has made a decision that all articles in the Let's Play namespace (list of pages in that namespace) should be moved to other namespaces.
Since let's plays are usually video-based, the target namespace is usually WebVideo/. However, some are text-based, and the consensus was to handle the namspacing of those on a case-by-case basis, with Blog/, Fanfic/, and Literature/ brought up as potential targets.
Before any given article is transplanted, we should confirm that it meets the standards for being a TV Tropes work article. Note that these often serve as hybrid articles for their creators in much the same way as the Music namespace. If there is insufficient content, the articles end up becoming about the creators, violating our "no troping real people" policy.
The crucial question is whether the article has any tropable, creative content. This means that it's more than just "Alisha plays games and makes faces." What counts as tropable, creative content? Here are some examples.
- Creating a fictional/roleplaying narrative that is distinct from the game being played or the real person doing the LP.
- Using the game as a medium to craft original content: songs, videos, machinima, and so on.
- "MST'ing" or creatively riffing on the game's content, as long as it's sufficiently transformative.
What are not criteria for a tropable Let's Play by themselves?
- Adopting a quirky personality, cracking jokes, making funny faces, or overreacting to jump scares.
- Cosplaying, playing with toys, unboxing merchandise, etc.
- Having a "gimmick" that makes them stand out, such as a repeated Catchphrase, eating loudly on microphone, or calling their viewers "Doggo fam".
- Playing games in a particular way (speedrunning, evil runs, no-kill runs, etc.) that fall within what it is possible to do in the game itself, with or without mods.
- Modding the game.
- Being very popular.
- Having lots of memes arise in their fandom.
Note that the same general principles apply to any Web Video creator, especially those whose main work is in news, reviews, vlogging, and/or reaction videos.
There are a few outliers that will need to be handled on a case-by-case basis.
- After-Action Report: I would move it to literature, although it could be considered fanfic.
- Liveblogs, which are probably not tropable.
Web Video cleanup sandbox
This project has several purposes related to all things Web Video:
- Cleaning up the WebVideo index
- Cleaning up the WebVideo/ namespace to move pages that belong elsewhere
- Cleaning up individual Web Video pages that have massive issues
Overview
The easy-seeming part when I started on Web Video (the index) was just removing things not even located in the namespace— found in Creator, Film, Web Animation, etc. Then I started noticing there were many things put in Web Video (the namespace) that were basically Creator pages, lots of Let's Play, other video game streaming that doesn't currently have an index, other misuses in index and/or namespace placement...
- original live action, meaning not animated or reusing existing footage;
- narrative/creative, a bit unclear, but it's not someone simply reviewing another work/reacting to other works/playing through another work;
- a work, which is... a work, not a creator.
) is much more broad:
"Live-action videos and video-based Lets Plays originally or only released online. Covers both YouTube videos and web-exclusive series, but does not include those that belong in the WebAnimation/ namespace. For big-budget series exclusive to streaming services such as Netflix, use Series/ or the appropriate animation namespace instead." — Not limited to original or live action footage, narrative works, etc. However, people have mistakenly created Web Animation pages in this namespace, made what are essentially creator pages, typed it as "Webvideo", etc.
:
Reaction channels tend to straddle a line here, but are not generally tropable unless they create some sort of distinct creative endeavor rather than stare at a video and laugh a bit. Also it helps if they are reacting to fiction, not to real life. The latter may be entertaining but falls into the same general category as gossip. We can trope these only for their use of production and artistic tropes, not for their topics.
-
No Analysis Channel index— corrected! - No index for non-Let's Play video game streaming unless they're on Twitch. If they don't fall into the Let's Play format and aren't on Twitch, where do they go?
- No
Gag Dub orGag Sub index - Where should we put channels based on prank calls, scam-baiting, other audio-based things where the video is incidental?
Pages identified for cleanup:
- A Dose of Buckley — see this ATT for more info
- The Mysterious Mr. Enter and subpages — issues include troping the creator and not the works
- The Nostalgia Critic and subpages — see this project thread
- Smosh and subpages — Smosh is a channel, and the pages have multiple works (may need a hard split)
- Thomas Sanders — Creator, lots of biographical details, previously hard split for Sanders Sides but may need another
See also:
- Cleanup: Review/Let's Play YMMV Tropes
- TLP: Actual Play genre/index
Just the index cleanup itself is a considerable project, figuring out what stays and what needs a different index, but there are also many pages with significant issues to clean. This is a very big project, but I've seen other people notice these issues, too. I hope we can at least get the index under control.
(![[nja]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/user_ninja_2074.png "[nja]"){kind=small}
For clarity and re: review stuff. Continue to edit as things occur that are useful to keep at the top of the thread.)
Edited by GastonRabbit on Dec 2nd 2023 at 9:02:00 AM
Now a lurker. Thanks for everything. | he/him
The Mysterious Mr. Enter might have issues. I don't watch his videos anymore as I now despise him, but from what I recall from when I had read his page in the past (and a quick glossing-over of the page) there are issues with troping Mr. Enter as a person rather than his works, and both gushing and complaining. Anyone have an idea as to what to do?
TRS Queue | Works That Require Cleanup of Complaining | Troper Wall
Lots of coffee
Only a few of Enter's videos have any real narrative works, since he's not really playing a character like many other critics, just reacting as himself. I know the Tear Jerker page got a look-over in the Moments cleanup because it's either Real Life examples or "this show being bad made Enter kind of sad," and should probably be cut.
Hell, the top of the TearJerker page has issues already: "Like The Nostalgia Critic, The Mysterious Mr. Enter has a great understanding of writing and critiquing, a skill with blasting the worst of the worst, and even a way with tugging at the heartstrings." It's gushy not just about Enter but to Nostalgia Critic, which is a totally different kind of show. (TearJerker.The Nostalgia Critic is also a total mess for different reasons, so referring to that series isn't a very good metric anyway.)
Edited by mightymewtron on Sep 7th 2020 at 10:42:07 AM
I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
Now a lurker. Thanks for everything. | he/him
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
So I guess what that means is that we should figure out how to clean out Mr. Enter's pages, assuming there is anything that can be salvaged at all. How would we do that?
Lots of coffee
The "moments" cleanup has already combed through the Tearjerker page and declared most of it unfit, so I wouldn't be opposed to cutlisting unless there's anything viable in there, which means nothing that's purely troping his real life or bashing some other work.
The other pages probably need evaluation as well.
I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
Now a lurker. Thanks for everything. | he/him
A short-term cleanup thread might be needed, but as I said I really cannot stand Mr. Enter so I couldn't do it out of personal bias alone. Perhaps someone less biased than me can start a thread? I really think the issues with his pages are bad enough that a cleanup thread may be necessary.
🏳️🌈🎃
Added The Mysterious Mr. Enter to the first post's list of things to clean up.
Covered in Star Wars Cleanup, Deadpool, and Web Video sand. I'm not coarse and rough, but I get everywhere.
Lots of coffee
I've had periods of absolutely loving Mr. Enter, absolutely hating him, and not caring about him, so I think I'd be able to see both sides and work on a cleanup neutrally. (Though my priority is the Nostalgia Critic pages, especially because I seem to be the only one who really checks on that cleanup anymore...)
I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
🏳️🌈🎃
I've never even heard of Mr. Enter until he came up, so I may have the type of objectivity that comes from going "... who?"
Covered in Star Wars Cleanup, Deadpool, and Web Video sand. I'm not coarse and rough, but I get everywhere.
Discarded and Feeling Blue
I've only seen his MLP stuff and one or two other things, so I don't have strong opinions on him, because I don't know much about him.
Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness
Now a lurker. Thanks for everything. | he/him
I would love to help with the Nostalgia Critic cleanup, but unfortunately I also strongly despise the Critic myself, not just because of the whole Change the Channel fiasco but as a content creator as well. So once again I would not be a good fit to help clean the article out due to my inherent negative bias.
Although I don't hate the Critic as much as Mr. Enter, so there's that.
TRS Queue | Works That Require Cleanup of Complaining | Troper Wall
Lots of coffee
Understood. I'm actually an active NC fan so it's kind of awkward going at this since he understandably doesn't have a good reputation on this wiki (though ironically my concern isn't complaining but excessive gushing and shoehorning from other fans).
Edited by mightymewtron on Sep 9th 2020 at 3:26:39 PM
I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
Cross-wired freak
I can try to help with the Enter cleanup. I don't like him much, but I used to, and I think a fair bit of the hate he attracts is also unfair.
Listen to my podcast
Now a lurker. Thanks for everything. | he/him
Thanks everyone! I guess I can try to help clean up the Mr. Enter pages if anyone needs a hand. I thought about it some more and I think I can clean up in a non-biased way.
The next question is, do we need a dedicated thread or should we clean up here?
TRS Queue | Works That Require Cleanup of Complaining | Troper Wall
🏳️🌈🎃
I'm fine with this thread being a catch-all for cleaning up any page in Web Video if other participants are fine with that, as a nice centralized thread for it. That has worked out (IMO) with the Star Wars Cleanup— although that's cleaning up one franchise and not one namespace, it has a lot of pages.
And if anyone wants to help but doesn't know where to start, the first page of this thread has specific pages listed, and Sandbox.Web Video has some stuff to discuss or do. For instance, lots of pages need moving to Web Animation.
Covered in Star Wars Cleanup, Deadpool, and Web Video sand. I'm not coarse and rough, but I get everywhere.
Lots of coffee
In that case, maybe we can double-check other TGWTG pages here that have issues, since my thread is currently focused on the NC pages? I know some of the other Doug Walker pages might have issues, and while I haven't looked them over in a while (I have weird relationships with the media in question), Demo Reel and Ask That Guy with the Glasses may need a checkup to see if they share the issues with the NC pages. I'm mostly concerned about Demo Reel because there's a lot of complainy shit related to it on the NC pages added out of spite when Demo Reel was cancelled to reboot NC.
Edited by mightymewtron on Sep 9th 2020 at 9:39:05 AM
I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
Now a lurker. Thanks for everything. | he/him
I'll see if I can get to the Critic at some point, but I think Mr. Enter's Headscratchers page needs help. It's full of both complaining and gushing at the same time and tons of natter. I brought it up in Headscratchers cleanup but nothing came of it, so I guess I'll bring it up here.
TRS Queue | Works That Require Cleanup of Complaining | Troper Wall
🏳️🌈🎃
Makes sense to me, especially since those get thousands of inbounds— they need to be high quality. Since that's another set of stuff I'm unfamiliar with, it's easy for me to mark ZCE— I have zero context going in, so if the examples don't have enough context, they make no sense to me.
That's disappointing that the thread for such things didn't take it on. Is it a slow thread?
When I'm back to editing, I will put this stuff on the sandbox instead of the first post so it's not just me adding/tracking things.
Edited by ImmiThrax on Sep 9th 2020 at 10:26:41 AM
Covered in Star Wars Cleanup, Deadpool, and Web Video sand. I'm not coarse and rough, but I get everywhere.
The Draftsman of Doom
When I found the Cultmoo page, it was in terrible shape. It still needs work.
Your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.
The Draftsman of Doom
It's been 2 days since my inquiry. Anyone have any input?
Your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.
Now a lurker. Thanks for everything. | he/him
Have never heard of Cultmoo so I can't help.
What needs help with it? A cursory glance doesn't reveal any major problems.
The Draftsman of Doom
I mean, It's not fiction, but they do use stage personas.
Your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.
The Draftsman of Doom
I mean, I feel like Hidden Depths is a character trope, so I don't know whether we should keep the example on Cultmoo.
Your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.
Web Video Series is now live!
With that, Web Video continues to shrink, now at 500-something listings and dropping as things get re-indexed.
Covered in Star Wars Cleanup, Deadpool, and Web Video sand. I'm not coarse and rough, but I get everywhere.