Tackling the Trend: Twitch Streaming

The official Twitch banner found on their site.
This is where most streamers can be found.

Alright, if you're a gamer you probably have at least heard of this modern phenomenon. If not let me explain this as clearly as possible. Streaming, specifically in the gaming world, is when a person plays a game for other people to watch live on the internet. A better term for this is Live Streaming, however in this post I will continue to refer to it as streaming. A non gaming example could be a news show on television or a celebrity covering an event live to the public where their intended audience is through cable or internet. Sports games are probably the best non-gaming example of Live Streaming. Now that the explanation is out of the way, lets get to the topic at hand.

Streaming in the Gaming World.

With today's technology anyone with a decent computer, a cheap microphone, and access to internet can start a stream. Now I wouldn't recommend streaming with just these but hey, everyone starts somewhere. With the growing accessibility of these components, streaming has gained a huge following. Thousands of people stream daily and even more people watch these streams. These streamers are gaining popularity for a number of reasons.

• They may be incredibly skillful of the game. Showing interesting techniques and giving tips to other aspiring players. These people may be considered Pro Gamers for their respective games.
• They may know a lot about the game in general. Perhaps they are knowledgeable of the lore, the story or even the design aspects of the game. They don't have to be good at the game, they can just know a lot about it.
• They could be funny. A good sense of humor can get you far in life. If you keep joking throughout the game, it adds an extra layer of entertainment. 
• They have a niche. Something about their streams sets them apart from others. Perhaps they cosplay while gaming, maybe they voice act, maybe they play with strange settings. These people are good at finding something you didn't know you wanted to watch.
• They play with other popular streamers. Power in numbers. More people to bounce off of never hurts.
• They were originally popular YouTubers who took up streaming to interact more with their fans.

A majority of streamers though, may be pretty average. That's ok to. If streaming is just for fun and you're passionate about it, you're bound to at least grow a small following who are just as passionate as you are. You can only go up from here!

How to Become a Streamer and Why.

I'm gonna say what most streamers have said before me, DON'T BECOME A STREAMER JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU'LL GET MONEY! It is not the best way to make money and if that is your only reason then just go get a part time job. Most streamers have a job in addition to streaming so don't expect to live off of it. Only like 5% of streamers can actually live off of streaming and those are the best of the best. Yes, you MIGHT get some spending cash out of it but that shouldn't be WHY you stream. You'll burn yourself out thinking like that. 

Find your reason for streaming. If you're not sure of a reason, ask other streamers why they stream. Otherwise here are some answers I've heard.

• To connect with people who love gaming as much as you.
• To meet other streamers and gamers and become a part of the community.
• To learn more about certain games and tactics.
• You have an unusual amount of free-time so why not.
• You have the tools already so might as well use them.
• To connect with fans and followers from other websites.
• To see what the big deal is and why people love streaming.
• To try something new and different.
• To practice talking to others.
• To practice talking to yourself.
• BECAUSE IT LOOKS FUN!

My reason for streaming is to try and gain a following and get my name out there so when I start making and releasing games, they may reach more people. Your reason my be entirely different. Also its totally ok if your reason is just to have fun. Actually that is one of my favorite reason because if you're having fun, the people watching are more likely to have fun. Emotions are contagious that way.

Now when you set up to be a streamer there is a few things to keep in mind.

• More often then not, you are starting from the bottom. It will take time to gain a consistent following. Don't get discouraged.
• Streaming can be a long term thing. You can be doing this for months or years.
• Don't buy the best of the best equipment for streaming in the beginning. That's a lot of money upfront and if you end up deciding that streaming isn't your thing, it'll hurt your bank account and be a waste.
• Don't buy games you have no interest in just because other streamers play them. You're footage may end up dull and boring if you don't like the game you're playing and you'll end up spending money on a game you'll never pick up again.
• Don't make viewers convince you that you HAVE to do a certain thing just because other streamers would. I don't see a lot of these people but I do know there are some people who try to pressure streamers into doing stuff they're not comfortable with such as sharing their real name, making them friend them in certain games, or doing stupid or embarrassing things for their entertainment. These people are few and far between but if you come across one, stick to your guns.

Tips For The New Streamer

Example of a creator making merchandise.
T-shirt can be found here

• Watch other streamers, popular or not. Take notes on what they do, how they interact with people, and why people are watching. Also keep in mind how they organize their streams.
• Practice talking to yourself. There are a lot of low-times and quiet moments in streams. A lot of time you'll just be talking to yourself, as weird as that may sound. Practice in a mirror before stream or have a list of things to talk about if a quiet time happens.
• When you don't have many followers, try experimenting and seeing what works with your streams. I mean if you're low enough its not like you have a lot to lose.
• Do a stream test before each stream. I need to follow this advise a bit more. Twitch allows you to do a private stream test to see how the connection and other stats are holding up.
• Plan how you want your stream to look. Will your gameplay fill the whole stream or part of it. Do you have a webcam in the corner? Are you going to add chat to the screen? Will you set up alerts if people follow or subscribe and where will those alerts pop up? Is there a background behind all this? Will your username be visible on screen? What about recent donations?
• Try to make a streaming schedule, even if its once a week. I realize this can be hard. You have to find a time to set aside for the stream. You may miss social gatherings, or shows, or a number of other things, but if you are serious about streaming its definitely worth it. Now don't think you can't take a day off, just make sure you post it. The idea of a schedule is so people know when to expect you online. Also if you feel like fitting in another stream not on the schedule, that's cool too. 
• Use any donations you get to make your streams better. Maybe use those donations to save up for a better webcam or mic. Maybe use it towards a better desk chair or set up. Maybe a second monitor or better internet. If you use your follower's donation money to make their experience better, you're more likely to get donations if they see what comes of it.
• If you start getting a following, try making some merchandise. Who knows, maybe that teenager with too much money would love a tank with a quote and your username on it.
• If you are having trouble with keeping the stream entertaining, try getting a friend to join you. If you're having a quiet moment, maybe they'll chime in and help keep you talking.
• Be careful with copywriten music. There are ton of free open source music and playlists to use instead if you need music in your streams.
• In the beginning, share your streams with friends. Get their feedback and opinions. See what works and doesn't work and start your following there!

Well that just about wraps things up. I'll leave you with these videos. The first explains how to set up a stream on Twitch using a software called OBS (Open Broadcasting Studio) and the other is some tips and advice on streaming from a popular streamer Lt. Eddy whom I think covers the topic perfectly.

I also want to add if a curious parent used this to get an idea about streaming, I really hope that cleared things up. A lot of younger people and teenagers are picking up the hobby. I think it's a good way to interact with other kids like them. If you have a child who streams, support them but also make sure they know not to disclose information such as their phone numbers or addresses. The streaming community is surprisingly positive and overall pretty safe but it's good to practice some caution. I'm not saying kids can't stream, I'm just saying make sure they stream safely! There's always people like me looking out, protecting, and encouraging creative kids too so you're not alone. Like I said, the community is great.

Kinda Finishing a 3D Side-Scrolling Level

My last update on this level for awhile. I plan to revisit this level in the near future in my free time but that time is not now.

Since the last update my biggest concern was doors and keys. Then I just added some aesthetic things to make it look more finished. I used three separate tutorials to get the keys to work with the specific doors. I'll add those links at the end.

For both the key and the door I had to make new blueprints. That checked which keys the player has picked up. After checking what the player has, the door opens only if the player has the correct key for it. If it ok to open, a very short animation will play where the door slides into the wall. I used portions of each of the videos to come up with a working code.

Aesthetic wise I changed the tint that the atmospheric fog gave to a bit more purple and added some background music. The music I used is actually just a non-copywriten song from one of my favorite artists on YouTube. The song is by Sappheiros and is one of their newer songs, Fading. I'll post a link at the end to the video.

I also threw together a quick main menu by making a new widget and adding buttons. Very simple, very easy. I don't think I really need to explain that process but if someone askes I can go in more detail. I've seen a few tutorials floating around for this though so I really don't see a need. I also did the simplest load to the next level by the stairs that is literally just a trigger box that when overlapped loads the next level. Again I don't see a need to go into detail but if anyone wants me to I can.

Fading - Sappheiros: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6ByuYDYzrI

Opening Doors with Keys 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtgQSJ02XH4

Opening Doors with Specific Keys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LggvN6GZ3G4

Opening Doors Animation with Keys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWVsROOhhXc

Continuing A 3D Side-Scroller Level

Most of my work this week went into more aesthetic parts of this level. I fixed the lighting, added more torches, and finalized the materials I wanted to use in the game. I also decided to change the infamous death water green so it seems more dangerous. Personally I think it is a large improvement.

I don't have much to explain this week so I'll explain how I set up my torches, added the effects by the movable platforms, and what outside content I've added to this level.

My torches have been a fan favorite of some of my testers. They were actually ridiculously simple to set up. I haven't had much time to make many 3D models so lately TurboSquid has been my best friend. I found this lovely torch base model for absolutely free! Next free content I used was for the fire itself. I used a basic fire effect from this lovely content in the marketplace, Infinity Blade: Effects by Epic Games, its by Epic Games so you know it must be good! Now if you just place the fire on top of the torch, it'll look very dull and boring. We can't have that! Next I just placed a small, low-intensity point light with a yellow-orange hue to simulate a glow from the fire. Tada! Easy!

One of this biggest complaints I got from testers was that they weren't sure were the movable platforms we coming from or where to jump from them. Early in the development process I had toyed with the idea of some effect showing the movement path of the platforms but I hadn't implemented it until now. These were even easier than the torches. I just used the "Lazer Beam" effect from the package of effects I mentioned earlier. That's literally it. I just rotated and resized them. In the end I might make them less vibrant and maybe give it more of a orange hue but I'll save that for later.

I put a lot of thought into the looks of this level. I stand by my opinion "A good looking game is halfway to a successful game" meaning to me, graphics are just as important as mechanics. Since I'm better at making things look good than implementing AI and programming, I figure there might be a little reason for this. Here is a list of all the outside content I have used so far in this level, including the ones before mentioned.

Infinity Blade: Effects by Epic Games
Fire Torch by Inject4
GameTextures Material Pack by GameTextures.com
And the Starter Content in Unreal Engine 4

Creating a 3D Side-Scroller Level

Currently, I and a group of 3 other students are creating a small 3D side-scroller in Unreal Engine 4. To split up the work in a fair way, we have each created our own level that will be combined in the final build. I personally was in charge of creating a starting or tutorial area. Before designing my level I took inspiration from platformers such as Mario, Shantae, and Shovel Knight.

Before even using Unreal, I had to sketch out a basic outline for the level. I ended up changing a few sections but otherwise I followed my idea fairly closely.

The level itself was not super hard to create in Unreal 4. The basic grey box layout barely took over a day to copy-paste cubes in their places. Once all the platforms and walls were in the level it was time to add some moving platforms. I'm ashamed to admit that it actually took me a little time to remember how matinees worked.

Once I created a platform that I needed to move, I created a new matinee. From there I had to create an empty group which I could name whatever I wanted. I tended to name them after the direction the platform was moving. I then had to go back into the viewport to select the platform. In the matinee I right clicked and selected "Add selected actor". Finally I created a movement track and added keys to the areas I wanted the platform to move. One issue I ran into was that I had to make sure the matinees played on level load and looped. Fortunately both can be checked off on a box in the detail editor.

The next thing I made was what I lovingly call "Death Water". It was originally going to be fire but the fire had added too much lag to the project. My lovely "Death Water" is a simple cube with a water texture. What makes it death water is a kill box that is a little bigger than the water. Its just a simple KillZVolume that I sized. I also added a short delay, a little message to say "Game Over", and a respawn.

I still need to work through some bugs and add doors and keys. I also want to add some AI if I have time. Tune in next week for a continuation if you're curious.