shop with Seasons and Get to Work features. Talks a lot about the planning phases, assuming you start a fresh game and need to earn enough to afford the shop, moves on to retail and how it relates to flower arranging. Provides lots of little mechanics tips that will help people to do better at selling items in general. Hope you like it, let me know what could be improved. I'm taking it all constructively!

[Tynynounours]

I found this one great, and appreciate that you played closer to your sim, so we could see better the interactions.

[scoed]

Thanks carl. I enjot your videos.

[Carl]

Thanks both of you. I have too many ideas to be predictable so my releases will be all over the place. I also have updates to do across the site (ghosts, some things with careers and aspirations probably) but I'm having fun with development for the first time in about 3 years so that is a very welcome thing. Quality on the mic is still a big issue - when I turn it on I'd like 0 static. It maybe set to pick up too loudly. Working on that!

[Nindigo]

@Carl You are human? I thought you were this elusive god-like being who rarely and only through chosen people let your existence be known. The disillusion is simply unbearable...you are a YouTuber. Well, that was a joke if you couldn't tell Your videos are awesome - they are being enthusiastically linked to by people over on the official forum. And, um...hello! Nice to "meet" you in disembodied voice

[Carl]

@Nindigo  I didn't respond to you! I got a good chuckle out of the idea I'm just this name that appears on websites. That is what it feels like sometimes, since a lot of people know your name but not really anything about you.

I put out a new video. I'd love to have feedback if audio is too LOUD now, cuz that's a possibility. It's a constant battle to learn and tweak things. I hope to land on some settings lots of people are happy with. Today I actually covered Laundry Day, which is weird for me as I hardly ever do a SP. I just don't like them much and my history with the guides shows it.

I don't really make any recommendation for people to buy it, I think it is up to each individual if it really would make them happy to have this chore and if they feel the boosts are worth it. I would probably snag it on sale if I were in the average player's position. How's that?


I still log in every day just have been really focused on fixing some life problems and growing this channel. I hope this is the right track, I just don't know that for sure.

[Metropolis Man]

Carl hit a big milestone today on his new YouTube channel, 1000 subscribers. Well done! And this is me tooting a big horn for him. He would never come in this thread and do that. Grats, Carl!