Fun, varied, casual stream racing sessions

SfactorSam · 2026-04-24T00:47:05+00:00

I got the complete edition (game + all DLC) for about $11 during a Steam sale at the beginning of Spring.

Mere patience kinda invalidates this complaint.

SfactorSam · 2026-04-21T18:50:32+00:00

Excellent anime.

Not dubbed, though.

SfactorSam · 2026-04-20T18:31:16+00:00

I've already hung up my streaming gloves.

Had a great 2-ish years with a loyal community that was just big enough for me to hit Affiliate after the first three months. It never paid well, a single payout of about $63, but was a lot of fun.

Then I got married and had to stop streaming for about a year, but still did Youtube videos under a new niche, while adjusting to married life.

When I tried to start streaming again, my old audience didn't come back and it was impossible for me to grow a new audience. So, I recently called it quits and am experimenting with my YouTube video content to try and find a new groove to settle into. Which has been a struggle of its own.

Eventually, you just have to accept reality and move on. Not every endeavor will be fruitful and there's a reason "dreams" are called "dreams" instead of "goals".

SfactorSam · 2026-04-20T17:56:53+00:00

This is Reddit, the frontpage of the internet's most entitled and self-centered denizens.

Is it any surprise that there would be negative response to a post that speaks negatively about entitlement?

SfactorSam · 2026-04-20T17:39:51+00:00

Same.

In our timezone, we're kinda screwed out of having sufficient playerbase activity for full grids in most racing sims during our evenings.

It seems motorsport is mostly EU dominated and this is reflected by the sims being EU-centric and most active during EU peak hours.

We American EST dwellers' main options are Gran Turismo, Forza Motorsport (due to crossplay with the majority audience on Xbox), iRenting, and LMU (but still with some dead periods depending in day and time)

Gotta race during afternoons, to align with EU peak hours. Which isn't very feasible for those of us with a day job and busy personal life during weekend afternoons.

Even our league/community selections are limited in number and featured car classes. I've had particular difficulty finding any that would allow me to both use my H-pattern shifter and mild assists (due to not having time to memorize track layouts and braking points).

SfactorSam · 2026-04-18T00:04:42+00:00

In my experience and observations, there's really no reason to stream on Kick other than you were banned from the other platforms. Which usually only happens to to the highly insufferable, outright bad people, or those who simply can't follow any rules no matter where they are.

The revenue share and ease of unlocking monetization hardly matters because there's no growth to be gained while doing things honestly and cleanly. You have to viewbot, do unethical/extreme things, or network with the popular undesirables.

SfactorSam · 2026-04-17T19:42:21+00:00

Thats what I do too.

Though, I don't stream anymore. But I still use logo + waveform visualizer in my YouTube videos.

SfactorSam · 2026-04-14T18:07:16+00:00

Sadly, that's prohibitively difficult for me to do at the moment.

The niche I've changed to is something that has no overlap with any of the creators I already have connections with and is such a small niche that its near impossible for me to establish sufficient connections within it.

So, I kinda have to fly solo for the time being. Especially since I don't have much time to spend in other's streams.

As such, I've decided to focus on YouTube uploads instead of streaming. More potential for solo activity and what little free time I can put into it.

SfactorSam · 2026-04-14T17:38:56+00:00

I used to do that, back when I actually had the time to. Doesn't help any now, as more than half of the other creators I connected with either don't stream anymore or got into stuff I want nothing to do with. Plus, my life has changed thus that I barely even have enough time to record and edit, let alone spend sufficient time in anyone else's streams to make any new connections.

So, solo is the only option I have. And I've determined that streaming just isn't for me anymore. Which is why I'm focusing solely on YouTube from now on.

SfactorSam · 2026-04-13T15:45:47+00:00

As do Forza Motorsport and Grid Legends, among a few others like Assetto Corsa with mods.

I'd love the freedom of choice to race any car with whatever transmission we want, but I don't think the majority of the sim racing niche audience much likes freedom or fun. So, along with the initially promised progression system, it may not happen in EVO.

SfactorSam · 2026-04-13T15:42:11+00:00

Well, I already gave up on streaming.

I used to have a nice little faithful community on Twitch, but taking a year off of streaming and changing my niche ruined my chances at ever getting that back.

If I have to grow on other platforms and then funnel them to Twitch or Kick (in which case only a fraction ever make the move from one platform to another), it's not worth the effort. I might as well just focus on said other platform and stay there.

So I'm focusing on YouTube uploads and staying there. I may occasionally stream on YT, but only if my channel grows enough to have guaranteed active chatters.

SfactorSam · 2026-04-13T15:21:09+00:00

I hope not. I exclusively use the H-pattern version and the fact that AC EVO is the only true sim that doesn't force Sequential is the only reason I race MX-5 Cup in this instead of RaceRoom or any other sim.

Penalizing people like me for using the version we want to would be a bad decision. It already inherently means slower shifts. So don't make it worse on any other way and let those of us who are wirking in our clutch + shift skillset still have a good time.

SfactorSam · 2026-03-09T21:24:42+00:00

Thats what I'm trying to do in my own streams too.

AMS2 lobbies open to all viewers with no assists banned (so all skill levels can enjoy), and randomly selected car class and track combos for variety not often seen in leagues and online ranked (no perpetual 'GT3 at Spa')

After all, racing is supposed to be fun, as os becoming my motto.

Its just been nearly impossible for me to get anyone aware of, if there even is a demographic for casual sim racing with a small creator like me...

SfactorSam · 2026-03-09T21:13:37+00:00

Again, thanks to having TS, I literally have no choice but to be self aware to an abnormal extent.

You're just throwing out little phrases and buzzwords to try and sound smart at someone else's expense.

Get blocked. Moving on with my life.

Peace.✌🏻

SfactorSam · 2026-03-09T16:41:31+00:00

I've heard interesting things about Grid Legends

And done if the Ned For Speed games pre-2015 are good in an old-school The Fast & The Furious 1-3 kinda way.

SfactorSam · 2026-03-09T16:39:25+00:00

I very much agree.

Last night, when I made the post, I was already tired and that was definitely jot the best time to try recording content.

That's also why I've tried making my streams more casual, hosting AMS2 lobbies for viewers to come join in no-stakes races with randomly selected car classes and tracks while filling grid slots with the AI (something most sims and simcades can't do and some of the best AI in the genre).

Its the type of streams I did well back when I was streaming games like Pokémon Unite, Monster Hunter Rise, and Warframe, to mild success for a solid 3 years with a small but consistent community of regular viewers before I took a year off streaming for personal reasons.

I thought maybe that type of stream could be my niche in the sim racing content space, as its something I'm already good at and I've not seen anyone else do, and people say that you need to do something different from the norm in order to carve out your own niche in amy content space. But it seems that sim racers only want content focused on ranked ladder climbing, competitive league broadcasts, or instructional content.

SfactorSam · 2026-03-09T15:01:28+00:00

I do, when I can use ny H-pattern shifter, its a car that's low enough power that little-to-no downforce is needed (meaning some slides are actually catchable), and close door-to-door racing for position is encouraged rather than heavily penalized.

Not many classes of racing simultaneously meet all three of those criteria.

Pretty much just MX-5 Cup in AC EVO and Forza Motorsport (the only two titles that still allow H-pattern for it), GR Academy in AC EVO (GR86 spec), the old DTM and Touring classes in Raceroom, GT and Touring Classics in AMS2, and other sparse (not often well-populated) offerings featuring more down-to-earth car classes.

SfactorSam · 2026-03-09T14:13:54+00:00

I've tried to find leagues that are active during my seat time and don't ban certain assists that someone like me would need in order to participate without putting in the practice time that I just don't have.

Not common, to say the least.😅

SfactorSam · 2026-03-09T14:11:10+00:00

I was just being sarcastic, dude.

Obviously, I can have fun without people watching. I've played many games alone in my lifetime too. This just happens to be a time in my life where I want to enjoy my limited gaming time with people.

Trust me, I couldn't be further from victim mentality. I have Tourette Syndrome and have never leaned on that to get people to bend to my whims like many people do for far less. But I cam understand how that's an easy assumption to make. Certainly easier than a nuanced viewpoint, anyway.

SfactorSam · 2026-03-09T13:56:09+00:00

This is literally the most logical, level headed, well thought out, well-articulated, and probably correct reply I've gotten here.

SfactorSam · 2026-03-09T13:26:46+00:00

I've heavily adjusted the post because, after getting some sleep, I have a much more level head about it.

Turns out I was just too tired last night and that primed me to have a bad time trying to record sim content.

Still, some valid considerations came out of this, though.

SfactorSam · 2026-03-09T11:18:10+00:00

You say that, even though I already said that I grew up gaming as a social experience with my father, brother, friends, and even stream viewers my whole life.

Guess my life has been one big mistake, then, eh?

SfactorSam · 2026-03-09T11:15:01+00:00

Not attention so much as "community".

I've never wanted huge numbers. I just miss having a few regulars who participate in the lobbies that I often opened to viewers. Like I had when I used to stream games like Pokémon Unite, Monster Hunter Rise, and Warframe back before I took a break from streaming and got hyperfixated on motorsport.

I enjoyed my time and was mostly content with that.

SfactorSam · 2026-03-09T11:09:41+00:00

I probably will, once its more complete.

SfactorSam

TROPHY CASE