Guild Wars 2

Today I watched some of the ToL.
Then I got bored. Super bored. I know I didn’t watch the whole thing (a whole random lot of segments so that I could see how the gameplay/casting has progressed) but I have some constructive feedback for you. Hopefully you take it into account and don’t think I’m trying to mock you in anyway (for once I’m being all nice and cheerful). Without further ado here’s my advice for super-easy-to-fix-casting-mistakes.

Camera Control
Viewers don’t have control over what’s viewed on screen. This means that your camera control has to be good enough to encapsulate your audience by showing the amazing graphics/animations of the game as well as plays the players make while keeping up with the fast pace of the game. Unfortunately there are a few huge mistakes made throughout the tournament that really need to be addressed as they draw from the experience making the viewer feel un-immersed.

• I’m not sure who is controlling the camera but stop changing to the map view. It’s boring and you already have the map down the bottom right if you haven’t realised. Keep it up at the very start to show each team’s opening strategy and close it for the rest of the game! It detracts from the gameplay entirely too, if you had a pause button it may be okay (obviously there isn’t one).
• A few times the camera was just idle and even worse sometimes it was viewing nothing. You’re not giving people that “action feeling” like something interesting or intense is happening. Follow players and if it gets way too chaotic (which even in teamfights it doesn’t if you pick the correct player) then move to the camera position above the fight. Following players keeps the viewership immersed and interested.
• Don’t talk about off-camera events, go to them if they’re really important and add side messages about what’s happening on the smaller scale fight. Most intense fight comes first!

Gameplay Explanation
Not everybody has strong knowledge of game mechanics of pvp strategies. You’re catering for only an audience who already knows these basics (and in some cases more advanced mechanics) but that’s not your job. You have to give information to those people who have minimal knowledge or none at all or your viewership will just straight up die.

• Explain what is happening and why, I know you guys don’t have as much experience as other pvp games’ casters do but at least learn the tactics of this one. If you already know them Great!! Tell the audience what is happening, not “XYZ is going over to here and he’s going to fight him, SJDF is running away now because he’s almost dead. He’s dodging a lot!” although that sounds exaggerated, it’s almost exactly the way it was worded in the replay.
  Say things like “XYZ is falling off the point because the pressure put on by WAJ’s conditions were too high, he’s going to try fall back to his ally who will assist him in the fight.” I know it sounds a bit silly but you’re not engaging enough.
• Go through builds quickly, concisely and explain how they work in their comp and on the map. Ignore the “0 1 6 6 1” you take wayyyyy too long and never get both teams analysed. Just say what the build is and what it does. If you don’t know research before you’re casting the biggest tournament in GW2 so far…
• Emphasize important and big plays, such as dodging/blocking/blinding important skills which lead to stomps. Not only the stomps themselves (unless obviously there’s a big play involved in stomping). Way, way, way too many times you miss things like burst damage being blinded by an amazing reactionary VoJ active, winning the team fight but then you emphasize the stomp when the team has nobody up to save them anyway.

Well I hope this will help you for the coming days and you can improve on your casting abilities, you have a lot resting on your shoulders with regards of promoting this game as fun to watch. Keep Practicing.

One thing I’d like to add is:

• Please don’t use the fixed camera angles from the minimap as much.

Focus on the third person perspective from individual players; that way we can see
when and how cds are used.
We can see dodges far better and it gives a greater feel of action while being far more
clear as to what’s actually happening.

Crovax.7854:

One thing I’d like to add is:

• Please don’t use the fixed camera angles from the minimap as much.

Focus on the third person perspective from individual players; that way we can see
when and how cds are used.
We can see dodges far better and it gives a greater feel of action while being far more
clear as to what’s actually happening.

I did mention it and emboldened it, but you’re right I should have given it a separate dot point.

Jax.5261:

Gameplay Explanation

Pretty much.

This is still really relevant since there was barely any improvement on the second day. Hopefully they take note by the time the more important ToL starts.

Casters themselves lack knowledge to explain gameplay, it really takes quite experience to understand whats going on instead of just seeing clusterkitten
They just normally say this fighting this and that gets bursted and this stomps etc. but every game there were quite many skillshots going on yet noone called them.

I got bored and slept while watching.
Not much gameplay mechanism discussed, most are vague like “abc is running” , “abc is going in”, anyone can see that.
And that words per minutes is too high. It is hard to follow and after a while, I feel sleepy.

Leeto.1570:

Casters themselves lack knowledge to explain gameplay, it really takes quite experience to understand whats going on instead of just seeing clusterkitten
They just normally say this fighting this and that gets bursted and this stomps etc. but every game there were quite many skillshots going on yet noone called them.

Talking about landing skills is not a good way to cast in a game that has 10 skills a second being used in team fights. The only way to cast the action is play by play meaning the bursts stomps resses etc, stuff that actually has an impact on the game. Sure every once in a while they can say wow skill x did y because it had a big impact on a fight but for the most part the average viewer wont be able to keep up so doing a skill by skill commentary is a bad idea.

Also the caster client dosent have a set viewer, blu was controlling the stream view and sireph was watching from his own perspective so commentating on action out of frame happens more often.

I fell asleep in my chair while watching which I never do. It’s incredibly boring to watch and listen to.

I just can’t get into it – Nothing impresses me when watching GW2. I spent years watching SC2 and it would amaze me at how impressive some of the players were – It doesn’t happen with this game at all.

at least, guild wars 1 was entertaining.
guild wars 2, most of the time, i cannot follow anything that is happening.

Zirith.6429:

Leeto.1570:

Casters themselves lack knowledge to explain gameplay, it really takes quite experience to understand whats going on instead of just seeing clusterkitten
They just normally say this fighting this and that gets bursted and this stomps etc. but every game there were quite many skillshots going on yet noone called them.

Talking about landing skills is not a good way to cast in a game that has 10 skills a second being used in team fights. The only way to cast the action is play by play meaning the bursts stomps resses etc, stuff that actually has an impact on the game. Sure every once in a while they can say wow skill x did y because it had a big impact on a fight but for the most part the average viewer wont be able to keep up so doing a skill by skill commentary is a bad idea.

Also the caster client dosent have a set viewer, blu was controlling the stream view and sireph was watching from his own perspective so commentating on action out of frame happens more often.

Ye well thats why there are casters, to call out skillshots, average viewer sees himself that there is stomp or that guy is capping base. And no there is only few skills that have big impact.
And ofcourse both should be watching same thing, theres always one commentator who talks about game in general and one more advanced who calls out most of skillshots.

I want backstory on teams and players.

Gameplay can get very uninteresting when class and build combos lead to a known winner before a fight.

I agree casters still suck. Hasn’t blu been doing this for over a year and hasn’t improved yet. I think we need someone else to step up. A pvper who can actually tell what is going and doesn’t just change the camera from mid team fight to a free back cap just because. I usually mute the sound after a few mins of any caster match.

Helseth casting was very good.

Instead of bashing Blu and Sireph ( altough it’s legit) i would try to have “good PvPers” teaching them.

Mrbig.8019:

Helseth casting was very good.

Instead of bashing Blu and Sireph ( altough it’s legit) i would try to have “good PvPers” teaching them.

which one helseth casted? is there a link?

I thought the casting from Blu and Sireph yesterday was some of the best that I’ve seen from them.

The only thing I never really wanna see is map view, since a player’s perspective is almost always more interesting.

I agree with infantrydiv. It was some of the best casting from those two yet and I think it’ll only improve from positive feedback like this thread.

I really think they should focus less on what is going on and more why, as you said. The reality is that everyone watching can get a very basic idea of what is going on, and if they can’t then you telling them doesn’t help. The PvP in this game is interesting because of the strategy behind it, so talk about how each team will try to win, how they are moving over the map, controlling secondary objectives, etc. because those are the things that matter, not every detail of a 1v1 that pretty much anyone can follow in general.

Also, stop with the in-jokes and constant plugs. The in-jokes don’t really add anything, the people who know the jokes are going to watch no matter what, you want to appeal to the crowd who isn’t on the in-crowd to get them into watching PvP and staying. Also, I understand you guys have twitters and stuff you want people to follow for giveaways. That is totally fine, but do it sparingly, and mainly through graphics. While you are on break you can have the casters’ twitter stuff along with details about their giveaways, so people paying attention can participate, and then you guys can do a quick thing like “and as we go on break read the screen for details on gem giveaways”.

Anyway, Blu and Sireph didn’t do a bad job. They’re basically having to teach themselves how to cast a game that is fairly difficult to cast. Just give them respectful feedback.

I actually like that Sireph mentioned some opening on some of the games. I’ve never played tPvP with a team, but mentioning what opening were done gave me insight as a non-PvPer.

I learned two types of openings: Risky and Safe. Not sure if there are other openings out there, but starting with that might help non-PvPers who are watching the game.

And I think whatever a team’s opening is, the casters may explain what the risks and the rewards of such an opening is. But not immediately. They might remind the viewers what the specific team opened with. And when we enter mid-game, the casters could emphasize on the benefits of the opening if it worked out, or the fallout of an opening if it failed.

That’s my two copper as a non-tPvPer.

nastyjman.8207:

I actually like that Sireph mentioned some opening on some of the games. I’ve never played tPvP with a team, but mentioning what opening were done gave me insight as a non-PvPer.

I learned two types of openings: Risky and Safe. Not sure if there are other openings out there, but starting with that might help non-PvPers who are watching the game.

And I think whatever a team’s opening is, the casters may explain what the risks and the rewards of such an opening is. But not immediately. They might remind the viewers what the specific team opened with. And when we enter mid-game, the casters could emphasize on the benefits of the opening if it worked out, or the fallout of an opening if it failed.

That’s my two copper as a non-tPvPer.

This is a good idea!

I wish I could get in on this shoutcasting.

O wait.

I think Blu has gotten somewhat better. Most of what he says at least has some bearing on what is going on.

Sireph just babbles on and on about random things he has no clue about and are completely irrelevant. I get the feeling Sireph doesn’t even play GW2.

My biggest piece of advice to give to the English Casters is to watch the minimap a lot more. The casters always seem to miss big plays because they’re focused on clusterkitteny teamfights.

OP all your points are great, but you have to understand that they are not very experienced shoutcasters. They have a lot to learn.

Problem here is that there are so few experienced shoutcasters interested in GW2 so for big tourneys like this we are sadly stuck with these guys. But maybe things will change in the future, maybe they get better at it or Anet simply finds someone more qualified.

I’m a big fan of blu and the team, but for this Thursday please don’t

-state how glassy a build is and how you will spectate it
- miss the one shots

Luckily you’ll have no choice but to spectate the glass this week trololololol

OP, legit points, i thought it will be some mocking against the casters, but constructive feedback like that should help improve casting quality.

specially on those points

Gameplay Explanation

Bhawb.7408:

I really think they should focus less on what is going on and more why, as you said. [….] Also, stop with the in-jokes and constant plugs.

eCChi.1059:

And that words per minutes is too high

Zirith.6429:

Also the caster client dosent have a set viewer, blu was controlling the stream view and sireph was watching from his own perspective so commentating on action out of frame happens more often.

verbal coordination, like the camera guy will mention it on changing view.

over all, the casts with helseth as a co-caster were very nice, just as an example.
blu with his ‘action-talking’ and helseth with the tactical insights on why this move/rotation was good/bad. those were awesome matches (i believe he was kitten the 2v2 tournament as well?).
well, this time i think it was more important for him to get bifrost himself

if you read this blu, please take it as it is: feedback! and please go on with your amazing work!!

The game is simply too fast to follow imo, and my idea is that the staff of Anet know this, and at the same time they want to push the #esport thing, that’s why they nerfed most of the fast bursting things we had in the beginning (quickness most of all) and promoting a slow bunker vs bunker meta, because is easier to follow in the streams.
I have no problem following the movements of players while i’m using my pg, and i run a Fresh Air zerker ele, probably the fastest build to use in terms of chaining skills, but i have problems follow fights in twitch.