All right, I guess I am going to have to point the elephant in the room here. As a content creator on Twitch I played and streamed many many (many) MMOs, including some of the most competitive and intel-based (such as EvE online). This is the first time ever in the history of Twitch that a game (or a server) enforce a rule regarding streaming delays. Before some of you burst in the comments, I want to be this post to be constructive and show you why, from many streamers point of view including mine, this rule is going against the server’s interests. It will be a long ass post guys so buckle up.
1 – Origin of the rule
I played the Phoenix’s beta for its entirety but I have to say I did not really pay that much attention to the forums. It seems that the streaming delay has been “discussed” and a poll has been thrown to figure out community’s opinion. Here is the link and results of this poll:
https://www.strawpoll.me/16066135/r
The results were 60% in favor of the delay, 30% against, and 10% does not give a single fu**. The total of voters was 115. Have in mind that this poll has been done in July 2018 during beta. If you look at the amount of players today, I do not think that 115 votes can speak for over 4000 players (maybe more?). That is my opinion.
2 – Phoenix visibility
In today’s world visibility and communication is everything. Many can relate the stories of games that went viral or died because of a good or bad coverage. There is a reason behind companies and communities to promote streaming and other content creation based on a game/product : it gives visibility and brings in more people. So I assume that Phoenix’s objective is to, at least, keep the player base but, I hope, also attract new players. There is many means to provide content regarding DaoC : Youtube, tutorials, websites etc… But one of the most popular communication channel in gaming today is Twitch (or streaming in general). Let’s look at the recent numbers to have a proper overview:
Phoenix launch day peaked at over 900 viewers across channels (over 25% of concurrent players on the server)
Since launch, Phoenix streams are round 200-300 viewers per day across all channels (nearly 10% of peak concurrent).
Let’s put it in perspective here with Fortnite (bhoooo) stats : 174 000 viewers per day for 200 000 000 players worldwide (or 0,87%). I know I took the worst (game) example but yet it was just to give you a scope and show that 10% of the ratio players/viewers is huge! I can also relate that many viewers that I brought from EvE online started on Daoc on phoenix despite never playing the game before because of the stream. And sometimes I roam around the streams and I see many streamers promoting the server and bringing new or old players in. It does work believe me.
3 – Arguments pro-stream delay
So based on what I have been able to dig out from the discussions on the forums the main arguments of the pro-delay are the followings:
The viewers can streamsnipe and gank you in RvR.
Well I would say it is streamer’s fault. No one is pointing a gun at you and forcing you to stream your location and everything. I have for personal mindset that at the very moment I decide on my own will to stream, I accept the risk to be stream sniped.
The viewers from other realms can stream snipe the position/activity of your realmates
It is true, but remember that this is not 2001 anymore. If you want to enforce this logic then you will need to ask people to also remove any kind of communication software (discord i.e) because people could simply create a public discord and provide free intell for cross realm.
I would also add that, if you consider it, any form of streaming is giving away intell. If you stream a Caer Sidi raid, other realms will know there is hundreds of albs not defending keeps ? right ? Well then, you have to ban people advertising the raid because it gives the day and time when alb will be the weakest. If you see where I am going with this you should realize that, unless you kill any content and interaction around the game, there is no way to prevent intel leaks.
But Warden a guy in our guild streams while we are getting ready to storm an enemy keep, what can we do?
Let me do the parallel with EVE online here because, even if they are very different games in terms of background (Sci-Fi vs Medieval) they are very close when it comes to PVP/RVR. In EvE online streaming is heavily promoted (for the reasons I gave above) HOWEVER there is of course some intell you need to keep secret as much as possible. Now if one of your corpmate (guildmate) is streaming the secret operations… you just get rid of him. Kick him from the guild and dont invite him to the operations anymore. (ok maybe you should talk to him first but you get the point).
4- Arguments against stream delay
I hope I have not lost you so far, I told you it will be a long ass post. So if you followed my mind so far I think this rule is not living with its time and I think Phoenix made a great (amazing) job at giving DaoC a second youth but this rule is like a relic of the past. The main argument against the delay for me (including everything above) is from the viewer perspective: the end of streamer-viewer interaction. I am not being dramatic at all when I say this. Just ask yourself this: would you ask your favorite streamer a question in the chat and wait 10 mins to get his answer? Of course not, no one would. So basically without interactions a “live” stream becomes a youtube VOD without editing and very boring moments.
The potential behind viewer interaction and involvement is huge: make the viewers want to try the game, make then want to try the server, make then want to get involve into activities (pve / rvr). The new players (that we have to cherish) will get answers to their questions; will get live tutorials of how to do this or that. The stream itself can turn into a VOD on youtube (and a good one with interactions) and drag in more people. You can have highlights with funny/amazing moments and so on !
5- Conclusion
I think this post was long enough not to stretch the conclusion too much. From my perspective there is three options:
This post (and the reactions in the forum) will make sense to Phoenix’s staff and they will allow us to provide content and remove rule 8.5.
My arguments did not meet their audience, this matter will not be discussed further, and they will leave the rule as it is.
The staff will throw a new poll regarding the removal of this rule.
Let me just finish by saying that, most of us, played DaoC when we were much younger, but today’s is not what we used to be in the past. Now most of us are adults, with serious jobs. Some of us have families with kids, and you cannot mess with this. So could we NOT be too serious about a 16-year-old MMO and enjoy watching each other play and laugh together? I think it would be great.
Thank you for your attention.
1 – Origin of the rule
I played the Phoenix’s beta for its entirety but I have to say I did not really pay that much attention to the forums. It seems that the streaming delay has been “discussed” and a poll has been thrown to figure out community’s opinion. Here is the link and results of this poll:
https://www.strawpoll.me/16066135/r
The results were 60% in favor of the delay, 30% against, and 10% does not give a single fu**. The total of voters was 115. Have in mind that this poll has been done in July 2018 during beta. If you look at the amount of players today, I do not think that 115 votes can speak for over 4000 players (maybe more?). That is my opinion.
2 – Phoenix visibility
In today’s world visibility and communication is everything. Many can relate the stories of games that went viral or died because of a good or bad coverage. There is a reason behind companies and communities to promote streaming and other content creation based on a game/product : it gives visibility and brings in more people. So I assume that Phoenix’s objective is to, at least, keep the player base but, I hope, also attract new players. There is many means to provide content regarding DaoC : Youtube, tutorials, websites etc… But one of the most popular communication channel in gaming today is Twitch (or streaming in general). Let’s look at the recent numbers to have a proper overview:
Phoenix launch day peaked at over 900 viewers across channels (over 25% of concurrent players on the server)
Since launch, Phoenix streams are round 200-300 viewers per day across all channels (nearly 10% of peak concurrent).
Let’s put it in perspective here with Fortnite (bhoooo) stats : 174 000 viewers per day for 200 000 000 players worldwide (or 0,87%). I know I took the worst (game) example but yet it was just to give you a scope and show that 10% of the ratio players/viewers is huge! I can also relate that many viewers that I brought from EvE online started on Daoc on phoenix despite never playing the game before because of the stream. And sometimes I roam around the streams and I see many streamers promoting the server and bringing new or old players in. It does work believe me.
3 – Arguments pro-stream delay
So based on what I have been able to dig out from the discussions on the forums the main arguments of the pro-delay are the followings:
The viewers can streamsnipe and gank you in RvR.
Well I would say it is streamer’s fault. No one is pointing a gun at you and forcing you to stream your location and everything. I have for personal mindset that at the very moment I decide on my own will to stream, I accept the risk to be stream sniped.
The viewers from other realms can stream snipe the position/activity of your realmates
It is true, but remember that this is not 2001 anymore. If you want to enforce this logic then you will need to ask people to also remove any kind of communication software (discord i.e) because people could simply create a public discord and provide free intell for cross realm.
I would also add that, if you consider it, any form of streaming is giving away intell. If you stream a Caer Sidi raid, other realms will know there is hundreds of albs not defending keeps ? right ? Well then, you have to ban people advertising the raid because it gives the day and time when alb will be the weakest. If you see where I am going with this you should realize that, unless you kill any content and interaction around the game, there is no way to prevent intel leaks.
But Warden a guy in our guild streams while we are getting ready to storm an enemy keep, what can we do?
Let me do the parallel with EVE online here because, even if they are very different games in terms of background (Sci-Fi vs Medieval) they are very close when it comes to PVP/RVR. In EvE online streaming is heavily promoted (for the reasons I gave above) HOWEVER there is of course some intell you need to keep secret as much as possible. Now if one of your corpmate (guildmate) is streaming the secret operations… you just get rid of him. Kick him from the guild and dont invite him to the operations anymore. (ok maybe you should talk to him first but you get the point).
4- Arguments against stream delay
I hope I have not lost you so far, I told you it will be a long ass post. So if you followed my mind so far I think this rule is not living with its time and I think Phoenix made a great (amazing) job at giving DaoC a second youth but this rule is like a relic of the past. The main argument against the delay for me (including everything above) is from the viewer perspective: the end of streamer-viewer interaction. I am not being dramatic at all when I say this. Just ask yourself this: would you ask your favorite streamer a question in the chat and wait 10 mins to get his answer? Of course not, no one would. So basically without interactions a “live” stream becomes a youtube VOD without editing and very boring moments.
The potential behind viewer interaction and involvement is huge: make the viewers want to try the game, make then want to try the server, make then want to get involve into activities (pve / rvr). The new players (that we have to cherish) will get answers to their questions; will get live tutorials of how to do this or that. The stream itself can turn into a VOD on youtube (and a good one with interactions) and drag in more people. You can have highlights with funny/amazing moments and so on !
5- Conclusion
I think this post was long enough not to stretch the conclusion too much. From my perspective there is three options:
This post (and the reactions in the forum) will make sense to Phoenix’s staff and they will allow us to provide content and remove rule 8.5.
My arguments did not meet their audience, this matter will not be discussed further, and they will leave the rule as it is.
The staff will throw a new poll regarding the removal of this rule.
Let me just finish by saying that, most of us, played DaoC when we were much younger, but today’s is not what we used to be in the past. Now most of us are adults, with serious jobs. Some of us have families with kids, and you cannot mess with this. So could we NOT be too serious about a 16-year-old MMO and enjoy watching each other play and laugh together? I think it would be great.
Thank you for your attention.
