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Do you prefer written or video guides when it comes to video games?


BrettyBoy

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Like the topic title asks, do you prefer written or video guides when it comes to video games?
 

I personally prefer written ones but I do use video guides sometimes, sometimes there is no choice to be honest.

 

The reason I prefer written ones is due to the fact I like to listen to shit in the background while doing shit like video game collectibles for example.

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I prefer written guides as well. I dislike the trend of making everything a video these days. I don't always have time to watch a video and I don't want to watch a video when text is a lot better medium in a lot of cases. Can't really efficiently search a relevant part inside a video but it's really easy to just hit Ctrl + F to quickly find what I want on a web page. 
Video is a good idea for things that are difficult to precisely describe in words like some complex gameplay section.

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Written guides, I like to play the game at my own speed and get into it, obviously where written description is not enough i will use a video guide, but i find most content creators waffle on or have terrible sense of humours, or think shouting is a viable form of communication, silent videos which don't even explain what' going on are extremely jarring to, especially when more is going on in the video such as specific settings or specific situation or time in game. I rarely see badly written guides but i commonly see terrible video guides.

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I say it depends. First and foremost, I really hate using guides, period ?

 

BUT, if I indeed need to use one, then it really depends... For game walkthroughs / platinum walkthroughs, collectibles, general tips etc, I 100% prefer a written guide. Pretty much for anything basic that doesn't require much explanation and that isn't complex. 

 

However... there are two topics where I would say I probably prefer video guides: 

  • Character builds. 
  • Strategies for short tasks. 

Let me elaborate. For the first point, let me take a game like Warhammer: Vermintide 2. A complex game filled with hidden mechanics that, on paper, would simply be too confusing to explain. However, commented videos showcasing the effect of different skills, useful attack chains against specific enemies, etc... can all be much better explained in a video (if well done). 

 

The second point is with regards to something like completing the "Top Roach" challenge in Trials Fusion... it's a 1-2 minute task that cannot really be explained in written form. However, while I was going for my own clean run, watching reference videos and studying what other people were doing in specific sections I was struggling with really helped a ton. 

 

So I think there is a place for both kinds of guides. The main questio to ask is "does this game / task REALLY need a guide?". And yes, I am referring to the pointless 10 minute video guides basically playing a visual novel :P  

 

 

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I don't mind either as long as they're well written and well constructed. I've seen my share of badly written guides and badly produced YouTube videos where they barely explain anything so you're essentially screwing around if the guide doesn't explain how to get something all too well.

 

That's why I want trophy tips to make a comeback. I thought it was a good thing to have people with differing opinions offering up their own tips to obtain said trophy.

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For trophy guides, it's usually written. Even for something like collectables, I can just copy it into a word document and go through it at my own pace rather than constantly stop/starting a video. I will use video ones occasionally though if it's something that's hard to explain in words how to get to.

One thing that does bring my piss to a boil though is a trophy guide that just refers to a video with no text. Even a bit of descriptive info about what to do and then the video to back it up is something but no - just post the video that someone else made. Minimal effort.

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For a walkthrough, definitely written. Using a video whilst playing a game is not only time consuming as you have to watch it, pause then play etc. but is more distracting if you play whilst it's running. A written guide is so much easier and doesn't interfere or take up time. 

 

The only time I use a video is for a boss battle that I can't win, or a short video guide on a specific trophy or bit that I'm stuck on. But certainly not as a walkthrough. 

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Depends heavily on the game. Given the writer can keep things in order, a written guide is adequate for most game, particularly anything pre-2015 or so. As games get more advanced and multilayered, text can become less useful for direction beyond 'hang a left'. But I'm generally more of a reader than a watcher, so written guides for me where possible.

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Most of the time I prefer text guides, mainly if I am looking for an overall guide for the whole game. I like to use video guides for the tricky and weird trophies like 'kill a guy from his head with X weapon while doing Y for Z times'.

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I prefer written guides, especially old gamefaqs ones with some personality and flavor text. However some collectables guides are significally easier if you just follow a youtube video, pause every 30 seconds and repeat what you've just seen. I'm not a fan of it because videos eat my mobile phone's battery life fast, but it hands down the best way to get trophies like "Radio Enthusiast" in "Everybody's Gone To The Rapture", or that terrible blind trophy in "The Unfinished Swan" where you have to complete the starting level with just 3 splashes.

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I think I am more of a visual learner.

 

I rather see what I have to do than try and read it and comprehend it. Back in the days of my early trophy hunting, I would use GameFAQs written guides as a source, of course at that time, it was mostly Lego Games such as Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc so no that much required. However now I find myself using video guides ideally if I am stuck on something.   

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Written guides especially if they are laid out properly with a solid roadmap. Video guides however don't lose out completely on this matter. For example in certain games it can be hard to find collectibles based off written text, so a video guide where you are guided straight to it are better for such things (most collectibles in games don't have this issue, but some do). Another case where visual guides are better are when the trophy involves some manner of challenge where for example you have to kill X amount of dudes in Y time and the timing is tight enough to where you basically need to follow a "path" to do it as doing your own thing will lead to failure.

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