What makes a good KSP streamer?

[Kyrt Malthorn]

It seems like a popular enough thing, popular figures streaming KSP and having an audience witness their victories and oopses - and they're all different. Everyone likes different stuff, too. I'm just curious to hear from this community what YOU think makes a good KSP streamer?

(This applies no matter where they stream - livestream, youtube, twitch, or any elsewhere I haven't heard of.)

EDIT:

Apparently there's a difference between Youtubers versus streamers. I was kindof lumping them in together. Point taken: you kindof know what you're getting into with a youtube video before you start watching, whereas a livestream you really don't know whats coming, it's more spontaneous. Still, the floor is open to comments on both, I'm not booting out youtube-only.

To those who say Scott Manley is a tuber, he DOES do livestreams from time to time. And then posts them on youtube too. If you'd watch a youtube video knowing only that it was KSP and Scott Manley, that's not much different than joining a livestream eh?

Edited September 27, 2015 by Kyrt Malthorn
Self explanatory addendum.

[TransSister]

Nothing can in my mind, streams are dumb.

[r4pt0r]

Nothing can in my mind, streams are dumb.

Agreed.

V Also what Alshain said V

[Alshain]

I used to watch them, but I've got better things to do. Why watch someone play KSP when I could play KSP?

[EwingKang]

Unfortunately, if you're living in GMT+8 like me, most of the time I can watch any videos are when people are sleeping or working..... One vote for times.

Other than that, I like streamer with greate knowledge or insight about aero/astro field. Like those have a first name of Scott and a last name of Manley learning new thins about that are exciting to me.

Edited September 27, 2015 by EwingKang

[cantab]

I used to watch them, but I've got better things to do. Why watch someone play KSP when I could play KSP?

Why not both? That's what I and many other viewers do. Of course having plenty of screen real estate helps with that.

Anyway, personality's what matters. It needs to be someone I like listening to. Next most important is music choice. If I see a few streamers I know doing KSP, chances are good I'll pick the one I know plays good music on their streams.

Oh, and Scott Manley, while he does stream occasionally, is really a Youtuber.

[The_Rocketeer]

I tend to watch more on youtube than live streams. On youtube you can already kinda tell whether it'll be worth the time, whereas streams... well, u might as well be doing your own thing rather than watch someone else make mistakes u wouldn't.

[MalfunctionM1Ke]

A good stream is mostly watching someone having fun with the game.

Not only launching one Rocket after another but also thinking outside the box and playing around with the physics engine.

Suprising People.

Edited September 27, 2015 by MalfunctionM1Ke

[MartGonzo]

Ingenious building skills and personality

Robbaz and Jatwaa are my two faves (that I've seen so far)

EDIT - just noticed you said streamer not youtuber so I guess that rules Robbaz out.

Edited September 27, 2015 by MartGonzo

[Gaarst]

A multiple choice poll would be better for tis kind of question IMO.

Anyway, while I don't watch many KSP videos or streams, I watch almost all of DasValdez' streams. He makes nice ships, explains everything he does (good for beginners, and even teaches things to older KSP players), has a great knowledge of the game and its physics, and overall is a very nice guy. I can only recommand him to whoever watches a few streams (or not, give it a try still).

[klgraham1013]

Nothing can in my mind, streams are dumb.

Some people watch sports. Some people think it's a waste of time. It's all a matter of personality.

[Superfluous J]

I abhor Twitch. The only thing I watch from there is Squadcast and even those I download so I don't have to actually watch anything ON the site.

YouTube, though, I do watch a few people though most of the people I watch don't play KSP. When I'm looking for something to watch, I look for people who are good at the game I'm interested, are entertaining, have good quality mics, EDIT OUT THE BORING STUFF, and upload at least semi-regularly.

Invariably, the people wander away from whatever game I started watching and, if they're entertaining, I tend to stick around. For that reason, I chose option 2 over option 1.

(The fact that by design, you can't edit out the boring stuff makes Twitch a no-go for me. I happened to be sick the day the big 1.0 streams were going so I actually watched a few and was shocked at how boring they tended to be. And this is coming from someone who plays for 90 minutes to get a 20-30 minute video most of the time).

[Highguard]

Someone:

1) With something useful/interesting to say,

2) Who has scripted and rehearsed it well,

3) Then used decent recording and editing software to present it concisely,

4) Keeping the whole thing short and to the point.

[Cairol]

I've to hear and like that guy. Normally you know it in the first couple of seconds if you want to watch and hear someone.

A good mic is also important and a good balance between in-game sound and voice volume.

For me it's important that I can learn something from a streamer.

I can also enjoy this guy here for some time, because he is funny and doesn't take himself too serious.

But if a streamer is regularely failing more than I am, he loses my interrest quickly.

[Superfluous J]

Oh, and if you put a thumbnail of yourself in the video it cuts the chance of me watching you by about 90%.

[InsaneDruid]

I voted for skill. But skill can be found in various ways. I enjoy Dunbaratus KOS-knowledge, Bob Fitch's & Viruk67's storytelling and enthusiasm, Scott Manley's tutorials...

The rest (Good video quality, good fps on the machinee KSP is played on, good mic etc) are nice to have, but secondary...

[Jouni]

Voice is the most important quality. Most gamers seem to have so annoying voice that watching their videos is pure torture.

[Zoidos]

This poll suffers from the lack of multiple selection.

In other circumstances I agree, watching other people playing a game is just stupid. However, with KSP this is somewhat different. For example, if it wasn't for tutorial videos, I would still not have figured out how to rendezvous two vessels.

Another good reason to watch streams/vids is that KSP offers a near infinite range of possibilities. Thus it gives place to a lot of creativity and different play styles. Some videos are interesting, because they feature incredible feats in piloting and efficiency, others are great because of the creative solutions applied, yet others are simply because they are so whacked out.

I also have to add, that I almost exclusively watch videos and seldom streams (I don't enjoy listening to some guy randomly babbling on because he needs to fill the audio gap during a 5 minute burn; In videos this is normally edited out or accelerated). Also, I don't watch videos just because they are by some specific youtuber. I would also not waste time during the day watching a video, but they can be a nice substitution for actually playing (e.g. when I decide that I have wasted enough time in front of the PC and it's time to get to bed and waste another few hours - also known as just 5 more minutes - with my phone).

[yorshee]

A bright, bubbly personality. If you have lots of good ideas and fancy streaming equipment, it doesn't do much for you if you're unentertaining to watch.

[WeirdCulture]

Well.... i normally don't watch streams... but..

[GoSlash27]

For me, the subject matter needs to be interesting and educational. The presentation needs to be organized and concise. The presenter needs to be engaging and entertaining, but not to the point of being obnoxious.

It's the combination of all these characteristics that makes a stream or Youtube channel watchable.

There's a few people out there who are really good at it and a whole lot of people out there that aren't.

Best,

-Slashy

[MGCJerry]

My list. Same applies to youtube videos... AND videos not related to ksp.

* Overly eccentric/hyper. Take a valium and relax...

* Excessive babbling that is not related to the subject matter. Das Valdez never shuts up, but most of it is related to the task and topic at hand and he covers a lot of material which is great.

* Don't go overboard with the laughing/giggling especially if its not funny.

* Liek OMG 2spookey4u lkie tweet hashtag funny is a total reason to immediately leave. Concentrate on your topic, not social media.

* Not a annoying voice. The screaming voice in your face salesman/woman is a definite way for me to keep walking. *exit*

* have some enthusiasm for your content. Sure it may be a bore sometimes, but I dont want a lecture by some bored kid but I don't want to watch the host bouncing off the walls either.

* Informative for informative videos. Funny & entertaining for non serious and/or fun videos. Don't mix em up too much.

* Like you know Like this is like how like this works, like you like know what I'm like talking about right...? *exit*

* Know what the hell you are talking about. If you don't know, say you don't know. If I wanted to get lied to, I'd watch the news or a reality show.

That's pretty much it. May seem like a lot but it really isn't. Only a couple of them will get me to leave *immediately* but the others I can overlook to a specific point before I *exit*. I've thrown a few us dollars to some streamers with my limited budget because I liked the stream.

[Dunbaratu]

The presentation needs to be organized and concise.

and

It's the combination of all these characteristics that makes a stream or Youtube channel watchable.

I am of the opinion that streaming is a very different animal from a pre-planned and carefully edited video. You should expect a much looser, less organized and concise flow from a live stream, because an edited video can trim the cases where it failed, or cut it down to the most impressive example of a thing. And it can skip over mundane steps that aren't really part of the subject mater at hand. (i.e. in a youtube video, you can have something hat goes "Here I build the rocket, start to launch it, and ... let's just jump cut to the point where it's done launching and is in orbit. Okay now let me show the the thing I was going to show...". A live stream doesn't allow for that sort of editing out the busywork.

Therefore I think being less organized and concise should be a bit more tolerated on a live stream. The point of a live stream is that you're watching a person *as* they go through the steps, failures and missteps and all.

[GoSlash27]

and

I am of the opinion that streaming is a very different animal from a pre-planned and carefully edited video. You should expect a much looser, less organized and concise flow from a live stream, because an edited video can trim the cases where it failed, or cut it down to the most impressive example of a thing. And it can skip over mundane steps that aren't really part of the subject mater at hand. (i.e. in a youtube video, you can have something hat goes "Here I build the rocket, start to launch it, and ... let's just jump cut to the point where it's done launching and is in orbit. Okay now let me show the the thing I was going to show...". A live stream doesn't allow for that sort of editing out the busywork.

Therefore I think being less organized and concise should be a bit more tolerated on a live stream. The point of a live stream is that you're watching a person *as* they go through the steps, failures and missteps and all.

Steven Mading,

I don't disagree with any of this, but I don't watch live streams for that reason. I'm mainly watching for educational purposes, so while sloppiness and mistakes are expected... I'm still a lot more likely to turn it off and watch something else.

Best,

-Slashy

[cantab]

How I see it is that a Youtube video is like a TV program. It's quite planned out, it might be scripted, it's edited and polished, and you sit and watch it. You can leave a comment if you like but that's as far as communication goes.

A stream is more like a radio talk show. There's an general topic of discussion but it's all live and the details aren't planned or scripted. The audience is coming in with questions and comments and the presenter(s) is responding to them. The viewer and chat interaction is a big part of watching streams for me.