What makes a good KSP streamer?

[Highguard]

...I am of the opinion that streaming is a very different animal from a pre-planned and carefully edited video ... 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...

It's just live versus pre-recorded TV. If you know you're doing a live show you need to rehearse and prepare much more carefully beforehand.

BEFORE you start streaming, get a version of your rocket into orbit. THEN stream building it, with the classic cut to "here's one I prepared earlier, already in orbit" to show your next point.

Not doing things like that is just lazy and unprofessional. "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail". Unfortunately, most streamers have yet to learn that lesson.

[Kerbart]

Most streams are really bad, which is why most people don't like them. But a few out there are really good. When the host interacts with the audience, explains what he's doing and why he's doing it and displays good knowledge about the game so you can learn a thing or two, a live stream is awesome (yes, Das Valdez for instance).

But most streamers I see just stare at the monitor, hardly ever say a word, and pick missions that involve a lot of nothing, and display skills that are, even by my low standards, are annoyingly inept.

I can see why people don't like streams. But the few good ones out there are really, really good and the interaction with the audience adds something that pre-recorded video cannot offer.

[Dunbaratu]

It's just live versus pre-recorded TV. If you know you're doing a live show you need to rehearse and prepare much more carefully beforehand.

BEFORE you start streaming, get a version of your rocket into orbit. THEN stream building it, with the classic cut to "here's one I prepared earlier, already in orbit" to show your next point.

Not doing things like that is just lazy and unprofessional. "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail". Unfortunately, most streamers have yet to learn that lesson.

Streaming isn't like live TV. It's like live improv. The difference is in whether it's a one-way or a two-way medium. If you think streams need to be treated exactly like pre-scripted live TV, you are essentially saying the streamer should pretend the feedback chat doesn't exist.

[Highguard]

Streaming isn't like live TV. It's like live improv. The difference is in whether it's a one-way or a two-way medium. If you think streams need to be treated exactly like pre-scripted live TV, you are essentially saying the streamer should pretend the feedback chat doesn't exist.

Not at all. I'm saying the essential points the stream is making/addressing must be scripted and rehearsed. Perhaps you haven't noticed, but many live TV and radio programs have phone-ins.

Talkshows are, by their nature, largely unscripted but at least the presenters know what they're talking about. If someone asks an off-topic question or discussion moves to something that can't be demonstrated in a reasonable time then it's shelved or carried-over to another program. Improv doesn't mean "do rubbish or waste time because you've got nothing better", it means "do something entertaining or useful right now". There's no excuse for incompetence and bad presentation.

[BagelRabbit]

It's funny. I've actually asked DasValdez this exact question in person. He's tremendously nice and a lot of fun to be around, even when he's exhausted from being at a convention for a couple of days.

The best way to get people to watch your stream, he said, is to always be talking. If you go silent for periods of time, people will click off your stream and not return. This may be the reason why Das just won't be quiet on his streams, and it's certainly a reason I watch them!

Other things that make a stream good, in my opinion:

Interacting with the Audience. IMHO, this is really the only benefit a livestream has over a very long video. If you're clearly not paying attention to comments, why aren't you just creating a video to be posted for later?

Speaking clearly. Um, I don't think anyone would, like, read my posts if I, uh, wrote them like this. There's a certain threshold for these sorts of stammers for me. While stammering is fine if it doesn't happen often, it quickly gets grating if people do it over and over again (which is actually quite common).

Enjoying what you do. Weirdly enough, a lot of streamers seem to not really like streaming. It's very easy to tell, too: they just sort of lapse into silence, and their tone of voice/facial expression makes it pretty clear that they have better things to do and better places to be. If the streamers themselves are having a bad time, then the people watching really won't enjoy it either.

Knowing what you're doing. Actually, it's sometimes fun to see people create awful things, but at the very least don't spread false information or claim to be better at games than you really are.

There's other stuff, too, but I can't remember it at the moment. I think this is a pretty good overview though.

-Upsilon

[Xaver]

I like mister flagg spezials ( he is german). He shows user crafts what is not only impressiv, but also give me creative input.