Yume Nikki is such a great game. I wasn’t sure if I would like it going in but once I started playing I got really enraptured by it. There really is nothing like Yume Nikki, except for all of the countless fan games it spawned of course

GModFan

4y↑7

"There's nothing like GMod'. Darn right. I was hoping for someone to make a video about the "digital geography" (for the lack of a better phrase) of GMod and all the wonderful sights of its maps. Great video.

Esuerre

4y↑6

Great video Chariot! I really enjoyed the ideas discussed.

The "Grandparent's Farm" metaphor is a really great one; I had never truly thought about it but you're definitely right about how appropriating spaces for play is a natural thing for people to do and how gmod maps replicate that.

Maybe to a lesser extent of diversity and complexity but I've also felt that while playing minigames or just participating in social events in Minecraft towns/places, whether I was involved with the group that built them or not. Those spaces were usually built to be very general use places, employing a mix of practical and unpractical design, and rarely made with one specific activity or "game" in mind, so whatever we did in them had an element of "repurposing the space". Just like in gmod, a Minecraft city/space could be used as a jumping puzzle, pvp map, hide and seek map, social event, treasure hunt map, etc. And naturally, while Minecraft doesn't have the same map tools and structured game modes as gmod, it does allow for fast and easy customization of the space in real time.

subprogram32

4y↑4

I've never used gmod myself, but its presence in gaming life since it first came out has been absolutely impossible to ignore. Even today it feels like many a meme video is created out of gmod stuff, and stuff like Jazztronauts come out years after the fact to introduce ever more elaborate forms of play to that space.
This was a very interesting video as always, it's a shame we don't get to see them more often! Though actually you uploaded last month too so maybe I speak too soon in that regard. :3
(and I just found out that professional tag areas are a thing. What a neat thing to learn lol)

Questing Refuge

As a parent I absolutely have a blast playing these sort of games with my kids. They're not games I ever really get into on my own, but seeing how my kids experience the spaces or what games they come up with for us to do together is fascinating. The analogy with your grandparents farm is perfect for this.

Henry Fleischer

4y↑2

Gmod is one of the things that has helped to keep me sane during quarantine. Playing it with my friends feels like being in the same room with them.

SidewaysEscalator

4y↑2

Loved the video! You actually managed to summarize a lot of the thoughts I've had about Gmod maps over the years. Also, the link to you're collection of maps and gamemodes in the description doesn't work. Would really like to see it fixed so I can try some of the maps featured in this video! Thanks for the great analysis!

Chariot Rider

4y↑1

I fixed the link to the collection, so that should be available now

Pierre Du Plessis

Fantastic video, it made me feel very happy that someone sees the wonder of this game

Etra Games

4y↑3

The fortnite dance being recontextualized freaking killed me man. Neat topic!

aldo_acevedo

Nice essay mate. I really love virtual spaces because of the work and details that the maker put into it and in some sense (specifically for garry's mod and other sandbox games) their obscurity in relation to other spaces. You can explore some spaces that maybe even were never supposed to be seen by someone else other than the creator, and that inserts you into an intimate mood: very few people have dedicated time to dissect this place.

Parker Argyle

Wonderful video! Thoroughly enjoyed the concept and your presentation of it.

Jade Britzman

You make such great videos I'm in love with them

The Checkpoints Show

4y↑1

As some one who has played Gmod for years i totally agree with this, I actually wanted to make a essay exploring the haunting feeling of places designed for life, but instead games like Gmod creates a empty world and feeling of dread in it empty corners.
great video :D i have subbed and followed you on twitter would love to DM you some time :D keep it up dude

Chariot Rider

4y↑1

Gmod maps can be extremely uncanny, in the same way that walking though a deserted irl mall is uncanny. Its meant for life but is empty. However, in some ways Gmod also does the opposite. These absurd and non hospitable places can be filled with friends and when that happens, the space takes on a new life. The desolate becomes the space of play, and I think that's cool

Ben Lev

4y↑2

The problem with the creative freedom presented with creating a map, or downloading one, and then being forced to choose a mode, is something that seems restrictive as much as other games. I would've prefered to play a random game in Dreams PS4 which is pretty much a game engine; because people are limited to using games modes or multiplayer.

Potato1234_x

You aren't forced to choose a mode ?

Chariot Rider

4y↑1

Oh yeah, Dreams is an excellent game engine, though I wouldn’t say it’s less restrictive than other games because, at the end of the day, you are still playing what is effectively a traditional game. That game just happens to be made in a unique game engine. I guess my point is that, it’s spaces can’t be reused for anything the map maker didn’t want you to do. Both Gmod and Dreams are distinct experiences and I think they are both really interesting.

Martin Hare

Fantastic video, as usual. Could you share reading references you used for this video?

Chariot Rider

4y↑1

My primary references for this video are Homo Ludens and Rules of Play. Both of these are physical books that can be bought, though if you want to read either Rules of Play is by far more worth your time

spliffern.

shocked how this only has 1.2k views, free content doesn't become more documentary like than this (besides ahoy)

KBash

4y↑5

Someone gone 28 years without touching GMOD - cool way to weave games and academia into creative nonfiction

oil-robin

as we all know, gmod came out in 1991

Amonimus

What do you think of Roblox in this regard? Though I don't know if same maps could be reused for different purposes.

Chariot Rider

4y↑1

I haven’t played Roblox, but from what I have seen it’s mostly a game engine where levels are designed for specific rules. Essentially, you can’t decide that you would like to play on map X with Y rules and then the next day decide to play X map with Z rules. It’s closer to a traditional games where levels are designed for specific rulesets

Japoon Boals

This was a beautiful video.

If you haven’t read it, you should look up “what will football look like in the future” or “Football 17776” I forget the exact title, but it’s a really similar feeling to this video in my opinion. Hope more people see both

Chariot Rider

I like Jon Bois' videos, but I haven't read his books yet. I'll certainly add 17776 to my reading list

GamesBond

4y↑2

Soooo underrated

Augusto Goncar

Thx, now I have to wish-list Garry's mod

someone

Great video, I subbed and wanted to try and join the Discord but the link is expired sadly

Chariot Rider

Thanks! I updated the Discord link so that should work now

David Jameson

14:21 - I agree. :)

Terence

0 dislikes epic

Gib

Spelunky 2 Easter eggs

WrenWry

4y↑1

how is this video not more popular

Chariot Rider

4y↑1

RKivioja That sounds interesting. I will definitely check that out! Thanks for the recommendation

RKivioja

4y↑1

@Chariot Rider YouTube is garbage in multiple ways and often fails to promote engaging quality content like yours, but I still recommend watching Adam Ragusea's video "How I write food videos (Atlanta Writers' Club speech, May 2020)" for some guidelines you might not be aware of. It is essentially about how to get more subscribers without completely selling your soul and spamming zero effort clickbait.

Chariot Rider

4y↑2

I am not entirely sure of the answer to that myself, but I am willing to bet that it has something to do with the recommendation system. Essentially, YouTube doesn't promote most of my videos anywhere. It seems that at the moment the algorithm hasn't picked this video up so it doesn't get the views

yonder35

4y↑1

Here from Liam triforce

Xorn Was Wrong

4y↑1

Same. This is a really fucking great essay

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