Hey Folks! It is a very story morning and I am listening to the rain pouring down around me right now as I sit down to write a post that likely no one is interested in. About a week ago I had an interaction with someone on twitter that was asking a pretty simple question. However my answer veered off in a different direction than I think they were expecting and I have been thinking about my comments for the last week. I guess let’s start with what exactly I said.
No and honestly I am personally tiring of the machinery of streaming. I find it so much more likely that I stick around and watch a stream if it is just a person playing a game with or without a camera, but I might be the exception rather than the rule. Overlays and Alerts and subscription widgets and all of that stuff was really cool when it was brand new, but now that it feels like everyone is obligated to have all of these things going on… it is sorta distorting the experience of hanging out with someone while they play
I realize that I am probably in the minority with this statement, but I have very much found myself tiring of the machinery of streaming. I know that is a strange phrase but I am not sure how else to describe it. Streams as a whole are now these large productions that end up feeling an awful lot like the barker at a carnival sideshow. Logging into a stream these days involves all of these widgets going off competing for your attention. Not only is there the flow of chat that is often incomprehensible but also tickers scrolling indicating who is leading in the donation count and alerts popping up each time some sort of interaction goal is met or follow is achieved. Everything competing for your attention but none of it really garnering it.
Once again I realize I probably use Twitch in a different manner than the most diehard of users. I tune in when I see that one of my friends is streaming and more or less it is for the purpose of hanging out while they play a game. All of the accoutrements feels like it gets in the way of that singular purpose. Twitch has sorta become this nesting doll of mini-games over the years and as a result it feels like the general experience of hanging out with someone while they play a game gets lost in the process. I realize that for some that might not be the core reason why they tune into Twitch or YouTube Gaming, but for me it is very much the case that I am there for that simple core interaction with a streamer while they are playing a game.
I remember dabbling in bots and alerts and running StreamLabs OBS because it sort of took care of everything for me. It was all new and exciting and fun to configure the first time, but after having seen it play out countless times on stream it all wears a little thin. I am significantly more engaged when I just see someone streaming a game and occasionally interacting with chat than I am when someone has a streamer theme package and a whole lot of doodads consuming screen real estate. I get in some ways many of these streams are trying to create a self perpetuating feedback cycle that keeps folks engaged in a constant loop, but for me… I find myself wanting off of that ride quickly.
Weirdly I used to stream quite a bit. In my head that seems like it was only a little bit ago that I did this thing but looking back… my prolific period was roughly seven years ago. Also looking back, the very last time that I went live with any game was roughly two years ago. I am not sure WHY I stopped streaming. I think on some level I just ended up stuck in a very turtle mode rut of not interacting with other human beings while gaming. That has more or less been the case for a few years now of me avoiding multiplayer content and absolutely avoiding anything resembling public exhibition while gaming. I do sorta miss the concept of sharing what I was doing with a very small group of people who tuned in to watch it. I’m a Twitch Affiliate, but then again so is everyone else given that those requirements are pretty low.
There are times that I flirt with the concept of going live again but always stop myself before actually doing it. More recently I have recorded a number of videos of me playing various games starting with Minecraft but more recently Valheim. Those have felt pretty good when I have recorded them, but it is also a very one-sided interaction. It feels safe to treat those much in the same way as I do this blog in that on some level I pretend that I am largely talking to myself and ignoring the fact that someone at some point is going to consume the thing I created. With streaming you don’t really have that luxury because you are effectively on air and live to the world, but then it feels bad if no one shows up to that broadcast to keep you company.
The funny thing about my prolific streaming period… is I guess I did not realize just how much I streamed. Essentially there are videos that were replicated over to YouTube of pretty much my entire play through of Elder Scrolls Online and the main story at launch. I think I added it up and just ESO alone it was some fifty hours of streaming. Included in these are a few gems that I have recently revisited of some of us experiencing dungeons for the very first time. This for example is Banished Cells with general group commentary streaming along with me. Watching these again is almost like seeing a version of me that I barely recognize. I was always grouped and always running group content and now I seem to avoid that like the freaking plague. I am not even certain how I used to put myself out there constantly like that.
While I have wildly veered off topic, it seems like my personal jam is just enough stuff on screen to explain what game you are playing and also maybe hide chat. Like ultimately that is why I started putting shit on the screen as an overlay in the first place. It wasn’t necessarily that I was trying to hide anything, but more that I was trying to protect the privacy of any folks that might be interacting with me over chat. Like there was once a time when I would log in to a bunch of messages from friends and I didn’t want any of those inadvertently broadcast. However my personal preference would always land on the side of just straight broadcasting my screen with some random voice over commentary.
I feel like I have lost a lot of the “Me” that existed a decade ago. Like I said before I barely recognize the person who was so prolifically streaming seven years ago. Truth be told I barely recognize the me that was hanging out and streaming World of Warcraft in lieu of recording AggroChat in the above video. I have become so filled with self doubt and anxiety that just talking to another human being in game is a chore that burns through all of my utensils for the day. The problem being that I am not sure how to get back to the person that I used to be. Things change and you don’t realize they are changing until you have gone so far down a path that you can barely see where you started. Today’s post is proof that I do not stage these topics ahead of time, because I started talking about one thing and then have veered wildly into another.
There is a part of me that sorta wants to go live again. Maybe in doing so it would force me to start dipping my toes into group play again. I doubt I would have anyone watch my nonsense, but just the act of sorta putting myself out there might start to batter down this barrier I have built up around me. I miss the person that I used to be and I am not sure yet how to get back there.
The post Machinery of Streaming appeared first on Tales of the Aggronaut.
Hey Folks! It is a very story morning and I am listening to the rain pouring down around me right now as I sit down to write a post that likely no one is interested in. About a week ago I had an interaction with someone on twitter that was asking a pretty simple question. However my answer veered off in a different direction than I think they were expecting and I have been thinking about my comments for the last week. I guess let’s start with what exactly I said.
No and honestly I am personally tiring of the machinery of streaming. I find it so much more likely that I stick around and watch a stream if it is just a person playing a game with or without a camera, but I might be the exception rather than the rule. Overlays and Alerts and subscription widgets and all of that stuff was really cool when it was brand new, but now that it feels like everyone is obligated to have all of these things going on… it is sorta distorting the experience of hanging out with someone while they play
I realize that I am probably in the minority with this statement, but I have very much found myself tiring of the machinery of streaming. I know that is a strange phrase but I am not sure how else to describe it. Streams as a whole are now these large productions that end up feeling an awful lot like the barker at a carnival sideshow. Logging into a stream these days involves all of these widgets going off competing for your attention. Not only is there the flow of chat that is often incomprehensible but also tickers scrolling indicating who is leading in the donation count and alerts popping up each time some sort of interaction goal is met or follow is achieved. Everything competing for your attention but none of it really garnering it.
Once again I realize I probably use Twitch in a different manner than the most diehard of users. I tune in when I see that one of my friends is streaming and more or less it is for the purpose of hanging out while they play a game. All of the accoutrements feels like it gets in the way of that singular purpose. Twitch has sorta become this nesting doll of mini-games over the years and as a result it feels like the general experience of hanging out with someone while they play a game gets lost in the process. I realize that for some that might not be the core reason why they tune into Twitch or YouTube Gaming, but for me it is very much the case that I am there for that simple core interaction with a streamer while they are playing a game.
I remember dabbling in bots and alerts and running StreamLabs OBS because it sort of took care of everything for me. It was all new and exciting and fun to configure the first time, but after having seen it play out countless times on stream it all wears a little thin. I am significantly more engaged when I just see someone streaming a game and occasionally interacting with chat than I am when someone has a streamer theme package and a whole lot of doodads consuming screen real estate. I get in some ways many of these streams are trying to create a self perpetuating feedback cycle that keeps folks engaged in a constant loop, but for me… I find myself wanting off of that ride quickly.
Weirdly I used to stream quite a bit. In my head that seems like it was only a little bit ago that I did this thing but looking back… my prolific period was roughly seven years ago. Also looking back, the very last time that I went live with any game was roughly two years ago. I am not sure WHY I stopped streaming. I think on some level I just ended up stuck in a very turtle mode rut of not interacting with other human beings while gaming. That has more or less been the case for a few years now of me avoiding multiplayer content and absolutely avoiding anything resembling public exhibition while gaming. I do sorta miss the concept of sharing what I was doing with a very small group of people who tuned in to watch it. I’m a Twitch Affiliate, but then again so is everyone else given that those requirements are pretty low.
There are times that I flirt with the concept of going live again but always stop myself before actually doing it. More recently I have recorded a number of videos of me playing various games starting with Minecraft but more recently Valheim. Those have felt pretty good when I have recorded them, but it is also a very one-sided interaction. It feels safe to treat those much in the same way as I do this blog in that on some level I pretend that I am largely talking to myself and ignoring the fact that someone at some point is going to consume the thing I created. With streaming you don’t really have that luxury because you are effectively on air and live to the world, but then it feels bad if no one shows up to that broadcast to keep you company.
The funny thing about my prolific streaming period… is I guess I did not realize just how much I streamed. Essentially there are videos that were replicated over to YouTube of pretty much my entire play through of Elder Scrolls Online and the main story at launch. I think I added it up and just ESO alone it was some fifty hours of streaming. Included in these are a few gems that I have recently revisited of some of us experiencing dungeons for the very first time. This for example is Banished Cells with general group commentary streaming along with me. Watching these again is almost like seeing a version of me that I barely recognize. I was always grouped and always running group content and now I seem to avoid that like the freaking plague. I am not even certain how I used to put myself out there constantly like that.
While I have wildly veered off topic, it seems like my personal jam is just enough stuff on screen to explain what game you are playing and also maybe hide chat. Like ultimately that is why I started putting shit on the screen as an overlay in the first place. It wasn’t necessarily that I was trying to hide anything, but more that I was trying to protect the privacy of any folks that might be interacting with me over chat. Like there was once a time when I would log in to a bunch of messages from friends and I didn’t want any of those inadvertently broadcast. However my personal preference would always land on the side of just straight broadcasting my screen with some random voice over commentary.
I feel like I have lost a lot of the “Me” that existed a decade ago. Like I said before I barely recognize the person who was so prolifically streaming seven years ago. Truth be told I barely recognize the me that was hanging out and streaming World of Warcraft in lieu of recording AggroChat in the above video. I have become so filled with self doubt and anxiety that just talking to another human being in game is a chore that burns through all of my utensils for the day. The problem being that I am not sure how to get back to the person that I used to be. Things change and you don’t realize they are changing until you have gone so far down a path that you can barely see where you started. Today’s post is proof that I do not stage these topics ahead of time, because I started talking about one thing and then have veered wildly into another.
There is a part of me that sorta wants to go live again. Maybe in doing so it would force me to start dipping my toes into group play again. I doubt I would have anyone watch my nonsense, but just the act of sorta putting myself out there might start to batter down this barrier I have built up around me. I miss the person that I used to be and I am not sure yet how to get back there.
The post Machinery of Streaming appeared first on Tales of the Aggronaut.
Morning Friends! I am going to apologize for the rapid tonal whiplash of my posts right now, but like I said the other day I have a case of the inbetweensies and am bouncing around a bit. One of the things that I wish I was better at was staying engaged with Elder Scrolls Online. At least once a year I have this revelation of just how damned good this game is and what a phenomenal success it has been at delivering good story content on a pretty regular release cadence. I am weird when it comes to this game however in that I want to experience content in the order it was released. One of my favorite things about the game initially was that I could experience all the content on a single character and that is more or less what I have set out to do. So far I have tackled:
Daggerfall Covenant Campaign
Aldmeri Dominion Campaign
Ebonheart Pact Campaign
Imperial City
Orsinium
Thieves Guild
Dark Brotherhood
Morrowind
I’m in the middle of the Vvardenfell campaign, and I think I bounced the last time I was playing because some of the Morrowind area cities have a lot of Z-Axis nonsense on trying to find the next objective. Coming back over the last few nights I have pushed through this and gotten back out into the open countryside which is more my jam in the first place. This game is really damned good folks and if you have never played it, you should really check it out. I have a long history with ESO, and even I sometimes forget what a crowning achievement this game really is. The combat at times is a bit of an acquired taste, but I always find myself greatly enjoying the story.
If my calculations are correct, once I get to the end of Vvardenfell, the content order looks a little bit like this. Please note this is just me being weird and as far as I know none of the content needs to be tackled in any particular order.
Clockwork City
Summerset
Murkmire
Northern Elsweyr
Southern Elsweyr
Western Skyrim
The Reach
Blackwood
There has been an excessive amount of content released for this game and that is completely skipping over all of the dungeons. I’ve largely mentally done that because I didn’t have a good static group of friends to tackle them with. However more recently I have been hanging out with my good friends Clockwork Bells and Zuulzilla while we all sorta do our own things in game. They similarly have been disappointed by Shadowlands and looking for something else to latch onto, and apparently have some other friends looking to play as well. The big thing is so far we seem to have pretty drift compatible play times, which means in theory we could start tackling the dungeons.
I apparently am still fairly tanky as I managed to maintain threat on this world boss extremely successfully. I am consistently surprised by just how much activity there is for given encounters. Generally speaking when I roll up to a world boss spawn, I don’t have to wait terribly long before a crowd assembles and we can easily take it down. This all feels super organic and I even see calls for assistance answered in general chat, which is such a weird concept to me coming out of seemingly much more toxic game communities. Not saying it is this bastion for all that is good and wholesome in the world, but I have been relatively impressed so far.
There is a love applied to the content and you can tell it. These folks love what they are creating and moments like the freaking Buoyant Armigers like Captain Naros speaking in poems is pretty great. As she says… Warrior-poets are quite versatile. Each time I come back I enjoy myself and wonder why I left in the first place. I think I just sorta get easily distracted and the challenge with Elder Scrolls Online versus a World of Warcraft, is the moment to moment questing gameplay asks a lot more of you. A more traditional MMO I can grind mindlessly while catching up on my favorite shows, and a game like Elder Scrolls requires a bit more focus. There are times I want that and then there are times I just sorta want mindless busywork.
No matter how many times I leave and come back, one thing stays the same. My town of choice will always seem to be Shornhelm in Bangkorai. It might just be my Daggerfall Covenant pride, but I am pretty certain this is the most efficient town in the game. I posted the map so I could have a visual reference while talking about it. The portal is in a super handy place which is just up a hill from the bank, blacksmith, woodworker and stables. Additionally you can get to the thieves guild without encountering any town guards which may or may not be handy depending upon your playstyle. The only thing that isn’t super convenient is the wardrobe and enchanting/jewelry stations but given that the town itself is super small… you can get there expediently if you need to. If my character would have a home town it would be Shornhelm, and based on the high level player traffic I am guessing I am not the only one who feels this way.
The game is set up in a manner now that you can pretty much start any of the expansions and play that as your first content. I however still believe that the best content in the game to start with is the original starter islands of Stros M’Kai, Bleakrock and Kenarthi’s Roost. That is just my personal feeling however and it is entirely valid to start wherever you want in the content stack. The game will default to starting you in whatever the latest expansion is I believe and then from there you have quests that can take you to the other areas.
I have to admit that one of the major highlights of the evening was dusting off House Stalwart and inviting Zuu and Bells to it. I heavily recruited when this game first came out in 2014, and as a result we used to have a pretty massive and active guild. Largely I was just relying on my natural instant of trying to collect all of my friends into a single basket, but that doesn’t always work out in the manner I hope it would. The traditional MMO bounce happened and I quickly found myself in a pretty empty guild home. Over the years various folks have been active for various periods of time but for now we are mostly just using it as a shared chat room. I am hoping that we can actually make good on the idea of running some of these dungeons, because it would be awesome to see some of the more serious content that got added into the game over the years.
The post Evening in Vvardenfell appeared first on Tales of the Aggronaut.
Hey Friends! I find myself in an old familiar rut that I have been in several times. Essentially I flail around at night trying to figure out exactly what I want to be playing, because nothing sounds quite right. This generally happens when there is a game on the horizon that I absolutely want to be playing but it isn’t yet available. Right now that game is Outriders and it is ultimately the game that I want to be playing. The challenge there that makes it all the more frustrating is I have access to play the demo as much as I want, but I also know that if I grind that demo into the ground it will ultimately spell doom for my long term engagement with the game.
I played a bit of Destiny 2, but found myself losing interest the longer that I played. Weirdly I think last nights problem was the fact that I didn’t engage this week until Sunday night, aka two days from reset. I think maybe tonight will be different since I won’t feel quite the pressure to wrap things up and get weekly rewards from things. I did manage to finish up Gambit and get that powerful engram. I am finding myself enjoying Battlegrounds quite a bit. This season has an enjoyable pattern of play where you do some other activities to get Cabal gold to “smash that like button”… aka hammer of proving and break a chest in the battleground. I am still bummed about Steelfeather Repeater being one season away from grandfathered into being a permanent weapon.
Valheim and I are in a weird place right now. I’ve pretty much done everything that I want to do with the game for right now. I have two massive bases and have been just sorta flitting around the map building a portal network and weird outposts. I may be finding myself winding down until the new biomes go into the game, which is a very familiar place for me as I went through similar patterns with Minecraft over the years. Mostly I have not taken down the final boss that is in the game right now, because I have heard in numerous places that when you take that boss down… Goblins become a normal spawn. I’ve already felt like my advancement has adversely impacted the server that I play on… and because of that I really don’t want to subject lowbies to such a painful encounter as random packs of Goblins.
Speaking of Minecraft… I guess I am winding down there as well. I hit it pretty hard and heavy for awhile between trying to record a daily series on YouTube while experimenting with Hardcore mode, to playing on BotchCraft to playing on my own private Realm. I think for now I am probably in a holding pattern until 1.17 drops officially and I swap over to a brand new random seed to explore the cave update nonsense. I’ve spent some time over in the Nether and found two blaze spawners that are beside each other… which leads me to want to try building a blaze farm… but that has yet to happen. Right now I mostly log in… say hi to my cats and log right back out.
So what did I do instead of all of the above last night? I apparently reinstalled Final Fantasy XV and attempted to get back into it. I feel like I am desperately searching for something to hold my attention for a month until Outriders launches. I also installed Bravely Default 2 on my Switch, but have not touched it. I could go for something mostly single player for awhile because I know when Outriders launches I will be engaged with lots of people once again as I attempt to do groupy content. I think in the back of my mind I am looking for another Dragon Age Inquisition style experience to tide me over until it is time to poke my head out of my hole again.
Being in-between the game you want to be playing and the games you have access to is maddening at times… but also a supremely first world problem. My life seems to always been perforated by moments of being unsatisfied with everything. I wish I could get rid of that feeling because it is not terribly enjoyable to go through.
The post The Inbetweensies appeared first on Tales of the Aggronaut.
