Ryan Bloom
patreon
Request Master Tier FAQ
🕑 Added 2023-07-30 08:12:38 +0000 UTCAfter teasing it not too long ago, I finally went and added a fourth pricing tier for you to request I cover specific games. As in, if you donate at that tier, I WILL do a video on something of your choosing. I've limited the number of available slots for my own sake, so I don't get overwhelmed. Current price as of this writing is double the cost of a new game (so I can buy it and also be compensated for my work), with a maximum of three slots. But since there's a lot to talk about, I figured we needed a bit of a FAQ to hammer out the fine details, and I'll update this post as needed in the future.
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- Q: Do we still need to pay the full amount even if we request a game you already own (or we request a game that costs less than $70)?
- A: Yep! At this time Patreon does not let me specify an option like that, and even if they did, I don't know that I'd use it. If you request a game I already own, or a game that's on deep discount, just consider the difference as a bonus for me. After all, what I'm charging is significantly less than most professional outlets would pay for this kind of content!
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- Q: Can we see a list of games you already own?
- A: I try to keep my Backloggery somewhat up to date, so that should be most, if not all the games I own. Games marked with a ghost icon mean I no longer own them, and games marked with a purple swirl icon (generally) mean I played them via emulation.
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- Q: Do we need to stay subbed at this tier the entire time the video is in production?
- A: Haha, no way! Once I've confirmed Patreon has taken your $140 and you've made your request, you are free to switch to a lower tier (or bounce entirely, if that's your thing!)
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- Q: Will you play these games on their original hardware?
- A: I'll try, but physical space is very limited for me right now. If it is prohibitively difficult for me to play on original hardware and stable emulation is an option, I reserve the right to use that instead.
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- Q: What gaming platforms do you currently own?
- A: NES (needs new slot mechanism), SNES (needs new cartridge pins), Sega 32XCD (needs cables), Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn, Playstation, Sega Dreamcast (failing GDR laser), Playstation 2 Slim, Nintendo Gamecube, Gameboy Pocket, Game Gear (unverified if still functional), Nintendo DS Lite, Wii, Xbox 360, Wii U, Playstation 4 Pro, Nintendo Switch, Sega Genesis Mini 1
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- Q: Can we see your current PC Specs?
- A: ASRock Z97 Killer motherboard equipped with an Intel Core i5-4690K (3.5ghz), MSI GeForce 1060 GTX (6GB) and 16GB of DDR3 system RAM at 2166mhz. I started gathering components for this system in 2015, to give you an idea of its age.
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- Q: Will you finish requested games?
- A: I'll try, but I am of the opinion that reviewers do not necessarily have to finish games in order to express their feelings about them, as long as they are clear about the fact they didn't finish it. That doesn't mean I'll slack on this, though. As an example, I hated "Sands of Destruction" on the Nintendo DS, but I still played it a minimum of 8 hours just to make sure I could write an articulate review. To me, that's a long time to play a game that was making me miserable! I will uphold a similar duty for requests, where the goal is generally to finish the game but allow myself the ability to tap out in extreme cases. For example, you can't expect me to finish all 99 levels of Pac-man, or else I'd never get around to making your video. Nobody wants bottlenecks like that.
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- Q: If we know of a project you were already working on but haven't finished yet (The NiGHTS Documentary, etc.) can we use this to "bump it" to the top of the queue, so to speak?
- A: If that's what you really, truly want, sure. Maybe I should maintain a list of different projects I've started and their completion percentages...
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- Q: Can we request "do-overs" for games you might have already covered in the past?
- A: If it was long enough ago (5+ years), or in a different format (non-video), then yeah, sure.
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- Q: Is there a time table for how long a given request will take to complete?
- A: Generally speaking a request will be the very next video I make after current project is complete. Given I don't really operate on hard schedule (due to how much the work varies video-to-video), it's hard to estimate that given it all depends on how complex the current project is, how close to finished I am, and how complex the request ends up being. Estimates like this tend to get me in trouble because I am a perfectionist, so it'll be done when it's done. You're paying for quality, not quantity.
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- Q: I am an indie developer (and/or lead an indie team), can I use this as a way to make you review my game?
- A: As weird as that may be, I suppose so, yes. For legal reasons, you probably need to tell me if it's your game specifically, so I can appropriately mark it in the video. Also, this may or may not be obvious, but just because you're paying me to talk about your game does not mean you are paying for positive coverage. I will speak my mind for better or worse.
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- Q: Do we have to request games? Can we request videos/reviews of anything else, like movies, TV, music, books, etc.?
- A: Hmmm. I'm going to tentatively say... I will review whatever it is you ask me to review, as long as the overall cost does not exceed $70. However, if it's something that would get me in trouble for doing a livestream or whatever, I may have to rethink distribution. Also, depending on the length of some of this, I may have to decline. Like if you can't ask me to review a really long series, I don't think $140 will cover that. Maybe we'll say per-season in that case? We can talk about it.
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- Q: I work for a professional establishment. Can I use this to pay you $140 to write/produce something for our site?
- A: You shouldn't use this for that kind of work. Contact me somewhere and maybe we'll work something more solid out.
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- Q: Since Patreon only allows DMs from paying customers, how can I talk to you about this stuff without giving you the money first?
- A: All of my social media whereabouts are listed on my Linktree and there's an email address published on the main Youtube channel's About tab.
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My taste in games is:
I like platformers. I chew up (arcade style) racing games for breakfast. I'm fine with "action/adventure" games. I can hang with RPGs, particularly JRPGs, but the closer you get to a strategy game the more I'll struggle. I'm bad at strategy games. I don't entirely hate them but their slower pace wears me out quickly. I want to like rhythm games, but I've discovered I'm only really good at the original Parappa the Rapper. Similarly, I like puzzle games, but it takes a special one (like Tetris. Puzzle Fighter or Tetris Attack) to really grab me. I enjoy playing fighting games but I don't think I've ever really been good at one (the best I ever was at one was maybe Marvel vs. Capcom 1, or Sonic the Fighters). Never played super deep into visual novels but I'm not against them. But basically, I am willing to give most things a shot.
And now, some general guidelines for the sake of my own sanity:
- No games with excessive sex or nudity, please. I'm no prude, but I'm trying to make Youtube videos over here.
- Actually, to simplify things: whatever content Youtube does not like, I do not want to do videos about.
- Though I will always strive to complete a given request in good faith, I reserve the right to reject any request at any time for any reason, even if the video has already entered production. Once the initial transaction has been completed and your money is in my hands, there are no refunds. If you're unsure if I'll agree to review a game before putting up the money, contact me, first. As a general rule, I am skittish about politician-related content and heavily religious content.
