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Twitch possibilities and enhancements

Sun, Apr 29 2018 7:10 PM (43 replies)
  • JFidanza
    1,676 Posts
    Tue, Oct 21 2014 8:16 PM

    I'd like to open this topic up to try to offer some possibilities about enhancing a WGT Twitch stream.

    Many options are open to try, and since I was involved in live TV, directing for a major network, I'd like to throw out a few common methods, etc.

    The twitch profiles and free streaming programs are designed for gamers to add a few things and here are the common Twitch techniques:

    1) Adding your voice to the broadcast. 

    1a) Adding players voice via VC (voice chat) some use Teamspeak, Skype, C3, etc. I've found C3 voice chat to be the best and it doesn't take up a lot of CPU. (EDIT: other programs like Teamspeak may use even less) Plus, anyone w/ a cellphone can call the room numbers (EDIT: C3 no longer has the phone function, sadly) e.g Just as Yancy did.

    1b) you can just have a mic, or use a built in one on your computer, then you might wear headsets to stop the feedback/delay and simple make a level adjustment on the program, or make sure you have the mic set up to receive, and then talk during your game. This is great to respond to your chatbox if you have many viewers, so you don't have to type. But if you have no one watching at that time you can give a commentary. 

    Game sound is big IMO and you should add the sound of the game to add to the appeal. 

    2) Inserting a live camera shot. (but this is totally optional, many streamers remain hidden) Or you may choose to place a quick picture of yourself in an insert to connect w/ the viewers, as I do this in a way, but mainly because it saves CPU usage on my small laptop.

    3) Add a graphic overlay or text

    4) Interacting w/ the chatbox, make friends, maybe learn something new!

    4a) A free automatic moderator can be added to the chat: e.g. 'Nightbot free auto-chat moderator' and it incl. features like blocking certain words and auto posting of certain phrases that you create, etc.

    5) Uploading a Twitch homepage profile pic and cover image.

    6) Adding info and clickable images to your Twitch homepage.

    7) Archiving past broadcasts, making short highlight clips and adding a title and description to those for easy reference.

    8) HOSTING other players' Twitch stream.

     

    Techniques I use when stream to keep the shots moving may include:

    9) Clicking on other camera angles, esp. when the other player is hitting the ball. It's nice to see reverse angle sometimes depending on the situation.

    10) Clicking on a player profile to get a connection w/ the people I'm playing and their stats.

    11) Clicking on equipment, to see what clubs, etc are being used.

    12) Similarly, clicking on hole info, maybe scorecard, occasionally. 

    13) Using your mouse to zoom in on an area, be creative if it works.

    14) Give viewers info e.g. Where to play wgt, what website? Give your youtube channel info, many streamers have instagram, twitter or FB. (this info can also be added to your Twitch homepage, see #6 above)

    15) Streaming programs usually have the option to change 'scenes', which is like a TV switcher where I can add keys, supers, overlays to the game window, or totally switch to a full-screen image that you have made using image software. I like to start my broadcasts w/ a title image etc. See examples on my Twitch channel. Make your own custom!

    16) XSplit broadcaster has the telestrator or chalkboard option and you can use it as a visual aid like John Madden, lol.

    17) If you're adding your microphone, and giving observations or sharing ideas about the game, and if you have a few people joining the stream you can recap what is taking place just to keep the viewers aware of what is taking place.

    edit:

    Some may wonder about playing copyright music during their stream. I will not advocate breaking any rules and laws in place, and in a nutshell, I will advise to refrain if you are in question about it. Search the web for instances where streams were shut down. Or research if any exceptions to playing music are available.

    This is just a few of the things going on w/ Twitch, and I want to point out that 1/2 of Twitch isn't always about the gamers....

    but rather - the community, the views, the interaction in the chat and the convening of members to form a larger sum than the game, par se.

  • ISH47
    1,963 Posts
    Tue, Oct 21 2014 11:49 PM

    Awesome post..

    I think I might save myself some headaches and just hire a producer.. lol

  • WGTicon
    12,511 Posts
    Wed, Oct 22 2014 11:50 AM

    stickied :)

  • ISH47
    1,963 Posts
    Wed, Oct 22 2014 11:54 AM

    WGTicon:

    stickied :)

     

  • JFidanza
    1,676 Posts
    Wed, Oct 22 2014 12:23 PM

    ISH47:

    Awesome post..

    I think I might save myself some headaches and just hire a producer.. lol

    Thanks ish, there actually may be a way for me to produce for you, something to do with using your 'stream key', and that's a great thought.

    Ish, as you got this game down very well, so, I'd calculate your twitch stream could be up and running in about..... 2 minutes and 14 seconds! Lets give it a go again soon, I crashed and burned last stream.

     

  • MBaggese
    15,367 Posts
    Wed, Oct 22 2014 1:22 PM

    Hey JF...

     

    I was looking at system requirements for twitch streaming, it said 6gig ram?...or maybe 6meg...whichever, but I only have 2...I recall you saying your CPU was maxed out, but playable, how much RAM do you have?

     

    I'd give it a go if it's possible.

  • JFidanza
    1,676 Posts
    Wed, Oct 22 2014 1:36 PM

    MBaggese:

    Hey JF...

    I was looking at system requirements for twitch streaming, it said 6gig ram?...or maybe 6meg...whichever, but I only have 2...I recall you saying your CPU was maxed out, but playable, how much RAM do you have?

    ok, I'm always questioning and wondering, so now I'm checking my sys. info because I'm double checking the RAM on my Dell Vostro 1510 laptop..

    Installed physical mem (RAM) = 3 GB

    Total phy. mem. = 2.99 GB

    Available phy. mem = 1.48 GB

    Total virtual mem. = 6:18 GB 

    Avail. virt. mem. = 4:41 GB

    Therefore, ...what was the question again? I forgot.  LOL

    Oh, ah, maybe it could work. Andyson might have better insight to this one. I'm thinking it will work somewhat better than mine. All in all I struggle w/ slight meter issues while streaming but I'm hitting the ding on many of my shots so I should be grateful. (CTTH and Blitz games)

    Again, 2 monitors are great to have while streaming.

  • MBaggese
    15,367 Posts
    Wed, Oct 22 2014 2:24 PM

    Thanks...might give it a go soon.

  • ISH47
    1,963 Posts
    Thu, Oct 23 2014 2:29 PM

    JFidanza:
    Lets give it a go again soon, I crashed and burned last stream.

    Anytime, J..

  • JFidanza
    1,676 Posts
    Thu, Oct 23 2014 3:01 PM

    MBaggese:

    Thanks...might give it a go soon.

    FWIW, I gave several browsers test a go recently. I'm using that Dell laptop, a Vostro 1510 running Windows Vista, with 'areo-theme' disabled.

    I tried tricks to help the CPU like de-selecting the 'show mouse cursor' (which I find not required) in my XSplit, and adj. the stream resolution to a lower default, plus I don't play WGT in full screen all the time, and I find this helps the meter (results may vary with different systems) but I'm used to that method.

    Natch, I close all windows & programs that aren't needed.

    But here are the browsers that seem to be the best, listed from best to fair:

     

     

    Opera (this is the only one I noticed a CPU of under 100% sometimes going as low as 65%)

    [EDIT OPERA is using the least CPU but the meter is acting up last stream]

    C. Dragon   [EDIT: I may go back to C Dragon because of consistency]

    Maxthon   

    Seamonkey

    IE

    Flashpeak Slimboat

    Chrome

    Results will vary, and i will continue to observe performance between browsers & methods.

    edit:

    I might use Opera for streaming because of the low CPU, but I've encountered some cursor-zoom in features to be a little glitchy. C. Dragon may be the off-line browser I'll use mostly in that regard.

    Individual results will vary.

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