Oblivion

The Sunday Discussion - GamerPoets - YouTuber and creator of awesome tutorials

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There are a lot of people out there who would love to become a YouTube personality, the thought of creating videos on a subject you love for a living is incredibly appealing. But with the satisfaction of releasing a well-received video comes the incredible amount of work, time, dedication and money that goes into it.

This week we chat to GamerPoets, a YouTuber who began producing videos as an outlet for an event that rocked his world.



Hey GamerPoets, many thanks for talking to me today. I guess the first thing we should find out is a little bit about you?

Well Paul, I’m 6’2, 33 years old, have dirty blonde hair and green eyes that change colour and I like long walks on the shores of Dawnstar. I’m a gamer, a poet, a person who has experienced a lot from all ends of life and I have decided that the modding community is the best of all of it.

Have you always grown up with consoles and computers? What got you into gaming?

Consoles yes. Computers… not even close. One of my earliest memories was beating ‘Super Mario Brothers’ and seeing my sister annoyed that her little brother did it before she did. I was 2 or 3 years old. I use to tell my family, “Look! I’m in a different world!” (my uncle reminds me of this frequently). Apparently, I still am (in a different world).

My first computer came when I was a sophomore in highschool. I used it to bootleg CD’s and create my own music with it (kids, don’t try that at home, no one wants CD’s anymore I mean, it’s wrong to do). My parents thought it was for school, ha ha!

The first time that I used a PC for gaming was a year before GamerPoets was created. I was tired of my PS3 Skyrim save file becoming bloated over and over again, stealing/pickpocketing every item between Riverwood and Whiterun was forcing me to start a new game due it not loading. I searched for an answer to my problem. I found Nexus Mods. Saw some water mods by SparrowPrince (OpticShooter) and Laast (I think!) and decided it was time to switch to PC.

So apart from gaming what are some of your other hobbies?

Wait… I’m allowed to do things beyond gaming? I’m actually just getting back into the sunlight regularly for the first time since starting the channel. I’ve gained 45 pounds since I became a YouTuber due to more and more GamerPoets work and less and less activity beyond it. Folks, get yourselves outside from time to time. I spend a few days doing cardio in the gym to get my health back on track (not always easy having agoraphobic tendencies). I love to cook. I love gardening. Hiking used to be a favourite of mine, but I’ll have to get back into that this Spring. Good books (actual paper in my hands). Though most of my non-GamerPoets time is spent with my girlfriend, dogs and family.

Where did the name GamerPoets originate?

I actually had no intentions of making gaming the main staple of GamerPoets. I was doing a lot of open mic poetry at local places as well as recording a few local artists for fun (vocalists, singers/rappers). The name was going to represent my initial intention of having a personal outlet for poetry with the occasional gameplay video. PoetGamer didn’t have quite as nice a ring to it as GamerPoets does. Not only did I not intend to have a full on gaming channel I also didn’t intend for much to come of it… well…

GamerPoets would suggest more than one person, do you have a team of people?

I’m always looking to the future. I initially thought that I would get other poets to create content with me but the gaming side of things unexpectedly took off and became consuming. As far as content goes I create everything that you see on the channel. I was being proactive with the name.

Joe (sjoert) “of GamerPoets” is the mod author of Skyfalls and Skymills. He helped me build my first gaming PC (the previous one was built by a former friend) via a skype chat. He also helped me to learn (and love) a lot about the modding community, to create a home computer network, he taught me a lot about modding in general and is always there to help me with technical issues in between his family time and being a doctor. From time to time he also edits the tutorial scripts that I write for videos as well as give me lore and story feedback. We started talking after I created a second showcase for Skyfalls.

I’ve had a few others help out over the years. RaccoonImperialist gathered the video footage for what use to be ‘The Assembly Line’ (a short attempt at a mod showcase series). Vohin Gaming helped with some video footage (I may have spelt the name wrong). Sleggo has created some mods and still helps to maintain our facebook page when I’m absent from it (Dustin use to help with FB as well) and there have been a number of people (Alicia, Dre, others) that for short periods of time helped with comment responses on the videos. I like to respond to as many comments as possible. Ven is helping with some template ideas for potential projects and Ed and I sat down a few times over the span of a few weeks refining the tutorial descriptions in recent months.

This past Fall I tried to branch out to the community to get help with creating some content as spending so much time on a single video takes away from the ability to upload a lot of content, it would be nice to take a break sometimes without feeling as though I’m letting the viewers down. The response was way more than expected. More than 20 people across the globe wanted to help with video creation. Being a crazy person I tried to have all 20+ on board. I set up various Skype chats that spanned nearly 40 hours a week for close to 2 months. Due to taking on more than I could handle, being overly nit-picky about the end product and dealing with day to day anxiety it didn’t work out. I even took a month off from creating content afterwards. I burned myself out. However, they all showed me that GamerPoets is definitely something worth keeping around. I’ll never quit the channel and they confirmed that for me. They also helped me to learn a lot about myself. I will be forever thankful to all of them.

When did you decide that you were going to set up a YouTube channel?

It’s a touchy subject that I’ve expanded upon for some but perhaps the full details are a bit too explicit for this chat. The summary of it is that sometime between Christmas 2013 and New Years 2014 I was robbed in my home. Two kids with masks and guns broke through my front door and without being too detailed they robbed me of what was roughly two years worth of savings. I spent the next month or two doing nothing but staring out of my window wondering if they or someone else would come back (I didn’t sleep much). I was a bit traumatized to say the least. GamerPoets was my way of distracting myself from my thoughts and the situation in general. I never intended to be a YouTuber. I just needed an outlet at the time… boy did I get it.

That is truly awful to hear and I’m sorry that you had to go through that, the only positive I can see is that it has led you to create the channel. What kind of setup have you created in order to pursue this career in YouTube broadcasting?

It was a long and slow process to put together my setup. If it wasn’t for my friend Joe helping me to find the right parts at their cheapest prices as well as showing me how to set it all up (via email and Skype. He lives in Europe. I’m in the U.S.) I wouldn’t have been able to do any of it.

Thinking about it now I’ve easily spent over $15,000 on equipment and software. It all started with a single gaming PC that cost about $2,000, which as mentioned, wasn’t even intended to be used for gaming but rather for music. That figure coupled with high internet speeds and general maintenance of things I’m still at least a year or two away from pocketing a single penny from GamerPoets. I know the question wasn’t about money but this stuff can get expensive if you keep trying to upgrade your quality and output. Here is a picture of my current setup:




Current setup for audio recording

If anyone reading/listening wants to create content you definitely do NOT need to have as crazy a setup as I do.

Would you mind letting us know the type of workflow that you follow to create a video and the software that you use?

Absolutely.

Depending on the type of video that I’m creating I take different steps. If I’m going to make an RP (Let’s Roleplay) video I spend 2 days on video capture and editing. I then spend 2 days on audio recording and editing. Day 1 is just playing through the quest or segment at hand, making a lot of save points so that I have some references for potential cinematic cut scenes and Day 2 is bringing it all together. Day 1 of audio I take in pieces. I’ll record 30 to 60 seconds at a time. Edit the sound in. Add effects if need be (reverb for caves, so on). Then Day 2 for audio I’ll do some final touchups and add a bit of music where it feels appropriate to me. I also take notes randomly each day of the week if I get an idea for it.

Regarding tutorials, it can take a while. My first step is to reach out to the mod or application authors and see if they would like me to create one. A lot of folks have gotten to know me so I don’t generally have to provide examples of what I’ve already done but I still do anyway. I have a specific style and I can’t step too far away from it so I make sure that they like it. If I get a response I then ask if they would like a hand in it. Helping me to revise the text structure, add things to it, remove things, so on.

If I don’t know the topic I have to research it beforehand and practice until I get a good feel for things. I’ll spend a few days writing the entire tutorial out in text (with the help of the author if they would like to help or if they could be reached at all). Some tutorials (such as the current one that I’m working on for BethINI) can take a couple of weeks to work on the text and smooth it out. Even though I trust my resources I still have to test everything out on my own to assure it’s accurate as can be. Then when the text is finished I voice the entire tutorial, edit it into a blank video project so that it sounds good to me (fast enough for those who said my old style was too slow, but slow enough to be able to follow along or to use the pause button without missing important parts). Then I add in a very large template that I’ve created for video navigation. That takes a good three or 4 hours to update and adjust for each project.

And then into the video.

After the base video is finished I go back, add effects that enlarge pieces that I feel would help the viewer, add highlights (boxes that draw the eye to topics) everywhere that I can, darken the background if I feel that it will help to focus the eye, and some other things. I do this to help compensate for how quickly I cover specific topics so the viewer doesn’t have to guess at what should be looked at on screen. I also watch the tutorial at least 10 times over throughout the process to assure that things are flowing well as I go.

After all is nearly said and done I go back a final time, add some text where needed, assure that new changes haven’t been made to the mod or application since I started in case I need to add more info or remove any, and try to add a few fun touches to it.

As far as software goes I use Adobe: Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects and Audition. I occasionally use Bandicam for screen capture but generally, I record PC to PC using an El Gato HD60 . The audio runs through an Allen and Heath soundboard before it enters the PC and I use Event monitor speakers and headphones to edit sound. Recently, with the help of Joe, we’ve set up a mini-network using a NAS as a server in case we need to share files directly with anyone as well as to assure plenty of project storage for when it’s time to update older videos.

Are you working on YouTube full time now?

I spend 8 to 12 hours a day, 6 days a week on GamerPoets content in some form or another. That time is spent on learning about mods, software, writing text tutorials to turn into videos, reaching out to and working with mod authors and spending time developing stories for my RP (Roleplay) series. I’m always doing something for GamerPoets (even when I’m not). I’ve been putting this much time in since nearly the beginning.

My output is less than other YouTubers because I spend a lot of time preparing content to assure that viewers get the best of what I can produce. The entire tutorial creation process generally takes 100 to 200 hours. A ‘Let’s Roleplay’ episode takes about 4 full days to comb over. I’d say it’s full time!

How can I manage this without making any real income from it? I live on disability. I have Tourettes Syndrome, severe anxiety, pretty bad PTSD and some other fun things that I won’t bother you with, which keep me from being able to excel too much beyond my home. GamerPoets money pays for GamerPoets (Patrons and donations give way more than YouTube income does) and the kindness of some family members who have lent me money that I pay back in monthly instalments are what allows me to continue the channel.

How have you seen subscribers increase, does it come in bit by bit or a steady stream?

Whenever I add a big tutorial you see a sudden spike in subscribers. Generally, it’s a slow but steady stream as long as I’m uploading. Though, subscribers don’t necessarily equate to views with the type of content that I create.

Would you mind walking us through a typical day/week in the life of GamerPoets?

It’s pretty boring :). Monday to Friday I wake up late morning. Take my dogs out. Eat some breakfast and then I work on content until the lady gets home between 5 and 6. We’ll have dinner. Watch a show/movie/take the dogs for a walk and then when she goes to sleep I spend a few more hours working on content. Saturdays we try to get out and do something but I usually end up working half of the day on stuff again. Sundays I try to spend with family away from the PC (usually doesn't work out). Anytime that I can find to get myself to the gym now I do. Need to be healthy if I’m going to be creating content for another 40 years!


Example of what a finished tutorial looks like in the project viewer

This in an example of what a finished tutorial (the one found at the bottom of this interview) looks like in the project viewer. It gives an idea as to how much work I put into each of my tutorials. Each 'line' is a cut that I had to make, each green bar is a bunch of videos/images that have been condensed into a single piece to make them easier to manage as a single object. Audio is at the bottom in green wavs.

Moving on to the more ‘secretive’ side of YouTube, would you be open to discussing how the monetary side of things work?

Of course, I’m an open book. I’m glad to divulge information.

First, if someone is planning on being a YouTuber strictly to make money I would suggest that a part time minimum wage job would be a better route to take. You would work 1/4th the hours, make twice the pay and have none of the overhead (Unless you like to create crap content and use boobs in your thumbnails. You might be ok then).

To elaborate on things that I’ve already touched upon, an average YouTuber currently makes about $1 per 1,000 views. That can vary depending on how many viewers use ad-blockers, how many ads there are throughout each video, YouTube Red viewers and length of view time. The fluctuation for me, for nearly 3 years now, is about 40 cents per 1,000 views (So 60 cents to $1.40 per 1,000). Then you have to keep in mind how much you need to pay in taxes at the end of the year. I set 30% of the income aside to be safe and let the accountant handle the details. Without dedicated viewers pledging monthly or donating occasionally, there is no way that someone could sustain themselves as a YouTuber unless you one day “make it to the top”.

Oh, and networks (the people who pretend to give you something in exchange for a percentage of what you generate through YouTube ads) are generally nonsense. Even the “best” ones don’t give you anything that you can’t get on your own. Don’t use them. Suffer the $100 minimum that AdSense enforces before you can withdraw money and do things on your own. Just make sure that you learn to keep track of what you make and pay your taxes.

How do you deal with negativity on the channel?

I’m a big guy. I break their knees <jokes>.  

I know that many “don’t deal with it” but I do. I block and ban people from being able to comment and from being able to see when GamerPoets uploads a new video. Well over 1,000 users have been blocked since I started. I have a lisp so trolls like to comment on it (very unoriginal, their lack of troll talent is almost disappointing) and the cursing and wishing that creators would die from cancer? I mean wtf? Other than your average troll sometimes you get someone who (“followed your directions to the letter”, “...to the T” “...step by step”...) doesn’t follow instructions properly. Or sometimes they have other mods that conflict with parts of a tutorial or didn’t install the game correctly or something else that has happened prior to the tutorial and they like to dump their stress on you. Thanks for trying to help, right?

Negativity doesn’t bother me when it’s aimed at me personally. When I was a new creator it did. You get over it if you stick around. It does get annoying when I see others attacking viewers in the comments. People come to the videos to be entertained or educated and they don’t need to be harassed. I try to get rid of as much of the negativity as I can. Most members of the GamerPoets community and the modding community are pretty awesome, helpful and encouraging. Personally being a part of more than 45,000 comments, emails, pm’s and so on (yes, I view the numbers from time to time) I can honestly say that I love “this place”.

Some will say, “It’s the internet. It’s expected. It’s not real life. Deal with it” ..and other unpleasant variations of those statements on this subject… but no. It is reality. When people are online they are more true to who they really are than when you encounter them in person. Scum gets bleached. I don't bathe in a dirty tub.

If you had to name your top 10 YouTubers that you look up too, who would they be and why?

I’m not sure that I have 10. I don’t know that I look up to anyone anymore but I do have some favourites.

-DirtyWeaselMedia: for always being encouraging to viewers and to me personally. For always testing his information and going above and beyond to try to help folks with his tutorials and just being an all-around good guy. Sadly, I’ve seen his recent video and Cal is no longer going to be working on gaming content. I wish him the best in whatever he does.

-Gopher: he is the first YouTuber that I ever cared to watch more than a couple minutes of. He’s a classy dude with a good personality and was a major influence as to why I started creating tutorials (and more importantly, the channel) when I did. He covers a certain side of things. I wanted to cover the other. Hopefully, I have helped in doing so.

-CouchWarriorTV: A great bunch of guys who genuinely care about this community. I’ve been on podcasts with them as well as some personal chats and they really take their time to get across what this community does and what it can mean to people.

-Slothability: he doesn’t upload much these days but he’s another caring soul. I learned how to properly render YouTube videos because of him. Just look at his name… fun guy.

-Xuul: a YouTuber who goes above and beyond to create his tutorials and content. I’m learning a lot about modding Oblivion right now because of him.

-Ze Frank: If you want to be inspired and or feel in touch with life from a down to earth person check him out. HIs content is old but relevant. My thought process is a lot like his and the few vlog like videos that I have on the channel (under “The GamerPoet” playlist... cough) are heavily inspired by his style.

-DarkFox127: If you want some good info on using the Creation Kit he is your man. I may have to stea...cough..borrow some of his info one day.

-HarryMurrell: is a classical guitarist who not only lets me use his renditions of gaming music in videos but he has also has created some personally for the channel, he sends me unreleased cuts for specific RP scenes and is considered a member of GP. Awesome guy. (content side note: if you hear another YouTuber's music on GamerPoets I’ve personally contacted them to get their permission and I keep it on file to be safe. I avoided a big copyright issue on the channel by having someone’s email saved. With that being said, I try to stick with Harry as often as possible. There are some other good folks that I talk with from time to time regarding music as well.)

-Other than those mentioned I would say SorcererDave and Veriax are fun for LPs to me, Rycon Roleplays holds down the Roleplay community well, Hodilton and Brodul for showcases. I guess I really could keep thinking of YouTubers that I like for one reason or another but I won’t drag it out any longer = ). There are a lot of good folks in the YouTube world. Many just haven’t been “found” yet by the masses (GP included for the most part =).

I would like to also say thank you to some mod authors if it’s cool: Zilav, Sheson, Mator the Eternal, MangaClub, Fore, Sjoert the entire STEP wiki community (all of which I’ve worked with at length on one project of mine or another for things they’ve created) as well as Brumbek and SparrowPrince for their support. Anytime that I’ve sent Arthmoor, Alt3rn1ty, Isoku, Chesko and others messages they’ve replied with good advice when my understanding may have been slightly off about particular subjects. Those mentioned and many others who I have worked with on my videos or who I’ve had long response sessions with over the years... If I look up to anyone in this community it’s them. Thank you for just being awesome people. I know that I’m beginning to sound like an academy award winner but their help has been truly appreciated and I just want to make sure that comes across. Many of us wouldn’t be here on Nexus or elsewhere, including me, if it wasn’t for people like them.

You create tutorial videos (many of which I have sat and watched) and I am in the process of learning modding as we speak, what advice could you give a noob like me who is just starting out?

TAKE….YOUR….TIME! Do not install 50 mods at once and think that things are going to work out. TEST….TEST…. TEST! … oh… and sorry for how long the videos are lol. Some like to complain about their length (even though I provide on-screen navigation for veteran modders to skip half of the video in case they know a lot about the topic at hand.) but most new mod users who complain about length will never “make it” in modding. You have to be willing to set up the game properly, prepare the game to be modded, and read everything that the mods you install provide. It comes down to patience and persistence. Learning to mod isn’t difficult it’s tedious. You aren’t installing official DLC. You are incorporating hundreds of individuals works into a single game and are trying to make it function and be stable.

I spent months breaking save files due to not taking my time when I started out and I only really learned to take my time because I had to for the channel. It still took me another two years to really “get it”. And I do get it. Modding can be a pain in the butt… but… it’s worth it in the end (pun intended). For many people modding IS the game. The game itself is just a bonus when you’re done modding and that’s how you have to view it if you want to have 100’s of mods installed at once without issue.

Enjoy the small victories. Get one or two mods working, get in game, walk around and make sure that you aren’t crashing, make sure that the vegetation isn’t dancing a waltz and that all your priests are fully clothed. Enjoy today’s accomplishments and stop rushing to emulate what you see in YouTube videos on day one (other than mine lol jk). You will get there. Like most things that are worth anything in life it takes time and eventually becomes easier. If you come across a mod that seems too complicated for you it’s OK to skip it. You don’t have to complain about it and or try to bash the author in a comments section to compensate for what you don’t yet grasp. You don’t have to install every mod that others suggest to you. Mod your game how you like. Have fun with it. I rather have 10 working mods than an unstable game with 100. Know your limits and “do you”.

Oh… and there’s this awesome thing called Nexus. Use it. Ask questions. It helps… so does the STEP wiki. I try to answer as many comments as I can on videos but I end up referring a lot of folks to STEP because when it comes to certain topics they simply know more than I do. If you take your time to reach out to the right people you will learn to enjoy the community itself more than the actual modding. STEP and Nexus... GamerPoets would not exist without them.

I noticed that you are now also creating written tutorials that are appearing on the site, can you tell us a little bit about them and why you have decided to create these while also doing your YouTube channel?



I’ve always had to create written versions of each tutorial to assure accuracy and to avoid topic straying, but they have been less like guides and more like scripts for me to read and record. I would previously link to my google docs (in descriptions) for some videos to aid those who learn better from text but I’ve since decided to create full/proper guides in a format that I would personally want to see them in if I were personally looking for help.

Every tutorial that I create will be able to be found on Nexus now (or rather, as I complete them) as I just feel it’s a more accessible option for viewers than the doc’s were. Almost everything on the channel is based on something from Nexus one way or another so it only made sense.

What I’ll be doing to continue the interactive side of tutorials in regards to text is utilising the linking system to allow readers to click on section titles and view corresponding pieces of each video if they so choose. This way you can read the text but you can also see exactly what it is related to in video without needing to watch the entire thing. While text could easily take views (and more importantly view length) away from the channel (which means less revenue and even more personal time spent on each topic) I feel that it’s worth it to provide folks with another functional option. I was the first to build video tutorials around the idea of on-screen navigation and I figure it might be cool to try the same thing with text. In the least, it will provide those who already view the channel with more options. I care about those who support GP and the modding community as a whole. Creating content and these guides are something that I enjoy and ultimately that’s why I do anything regarding GamerPoets.

When I first started modding, and even now, it was hard to find a lot of videos that told me exactly what I wanted and needed to know in a way that was customised to my personal learning needs. So that’s what I try to provide. Personalization for all as best as I’m capable. Coming back to Nexus to put the text guides up will also allow the community to help out, to give me ideas and suggestions and that will only make both the text and the videos that much better. If you look at the guide that I’ve added so far (just a few days ago, and more on the way) I’ve already credited 4 members for their comments. You might get credited even if you don’t want to. Sometimes reading what others think on a subject inspires me to evolve or change something without them even knowing it. Interacting with good people also just makes this a lot more fun. Sitting alone in a room in your house for so many hours each week can make you a little nutty lol. Being overly nit-picky about my end products and the coherence between each project makes working directly with others difficult if not impossible. The community being able to be heard in this manner, regarding what I create, will also help with my craziness = )

From here on out, every video that I create will have a proper text guide on Nexus to go along with it and they will link to each other. Text will never replace video because if done correctly you can simply do too much with it to aid those watching in a way that you can’t with text. You just have to care enough and have the free time to do it.



Is there anything else you would like to say to the people at Nexus Mods?

Give me a job!

This community is a special place. Yes, there are trolls and those who can be negative, but overall, there are more people willing to help, willing to provide their creations and time for free and who genuinely give a crap in some form or another than anywhere else on the internet. Treat it well. If it ever goes away or turns into the type of junk that you can find everywhere else online we only have ourselves to blame for it.

Could you give any advice to someone who is looking to create a YouTube channel? What are some of the pitfalls? What are the perks?

Create a channel because you love the content that you want to, and will be, providing. Don’t start a channel thinking that you are going to be rich and famous. Most likely you won’t be…. and fame can suck. Even when you only have a tiny bit of it.

Give credit. If you worked with, got a response from or took an idea from someone give them credit. It doesn’t hurt your video and it will only make those whom you have mentioned support you in return. Don’t just leave a cheesy mention in your video description. Say in video, “Thank you to Gamerpoets for such and such…” “Thank you to this mod author because this and that…”. After the video is uploaded leave a comment to them (without harassing them) and make them aware. It’s appreciated and it will only benefit you. I’ve tried to drive viewers to a few places since I’ve started because I appreciated this.

If people start looking up to you (and whether you know it or not some will) in some form or another you have a silent responsibility to them. If you ignore that responsibility you aren’t worth the content that you create.

Have fun. Be yourself. Be honest. People will know when you are being fake. Understand and do those things and you won’t owe anyone anything. Don’t get caught up in what others expect of you. Stay true to your own expectations and keep them realistic. It takes a lot of work to create good content and it doesn’t necessarily pay the bills. And while you may not find riches, what I have personally found is a large community of awesome, caring and encouraging people. I’ve wanted to quit more than a few times due to how much work goes into what I do knowing that I probably won’t make a penny of profit until year 5 (if all goes well). I continue this because there are a surprising amount of awesome people from all around the world who appreciate what I do and encourage me to continue. That is where the rewards are. People.

Learning the software that you utilise and always trying to improve your quality doesn’t hurt either.

Thank you once again for chatting to me today and I wish you all the best with your future endeavours.

I appreciate that, thank you for allowing me to ramble off half of a novel. It was fun.

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  1. sattyre
    sattyre
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    I just wanted to say thanks for your time and excellent tutorials, you have made learning a lot quicker at times even if you are too late because, like you originally did, I jumped in feet first and already have way too many mods. I still have a lot to learn but you are making things easier. Have a great day.
    Dan
  2. ghostdamian
    ghostdamian
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    Thanks very much for opening yourself up to us viewers, it means a lot to be able to see a day in the life of someone who has made a difference in our lives!
    I’ve spent probably 700-odd hours in Skyrim, and probably the same in Fallout 3, NV and 4, not to mention Morrowind and Oblivion.
    More importantly though, I’ve modded the hell out of all of them, Skyrim the most, and probably I reckon spent at least 300-400 hours just on the modding process.
    Without people like you and Gopher I never would have got where I have. At my peak I had around 440 mods active on Skyrim!!! That was with merges and so on, of course, but the game ran seamlessly and was totally thanks to tutorials like yours. STEP was also invaluable of course.
    I want to agree with what you’ve already found out yourself, forget the haters! I love the lisp you have in your videos, I always instantly recognise you because of it and it engages me in the video straight away because I know I’m about to get blasted with more info than I can even grasp in one sitting!
    Good luck with your personal struggles mate, I know at least a little of the feeling… I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder last year at the age of 34 and holy crap has it destroyed my life up until now! But all we can do is keep moving one step at a time and making positive changes for ourselves hey, no-one else can do it for us.
    All the best mate,
    Kirk,
    From (near) Sydney, Australia
    1. GamerPoets
      GamerPoets
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      Thank you for taking the time to make such a comment ghost = ) It means alot. What I do sure doesn't pay anything lol (even less now with this YouTube ad stuff going on). You guys (and gals) are the reason I keep creating content.

      We will do just fine... you and I = ) ... Take care Kirk.

      -Michael
  3. Zylice
    Zylice
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    I'm sorry about your various health struggles Michael. Making the amount of quality content you do can be extremely difficult when you are simply not well enough.
    I sympathise but congratulations on your growth and enjoyment of the GP community!
    Keep up the good work!

    - Zylice
    1. GamerPoets
      GamerPoets
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      I'm don't have sort of life threatening illness... I'm alright = ) Thank you again Zylice
  4. Zylice
    Zylice
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    • 28 kudos
    Thank you. GREAT interview!
    1. GamerPoets
      GamerPoets
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      Thank you for the comment = )
  5. frostryder
    frostryder
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    • 4 kudos
    Glad to see this interview, my friend. You definitely deserve it!
    1. GamerPoets
      GamerPoets
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      Long time sir =) Good to see you. Thank you.
  6. renthal311
    renthal311
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    I already knew a long time ago that you are very talented
    1. GamerPoets
      GamerPoets
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      Good to see you friend = )
      Thank you.
    2. renthal311
      renthal311
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      I am also glad to see this material, I like your work, you're fantastic at what you do!)
  7. sSnakeLegs
    sSnakeLegs
    • member
    • 14 kudos
    Fxck Yeah. Gamerpoets! My modding experience would be a mess if not for Gamerpoets and Gopher.
    1. GamerPoets
      GamerPoets
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      =)
  8. biper87
    biper87
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    Many thanks for your videos!
    Even with my poor english language knowlege, there was no problem with undestending.
    Great and amazing job!
    Spasibo(Thanks)!=)))
    1. GamerPoets
      GamerPoets
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      I'm happy to hear that = ) Thank you biper
  9. Frankfranky
    Frankfranky
    • supporter
    • 194 kudos


    ty for fixing everything. so many times.
    1. GamerPoets
      GamerPoets
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      =)
  10. mkwabo
    mkwabo
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    I was trying to matching all the reasons I love GamerPoets to the stars of the sky... Unfortunately I ran out of stars. However to name of a few of the them Michael of GamerPoets has shown us a great personality, perseverance, and passion. He is always seeking to improve the quality of his content. The content he has produced has been the single most helpful thing to me when it has come to anything involving the nexus. His content has also been the most entertaining thing for me to watch as he creates these beautiful narratives in a game world that I can relate. One of my favorite things of GamerPoets is the community he has created, I can not describe it as anything else but pleasant.
    1. GamerPoets
      GamerPoets
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      LOL = )
      That is pretty awesome. Definitely gave me a smile and a happy laugh (first sentence).
      ... and thank you.