Changes Coming to Community Streams

[EricMusco]

Hey folks!

 

Let's talk a little bit about our weekly live streams. First, scheduling. We are not going to be streaming this Friday, 1/30 so you might be wondering when are we streaming next? More on that in a second.

 

We as a team have been taking a hard look at our weekly streams and we have all agreed on one thing, we could do a lot better. Although we have a great time doing them, we don't feel like the format is as good as it should be for all of you tuning in. We have a seen a lot of feedback over the past weeks about how and what we stream and there have been a lot of great points made.

 

Here are some of the things we plan on doing differently, when we start back up again:

• Playing Classes we are truly familiar with - We spend a lot of time playing classes on the stream for fun. All that does is show us playing something at a fairly mediocre skill level and doesn't make for good viewership. Not saying we're pros, but we can do better.
  
• A heavier concentration on PvE - I love Warzones, they are my favorite content in fact. However, when we play, it ends up causing a global taunt effect. Someone tuning in is just watching us run out of the spawn area and die repeatedly. Not really a good representation of our content.
  
• Guild/Streamer support - We are working out the details, but we definitely want to figure out methods to include these folks specifically more on our streams.
  
• Server/Faction variance - We do this a little bit already, but we can look at being more flexible in bouncing around to different servers and factions. Give everyone an equal chance to join in on the fun!
  
• Scheduling - We are gonna take a look at both the day and times that we are streaming. There are likely better time frames, lengths, days, etc for our streams to occur.
  
• A real Q&A - Right now we passively answer questions as we play. It creates a mixed stream where we are kinda playing and kinda doing a Q&A. We want to separate these. Let's spend some time concentrating on playing with you guys and then lets stop playing altogether and just answer questions for a bit.
  

Here we look to all of you as well. What would you like to see us do differently with our streams? Any and all feedback welcome.

 

-eric

[azudelphi]

The Q&A being a distinct portion of the Community Stream is a step in the right direction imo.

 

Edit: Sticky?

Edited January 27, 2015 by azudelphi

[TUXs]

Now THIS is what the community has been waiting for!!! Sounds great, can't wait!!!

[undiess]

Can we watch Bioware spin the slot machines for an hour? We'd like to see how much fun you have.

[Darth_Wicked]

Now THIS is what the community has been waiting for!!! Sounds great, can't wait!!!

 

That's the spirit.

I'll believe it when I see it though.

Can we watch Bioware spin the slot machines for an hour? We'd like to see how much fun you have.

 

Pitiful.

Edited January 27, 2015 by Darth_Wicked

[dscount]

OMG! Thank you!

 

I was starting to lose interest in streams of you guys DYING to focus down by Bruce MaClean in PVP constantly and having the appearance of NOT knowing what you are doing in PVE or PVP.

 

Q&A would be more valuable that anything else you would do frankly. It's like you have to SPAM the channel to get an answer on something and even then it's not really an answer, but more like a "Working on it" type response.

 

Would be NICE to see you guys WEEKLY walkthru a PUG GF 16m SM of the content you expect people to play without VoIP. See the pain 16m SM PUG's have as well all the associated FUN around BUG's and workaround for BUGS.

 

Seriously.. would require some coordination, but having 2 of you attempt a PUG 16m GF and show us how you are doing each of the boss fights. Maybe explain each SM boss mechanic a little bit while playing (Someone in background explaining while you are playing maybe).

Edited January 27, 2015 by dscount

[LordArtemis]

Here we look to all of you as well. What would you like to see us do differently with our streams? Any and all feedback welcome.

 

-eric

 

I would like Bioware to stop screwing around and fix the game.

 

Really, enough is enough. It is beyond hilarious that THIS is what Bioware would believe folks would be concerned with. I know you are just the messenger Eric, but really?

 

Streaming? You really think this is an important issue that deserves attention and feedback?

Edited January 27, 2015 by LordArtemis

[fushnchips]

I love when you guys stream but you nailed it in your post about servers some places like Jung Ma need some love it doesn't have a good population so this could lift it, maybe half of the stream PvE and other PvP with some type of Q&A at the end of each stream to see what can be improved week by week.

 

Bring in more of the dev team let them talk and explain why things are done in the ways they do them because as the community we need more contact with them and the forums don't seem to be the right place.

 

 

Giveaways:

 

Now with how you give away prizes I know it's been said but the chat does have a delay and this can really put a dent into the outcome for some fans of the game and stream.

 

Now pet codes are kinda getting old what about small lots of cartel coins, and other cartel related items to keep people coming and with the recent impact about certain posts that I won't get into It would be great to get the community team back into the good books with community.

[Darth_Wicked]

I would like Bioware to stop screwing around and fix the game.

 

Really, enough is enough. It is beyond hilarious that THIS is what Bioware would believe folks would be concerned with. I know you are just the messenger Eric, but really?

 

Streaming? You really think this is an important issue that deserves our attention and feedback?

 

I guess the Real You starts to show, as the day further progresses.

 

Welcome.

[LordArtemis]

I guess the Real You starts to show, as the day further progresses.

 

Welcome.

 

Heh.

 

Somehow coming from you DW that doesn't strike true. But of course, as they say, a broken watch is correct twice a day...so....

[TUXs]

I guess the Real You starts to show, as the day further progresses.

 

Welcome.

Calm down...it's just his feedback and opinion...no need to get all personal.

[Glzmo]

How about you focus on social roleplay, create some roleplay events and turn your voice communication off so you can see how badly an option to turn on chat bubbles are needed? Edited January 27, 2015 by Glzmo

[azudelphi]

How about you focus on social roleplay, create some roleplay events and turn your voice communication off so you can see how badly an option to turn on chat bubbles are needed?

 

lol, everyone has an agenda I guess...

[Sendric]

Can we watch Bioware spin the slot machines for an hour? We'd like to see how much fun you have.

 

LOL...maybe they can race those SWEET walkers across Tat as well. I'm not that put out over the slots, but this would be great penance for the way that they have handled it so far.

[SOULCASTER]

[*]A heavier concentration on PvE - I love Warzones, they are my favorite content in fact. However, when we play, it ends up causing a global taunt effect. Someone tuning in is just watching us run out of the spawn area and die repeatedly. Not really a good representation of our content.

 

Ok no offense here Eric but your last stream was definitely not a good representation of the game, nor this game's PvP content. I think you're a great community rep and honestly do a great job, but the last time I watched you guys stream a week or so ago, you were coming out of the load-in and dying repeatedly because you never buffed yourself and you didn't have any of your heal abilities on your toolbar at all. You were, seemingly on purpose, just ''yoloing'' in to combat. Which hey, if that's what you enjoy doing, and just wanted to log in for some kicks, have at it. But as a community rep, representing the game, I was a bit surprised that you were doing this since people are tuning in to watch you (possibly for the first time) and see the game's own community rep getting globalled over and over.

 

I definitely would like to tune in to more streams, but would love to also see a little bit more effort. I know a lot of the chat was flaming you for ''being a dev that is bad at their own game'' and other nonsense trolling. But it is a semi-fair complaint. I certainly am no pro at this game and I obviously can respect the fact that just because someone codes or develops a game, doesn't mean they are or should be the absolute best at it. You definitely should be having fun playing and streaming, but also playing well when doing so.

 

I will be getting back into streaming soon myself under a new name: http://www.twitch.tv/cidxpvp

Edited January 27, 2015 by SOULCASTER

[HaemmernZeit]

As someone who only watches to laugh and make fun of you all, this is a welcomed change. If we can get answers to questions that aren't just fluff (like what did you eat today?) then this could be very good.

[Darth_Wicked]

Heh.

 

Somehow coming from you DW that doesn't strike true. But of course, as they say, a broken watch is correct twice a day...so....

 

More. Much more.

 

Don't repress it. That's bad for you. All out, in a single gulp.

 

Calm down...it's just his feedback and opinion...no need to get all personal.

 

I'm calm, unlike other people, if one's behavior is any indication.

 

As I said, it is good.

Edited January 27, 2015 by Darth_Wicked

[DarthDymond]

Identify ahead of time an area of the game you want to get players more excited about - Ops, Strongholds, Warzones, whatever - and do some prep work leading up to the stream to really showcase it that week (or however often you end up doing them).

 

For example, you look at your metrics and see 'hey, this last month the number of people running Ops has really dipped quite a bit, we should do something to get players more engaged with them." So you reach out to a guild or some fansites or even just here on the forums and say "Hey, next Thursday at 4pm CST we're looking to do an 8-man Dread Palace run on ToFN - email Courtney with your class and role and let us know if you'd be interested in running with us so we can really show off that content."

 

Do the same thing with whatever you're looking to push "Hey, Ranked Season 4 is starting next week, let's showcase some Arenas by teaming up with [X] to Group Queue some Ranked with them", "Hey, the next story update is going to feature the Voss, let's have a character set up and ready to go on Voss and run through as much of the World arc there to remind people of that storyline", "Hey, the metrics say no one is downing World Bosses anymore, let's arrange to group up with a bunch of level 50ish characters and take on the Nightmare Pilgrim" etc., etc., etc.

 

The streams will be that much better and the guilds/fansites/forums you're reaching out to for the things that require larger groups will feel that much more engaged. Yeah, you might have no-shows or bad eggs that get in the mix occasionally, but if you make it a general practice to have a couple of 'backups' (either from the group you're working with or just at the BW office) you can keep that to being no more than a bump in the road.

Edited January 27, 2015 by DarthDymond

[RiVaN_]

I'd like to see you team up with guilds in the evening and run a 16 man op and maybe run some HM FP's with us as well.

I know your first instinct will be to team up with the bigger guilds or the folks getting world firsts etc, but I think it may give you a better feel for the abilities of your community if you run with some of the medium sized and smaller guilds once in a while too.

I realize that doing a full op means it could be a late stream or a long one as well so perhaps just the first couple bosses say, get Under Lurker down or Tourque.

**Explore the guilds ship/stronghold as a community showcase kind of thing. Perhaps have part of a stream where you visit a random, publicly listed stronghold.

** Invite players to visit your strongholds on your home servers, assuming you all have toons on the live servers that you play in your free time.

** Turning the stream over to a community member or a guild for a short time? When you involve the community like that it gives them a sense of ownership, like part of the game actually belongs to them, then folks are more likely to "help take care of the place a bit," so to speak.

** Participating in the PTS. Perhaps if we were able to group up with members of the dev team and community team on the PTS and provide a bit of instant feedback, as long as it is done in an organized and respectful manner, this could benefit the future of the game. This kind of interpersonal interaction has numerous rewards on both the development and community sides.

 

Just my 2 cents.

Edited January 27, 2015 by RiVaN_

[Cyzicus]

Can we watch Bioware spin the slot machines for an hour? We'd like to see how much fun you have.

 

Great idea, I love it! I've flushed about 750,000 credits down my giant paperweight since the nerf and got like 2 purple jawa junk, 4 greens, and 1 cartel certificate.

Edited January 27, 2015 by Cyzicus

[FridgeLM]

My request is that you keep answering my fluff questions and come back to POT5. Edited January 27, 2015 by FridgeLM

[TUXs]

I'd like to see you team up with guilds in the evening and run a 16 man op. I'd like to see you guys run some HM FP's with us as well.

I know your first instinct will be to team up with the bigger guilds or the folks getting world firsts etc, but I think it may give you a better feel for the abilities of your community if you run with some of the medium sized and smaller guilds once in a while too.

I realize that doing a full op means it could be a late stream or a long one as well so perhaps just the first couple bosses say, get under lurker down or Tourque.

Just my 2 cents.

Wow...I absolutely love this idea!!!

[Avicii]

Identify ahead of time an area of the game you want to get players more excited about - Ops, Strongholds, Warzones, whatever - and do some prep work leading up to the stream to really showcase it that week (or however often you end up doing them).

 

For example, you look at your metrics and see 'hey, this last month the number of people running Ops has really dipped quite a bit, we should do something to get players more engaged with them." So you reach out to a guild or some fansites or even just here on the forums and say "Hey, next Thursday at 4pm CST we're looking to do an 8-man Dread Palace run on ToFN - email Courtney with your class and role and let us know if you'd be interested in running with us so we can really show off that content."

 

Do the same thing with whatever you're looking to push "Hey, Ranked Season 4 is starting next week, let's showcase some Arenas by teaming up with [X] to Group Queue some Ranked with them", "Hey, the next story update is going to feature the Voss, let's have a character set up and ready to go on Voss and run through as much of the World arc there to remind people of that storyline", "Hey, the metrics say no one is downing World Bosses anymore, let's arrange to group up with a bunch of level 50ish characters and take on the Nightmare Pilgrim" etc., etc., etc.

 

The streams will be that much better and the guilds/fansites/forums you're reaching out to for the things that require larger groups will feel that much more engaged.

 

 

This is a great idea, it gets the community involved and show cases strong points.

[dscount]

Maybe even tackle BUGGED Boss Fights... weekly as a smaller time slot than my previous suggested 16m SM GF.

 

Another option.. you save a LOCKOUT to BOSS fight in question that everyone is having issues with and run just that BOSS fight explaining mechanics and expected outcomes in order to KILL that boss.

 

GIFTS - Can we just have a RANDOM number generate the winner? I've seen streams do this and give codes away directly to people asking for ROLL for them? Lots of folks jump into stream have no idea what just streamed and the code is dead before they even try to plug into web browser. Eliminate the crazy cut/paste game and focus on details.

 

Stronghold CRAWL weekly on each Server.... in advance get a server name and couple strongholds picked out and help folks get 50 people inside achievement. Requirement being they are on the PUBLIC listing of course.

[Declan_Vee]

Hi Eric,

 

Really good to see you guys reflecting on your streams and being critical about them. The community team have really stepped up their game this past week or so; and from what I've seen so far I'm rather impressed. Good work guys... and Courtney.