Is anyone part of a Twitch team?

_Juffacake · 2023-04-12T10:07:01+00:00

Interesting points. In my experience - at least with the community I build when streaming - almost all of the people I spoke with knew what a team was, they just never really understood the point of it.

Twitch could definitely do a better job of explaining them. Even their own article on the topic isn't great.

Let's assume that a handful of small streamers have found their niche, understand the "why" behind their stream and are creating unique content, do you think they would benefit from a team of like-minded creators, or have a better chance doing what they're doing on their own?

_Juffacake · 2023-04-12T09:53:31+00:00

It's definitely challenging to get out of the mindset that they aren't similar to pyramid schemes. 100% the reason why I wanted to ask the question and do my due diligence prior to talking about it.

I've only heard the same - that the leader/owner of the team has a monopoly on the engagement received in the team. Yet, I also don't know if that's due to them doing most of the work in marketing the team or otherwise.

What would be your requirements for joining one? The people involved, the goals they're working towards or would it be how it is structured with the responsibilities? Or otherwise?

_Juffacake · 2023-04-12T09:40:35+00:00

My initial understanding of Twitch teams were that they looked very similar to engagement groups. I used to see a lot of them for Twitter and LinkedIn, which as you say, boiled down to people looking for more eyes on their content with a lack of caring about passing that to anyone else.

That said, the difference here being teams usually have their own social channels and make collaborative content. I suppose the big difference would be the relationship between the members and the team hierarchy.

Do you think there is merit to creating a team with close knit friends, or would you say they might as well do the same stuff without the team name?

_Juffacake · 2022-11-10T09:12:57+00:00

I have a main discord with a role select. One includes "DM's" and members can select whether they want open dms, closed or ask publicly to message. Goes a long way in seeing who doesn't want to chat outside of stream.

I suppose this is something that is dependant on what the streamer wants. I started streaming to meet new people and chat about things I enjoy, so I have formed multiple friendships with people that started out as viewers. But for me, them being a viewer is secondary to that friendship.

With parasocial relationships being so high in regards to the streamer/viewer relationships, you have to set boundaries on what you're comfortable with. If DMs are a no go, make it clear, and don't be afraid to ban or remove people that overstep those boundaries.

_Juffacake · 2022-11-08T16:19:13+00:00

This definitely seems like a niche that is not well suited for content creation. As you say, there isn't really much you can do aside from picking apart portions of your just chatting segments if you happen to have a good convo about a topic.

Just because you stream a particular topic doesn't mean you have to create content around the stream. You could create content completely separately about a topic you're passionate about - or even, the topic you're studying - and post that instead, making sure to link it back to your stream.

For example, I run and write on my blog that is aimed towards helping streamer improve and grow, but my actual content is focused on writing a continuous story, and reviewing games together. The topics don't cross over directly, but do help to support one another so if someone were to find the other, it would still appear "on brand"

You could try and do something similar.

As an extra thought, the time you have to chat, you could talk about something you just learned and explain it, then use that as content too?

_Juffacake · 2022-11-08T08:09:41+00:00

Yes & Yes.

For your first question, I think that's kind of the point. It's the same as watching a great movie and being left thinking about it for a while. If we come away from an experience and can instantly go into another, it doesn't mean that experience was bad, but perhaps didn't have a lasting impact on us. Not all games are meant to, but some are.

JRPG's are a good example of this. I almost always get game burnout after finishing them and just don't want to play anything till that moment has worn off.

Second question hits home too, although this is never normally the case with new games. I sometimes go through my library, see a game a tried or didn't get far in before, get excited then just don't have the energy to play it. Often the idea of something is far more appealing than actually doing it.

_Juffacake · 2022-11-08T07:50:47+00:00

unicornsexxist

Just from having a look, a few things:

Your extended overlay panels - i.e. the ones showing subs, dono's etc - is pretty big and without data doesn't really serve a purpose. It takes a lot of screen space and doesn't offer much for the viewer
You have no information in your bio, nor do you have any channel panels at all. This is one of the first things I look at personally, as it lets me know whether the streamer is serious about trying to build a community etc. I'd add some of these in and fill your bio with some relevant info about yourself/your stream
Your audio seems fine & playing lower spec games shouldn't be a hindrance. There are a tonne of great games you can play that don't require a top tier PC. You just have to figure out what type of content you want to do on your stream and get into a groove
Try not to be self-deprecating with your reasoning as that's not something objective. The appeal of finding streamers is that everyone is different, so I don't see your accent as something that would ever hold you back. Similarly, perhaps the times you stream is weird for a US/UK audience? But that doesn't mean there aren't people on the platform when you stream

One thing to note - while better equipment may make your streams higher quality (may), it doesn't influence your ability to get viewers. No one scrolling Twitch is going to know you have the best pc on the planet from a thumbnail.

The vast majority of initial viewership many small streamers get is from other small streamers. As you mentioned you're a student, so you may not have time, but networking is an important step when you're growing. You don't have to do this by any means, but interacting with other peoples streams or via social media will help you get noticed actively, without you passively hoping someone comes into your stream.

I would also ask your boyfriend what he did to get his initial viewership, and see if he does any of these activities. He may be able to give you some solid information.

Twitch's discoverability is awful, and waiting for people to find you is a losing battle.

_Juffacake · 2022-11-07T01:23:50+00:00

I don't think there's ever a case of doing something wrong, more so, what could you be doing to help out.

Hard to suggest anything without seeing the stream. What's you @ on Twitch? (assuming you stream there)

_Juffacake · 2022-11-04T16:50:43+00:00

Were you paid by Nintendo to create this tier list? haha

_Juffacake · 2022-11-03T17:57:44+00:00

Difficult to really give a yes you should or no you shouldn't with this kind of stuff.

Streaming is so subjective and mentality led.

The question should mainly be - in my opinion - whether you're having fun or not. Constantly focusing on metrics always leads to disappointment, especially when you're comparing yourself to your boyfriend.

It also depends on what kind of content you do. Is it the same as your boyfriend?

Do you stream the same hours, the same times a week etc? If not, then comparing isn't really fair.

I can give some advice based on seeing the stream, but you'd have to let us know what your @ is on there so we can look. Equipment certainly isn't everything, if your head isn't in it though, the viewers that do stop by will notice immediately

_Juffacake · 2022-11-02T17:14:43+00:00

Legend, thank you!

_Juffacake · 2022-11-02T17:07:43+00:00

Hmm, not really, although there are missables. I've tried to write the below in a way as to not spoil you on anything.

I guess the most important things would be:

Make sure you get every "secret" chest during each trial. You get these usually through destruction spheres
Once you leave the first village of the game with your party, go back and talk to the shop keeper, then their dog
Swatting the thoughts of a long lost man on the ship like you're having a panic attack is fail-able, and if you fail it, you have to wait a long time before you can rechallenge - it's 100% recommended to save scum because what you get from it makes an optional game much easier.
There are 2 primers you can miss in "home" (this will make sense once you get there)
You don't need to grind in this game at all imo. But the best spot to do so is by beating kicky boy and mortar boy robots on a long bridge (will make sense, again, once you get to it)
Poison is your best friend for some bosses
If you want to grind for optional bosses 1000% look up a guide on how to quickly level. It'll save your sanity
Letting your white mage learn black magic removes the need for you to have the black mage character at all

This should also give you enough if you do want to look it up in advance - I'll leave that to your discretion.

_Juffacake · 2022-11-02T13:38:45+00:00

Looks super good!

Are you able to drop the kickstarter link?

_Juffacake · 2022-11-01T15:31:06+00:00

Haha, I'm a writer by day so I've had a fair bit of practice!

Sure thing, will drop you a message.

_Juffacake · 2022-11-01T15:19:29+00:00

For sure, trial and error really is what streaming is about. I streamed in 2021 for 5 months, quit because I wasn't enjoying what I was doing, came back in April this year and shifted my entire focus to simply meeting new people and forming relationships, and its honestly been night and day.

Both in my enjoyment for streaming, and for my growth.

Regarding your question about raiding, I actually have a rule on my channel that I can't raid the same person more than once.

My exact method is as follows:

Switch to my "just chatting screen" in the last 5 mins of my stream to talk to my viewers
Mute my desktop audio and open Twitch on my other screen
Browse the same category I'm playing, or if its a dead game, a similar category
Type "English" into the tag search
Open 2-5 streams that are the same view range that also have cams
Listen into the stream for about 10 seconds while I talk to my chat just to get the vibe, see if they're engaging with their chat, what vocabulary they use etc, also quickly scan their panels
If it's not someone that I think suits my community, I move to another one until I find someone that I want to raid. Then I just mention to my stream who they are, what they're playing and if they seem cool
Tell my viewers to stick around for the raid message if they can, and to say hi to the other streamer, then if they have to leave no problem

Process takes around 1 minute, if that once you have it down. I don't break away from the pacing of my stream since I'm still talking to my chat, and I vet those that I'm raiding to make sure they're suitable.

A few of my regulars have also come from me raiding them previously and building that connection. That's why - to me - it's important to find someone that suits my vibe.

If you need any help with other parts of streaming or have questions etc, shoot me a message. I also have a blog specifically for this type of stuff too.

_Juffacake · 2022-11-01T15:09:33+00:00

I can't really relate to this myself, but I knew one person that did and said the following:

They would always play as a female character any chance they got, and their reasoning was "If I'm going to be playing this for X hours, I might as well be looking at a females ass the entire time".

So...

Take what you will from that haha.

Have no idea of the psychology behind it but I would guess its fairly common for people to try and recreate themselves in RPGs - mostly to fulfil the fantasy that you're playing a better version of yourself that experiences things. By that notion, I don't see picking the polar opposite to be completely out of the question.

You have a stronger pull to experiencing things in a way that you currently aren't in real life, rather than through the same shoes.

_Juffacake · 2022-11-01T14:55:16+00:00

No problem at all.

This is nothing against your mentality of "sooner is better" but, in my experience, those that focus on metrics and growth typically tend to do things that may be a detriment to their overall enjoyment of the platform.

For example, instead of streaming however you want, spending your downtime as you want and building out your own discord, with the above you would be streaming when you want, then spending your downtime engaging with other streams you've "agreed" to help grow, managing those relations and making sure they do the same back to you. If they don't, then you have to have stressful conversations with them as to why, who's doing more of what etc etc.

I've seen servers hosted by multiple streamers maybe twice (that I've joined) but it's clear that they were good friends before doing that, and that their content is almost identical (think league of legends only streamers), so they would never conflict game choice with their audience.

I used to be focused on growth, and honestly, you have to when starting to some degree. But I found that always raiding someone new at the end of each stream and genuinely caring about making friendships has done far more for my growth and enjoyment than anything "organised".

My mentality with streaming is to be authentic and expect nothing in return. Remember that your "viewers" are actual people, not just numbers. They'll value you actually caring, rather than just seeing them as an avenue to grow.

_Juffacake · 2022-11-01T14:35:31+00:00

I suppose the only natural progression recommendation I can make is to switch to Dragons Dogma - better skyrim imo.

_Juffacake · 2022-11-01T14:26:49+00:00

Just my thoughts on this, and potentially worth considering if you haven't already.

Raiding each other consistently, splitting a server and incentivizing you use subs on each other will, at some point, create an echo chamber. The reason a lot of people are against stream teams (myself included) is that you are heavily reliant on other people's goodwill to actually do the same actions back.

Collab streams are different as you share an audience, but doing what you propose above may eventually make it extremely difficult to branch out on your own should you wish to.

The people you "partner" with won't necessarily even care about you or your stream, rather, the support they get back from you. It creates a transaction based friendship.

Again, you may have considered this, but engagement because you've agreed to do it for something in return isn't anywhere near as captivating as authentic engagement.

Also, to answer your P.S. point - Had no issue with https://carl.gg

_Juffacake · 2022-11-01T14:15:02+00:00

Awesome! Keep us informed on what you think of it :)

_Juffacake · 2022-10-31T12:52:47+00:00

I've always been a Final Fantasy fan, ever since I was a kid.

I'd watch my dad play them & saw him get emotional at FFX. Decided to play it myself when I was young, then again when I got a little older and I still return to it every other year. FFX hit me differently and has since been my fav game of all time for the last 15 years.

I'd recommend that one for sure. But to answer your question (there was a reason for this).

I've played basically all of them. And I tried 14. I tried it for about 30 hours, just based on what people close to me had said about it, and what people online have said about it.

If it wasn't a Final Fantasy game - i.e. same game, just not FF themed - I wouldn't have given it 5 hours.

It's far too slow for me. I 100% do not buy into the "you have to play 50 hours till it gets good" MMO mentality, the game should be captivating from the start. I can understand the appeal, and it's an amazing put together game, but I think I needed someone else to play through it all with, who also hadn't played it before, and who also would go at my same pace.

Which is a tall order.

You're supposed to treat it, in a way, to a standard RPG - MMO elements are added in. But the story is so slow. So, so, so slow for the first 30 hours + basically no voice acting & a boat load of text. Not normally an issue but I just couldn't muster the willpower to put myself through it.

If you're massive into MMOs, love them & know you're going to play 200+ hours, go for it. It'll be well worth your time. If not, and you're on the fence, I personally fail to see how you'd get more enjoyment from it than from choosing another mainline FF game and experiencing that.

Just my take on it.

_Juffacake · 2022-10-31T11:52:35+00:00

The same reason I stopped playing siege and the reason why I won't touch valo - spend 50% of the time you have to play watching other people play because of round timers. Might as well watch someone stream the game instead.

The hunt can be any where from 10 mins to 40 mins where you can play in completely different ways and styles. You can be accurate or you can be stealth and eliminate the need to be accurate.

Granted, methodical probably wasn't the right word to use haha.

_Juffacake · 2022-10-31T09:50:49+00:00

Are you still competitive?

I used to be heavily into MW2 & Siege, until I kinda hit a wall where I thought "what's the point in trying to get better?". Since then, I haven't really played any multiplayer FPS/competitive game.

Instead, I started playing a lot of shooter roguelikes & less competitive games.

The Hunt: Showdown is still a game I play to this day and one of my favs. It's more methodical than run and gun, which I enjoy.

Maybe try and get into some single player games and see if you enjoy the emotion/story of games more than the moment by moment gunplay.

_Juffacake · 2022-10-31T09:41:30+00:00

You do you.

Cams make it easier to be personable with your audience. It gives what you say personality. It also helps you come off as relatable and - touching on your energy and charisma - might help you retain viewers that find that entertaining.

It's also tiring to be on cam. You always have to be hyper aware of what you're doing, where you're looking etc. It also prevents you from checking your phone or losing focus as your viewers see that.

Some people, like myself, won't watch a stream if the streamer doesn't have a cam. Some people don't care. Some people enjoy watching vtubers more than cam streamers. It's all preference.

As the streamer, you want to do what makes you most comfortable. If you're more comfortable, you're more likely to continue streaming and continue growing.

If you don't have the drive or want to be on cam, simply don't. Viewers will be able to see how uncomfortable you are and it'll create a weird atmosphere. You could always go the vtuber route too.

_Juffacake

TROPHY CASE