Since I only listened to the one from June today, ya, I'm way late. You guys sound like your bored as hell while doing it, maybe throw in some jokes or something, I feel like I'm listening to a , I forget what the guy's called at a funeral.

A priest giving a sermon? I think that's what you're looking for.

This has been mentioned before though. As for the boring voices, I think this is because of the way the scripts are written. I'll try to help out and maybe pass along ideas that scripts are written with more emotion.

There are jokes mentioned in the Salcast, actually. It's just the lack of tone, and the dullness of having to go along with an actual script and mashing up voice recordings together. I mean, I listened to an episode the other day, and I heard a joke being mentioned, the person who responded to the joke was just like, "Sure, no problem", without giving a laugh like you would do in real life. Anyways, I can't blame them, because, it would sound ultra-weird if you have the wrong laugh combined with a joke.

I think some of the hosts fixed their lack of emotion on the next Salcast that is coming out.

I'm starting to think maybe they should do it live, would be more interesting.

It's currently under consideration for the Salcast. And, I agree, it would be much more interesting, though probably not live, but, what other podcasts do, have a conversation on Skype, record the show, and just edit stuff out. But, every now and then, actual live shows would be nice.

Really, it has very little to do with what is written, but the hosts' reading of it. Honestly, they read it like its Shakespeare. :3

A talented/qualified host would be able to turn the script into something interesting. (Even a script about Runescape can be made fun.)

Yes, it is the hosts that read it that gets the Salcast dull. For example, when there are jokes being made on the Salcast, for example, your joke about Reaver fanboy, and the host replies with an simple answer with no laugh, emotion, or whatknot, it makes me feel that reading the actual transcript would be better than listening to the podcast to get me more of a laugh from the joke.

To be honest, a script isn't needed. Just an outline of what your going to talk about, like this:

- Introduce episode
- Give a quick summary of whats coming up in this episode
- Run through Runescape updates
- Run through Sal's updates
- Discuss Runescape updates
- Talk about.....
- Discuss Sal's updates
- Talk about.....
- Close the episode

I have been in situations where I only had an outline, and it is actually harder than you would think. To be honest, I think that a transcript is needed in certain areas, for example, introductions, just to get the flow of the show going. The hosts just have to be sure that they are actually getting emotion into the segment so that it really doesn't feel like we are listening to a dull book-on-tape. As for actual discussion, I think that what you suggested would work out well, outlines of everyone's thoughts, as a discussion calls for a more "live" and "in-depth" which makes it a need to be quite deep. So, yeah, for discussion, outlines would work.

Hey, let's give live discussions a chance this episode, I see no downsides. We'll see what we can do in terms of a totally unscripted Runescape discussion piece for the next episode, and go from there.



It's not that simple. We have 4-5 different people that are recording for any given episode, and those people all have to be coordinated to know what going on. We don't have the pleasure of all sitting in a room, recording the episode in one shot. Plus, every person has a different opinion, and the episode would jump around too much, it needs somewhat of a flow.

Your outline seems to me to be the equivalent of one of the first few SalCast episodes, which by comparison to the ones we're doing right now, are very boring.

It doesn't have to be perfect though, if a mistake is made, then so what, it adds to the realism. I agree you might need more than an outline, but you don't need a whole transcript. It is just unnecessary work, slowing down the release and limits the podcast to what has been scripted.



Sounds good.



You could however do it live in Skype, which would be pretty close to be being in one room. Then you don't need a script really, if you make a mistake, and forget what to say, who cares? It adds to the realism.



My outline was just an example, not a suggestion as to what should be in the Salcast.

Anyway, its gone 1am, so I am off to bed.

That's one persons opinion ;/

Make that at least three people's opinions.

Four over here.

Reaver, ask me before you make me write an outline for a live show .

Sorry, I was getting at the point that mistakes add to the show, they in my opinion ruin any sort of professionalism on the show. there have been complaints about it which is why I don't think it would do the show good. The realism is important, but it doesn't have to come with mistakes.

I wasn't bombing using skype to make "live" shows easier.



I am talking without any kind of script or outline. Just a Discussion topic, and air time.

And I think that will cause listeners to believe that things are done unprofessionally. I would like to see some shows being done on Skype first, and being edited out, before an actual live show comes out, just to see an assurance of quality. And, when you brought up how the editing out will just delay the process, you do have to remember that it is less work than how things are done mashing up voice recordings, so the new method with Skype may just happen to decrease the time that the editing period takes. If you are dedicated, then I'm sure things will go smoothly.

This past SC that we just wrapped up, Reaver spent 6 hours editing it. So basically, you're going to want poor 'ol Reaver doing all that editing?

ok, those outline things will not work for me. I have no idea what I'm talking about most of the time.

Professionalism? No offense, but your (Reaver/Topdog) opinion of professionalism seems to be a dentist trying to make small talk. Small little errors don't make it seem unprofessional, it makes it seem like a public service announcement about cancer or something. :3

Now that doesn't mean it's acceptable for someone to be eating while recording (>:/) or something, but a few errors and stumbles make it seem like a real conversation, rather than a recorded boring speech.

@Desireful: You'll have some idea what to talk about. I mean, you don't take a script into a normal conversation, yet you find stuff to talk about. It should be the same way if you're recording a podcast.

What doesn't make it sound real, lilshu? It is still a live conversation, but it is just being recorded and mistakes that happen are being edited out. Listening to an podcast that was both recorded and edited off of a Skype conversation is just as live as the Skype conversation itself, with fewer mistakes as they were edited out in the process. I don't see why anyone would complain about that.

@ Desireful: I don't like outlines too much either, it's more of a plan really, rather than an outline. I think that in certain segments you can use a script if you really want to, but if you don't that's fine. I would just like to see discussions scriptless as it really gets your current thought out there instead of reading something from one week ago.

Again, if the hosts are worth their dirt, then there wouldn't really be that much of a problem, but an occasional few seconds of silence or an "umm" here and there isn't that bad. But to have everything perfect, everything word for word, no ummms or anything, that's unnatural. All the podcasts I've worked with or listened to, the good ones, have the little oopsies and offtopics stuff still in them. And it makes them so much better to listen to, imo.

Name one real conversation people had where someone didn't make a slipup? Are you that untrusting of yourself and of others that you aren't even considering the chance of risking it?

There's a reason they don't broadcast regular conversations people have.

I have no problem with that, lilshu. If people go "umm" or "err" here and there as they speak, then that's perfectly human, and that shouldn't be edited out as that would be too much of a hassle. But, there are certain mistakes, such as long periods of silence. People having no idea on what to talk about next in a discussion or something. What I mean by editing out, is editing out that period of silence.

So you're afraid people are going to be worried about what they say and not say anything? Do you know why my skype conversations aren't recorded? O_o. It's not because of periods of silence, it's because of the loud yelling at people. I'm not worried about silence, I'm more concerned about someone flipping out.

Ah, I thought you were talking about more heavy editing. But I mean, taking off small things like that isn't too bad. :3

Or if someone mispronounces a Name a few too many times ;o

If your spending 6 hours editing, then your doing something wrong. Having to spend 6 hours edit a podcast is ridiculously long.


You shouldn't get long periods of silence, if you are then your doing the whole thing wrong.

There should be no points where no one knows what to say, because the outline gives you just that, an outline of what to say.



Why is that bad? It is natural to mispronounce a name.

So which one is better, saying um or err or whatever when you're unsure, or just saying nothing, leaving blank silence?

Um or err, but as your working as a team, if your unsure someone else should step in and help you out.

It might be worth having a rehearsal each episode, then when you do it for real you will already know what your doing.

If you're going to use outlines instead of scripts then rehearsals are essential, whether you are presenting on your own or as part of a team. You'll discover the pitfalls in what you plan to say, and where things don't "sound" natural, even if they look ok on paper.

We are rectifying this situation for salcast 10. But because it is top secret and a bit of a surprise i cannot release its details. Expect a completely different sound to the SalCast!

Opened for further discussion, sorry i didn't read through your posts.

No offense but I'm bored as hell listening to the Salcast when it feels your reading off a list about Runescape Stuff people already know.