My group has relatively recently started streaming on Twitch (https://twitch.tv/RagingRolls). We currently use Roll20 for gameplay and Discord for video chat. I have a couple of questions for the community.
Quality - most importantly we are looking to deliver a high quality stream, however we seem to be encountering a lot of technical issues with Discord video (choppy video, choppy audio, disconnects, freezing video, etc). What is your recommendation for a video call system?
Layout - I see many streams on Twitch that uses a layout that has each person in their own frame and their character name overlayed. I'd love to know how to do this! Using discord, or even the Roll20 video, as players drop out and in (for whatever reason), the order and layout of video feeds constantly changes, which means in OBS, the layout keeps getting messed up. How to do you ensure the right player always ends up in the right box?
For recording, OBS streaming is the best way to go for streaming from what ive used, but there are many more options but i used a virtual desktop for it. (I wouldnt suggest making streams or recording videos for multiplayer games if you dont have the best internet and multiple people live with you.
don't know if it helps, but I've realised that discord arranges the camera in alphabetical order. So by changing your nickname on Discord, you can make sure the order of your players is always the same.
unfortunately I don't think there's a way to keep them "fixed" on the screen. if someone drops out, discord will rearrange them.
what overlay and OBS software do you use? I am using streamlabs OBS (because its free and seems relatively simple) but am having issues getting overlay right. I take it that you have two different video captures going? one for the map and one for the discord/videos?
Video Call: Zoom. It's designed for quality video and it seems stable enough and quality enough to make the call.
Software: OBS. I have a layout set up where I am grabbing the screen 4 times, once for each player. In OBS I have 4 "scenes" each one is a single screen grab that gets me their video in the call, and then I can re-arrange the players as I wish. I also have a screen capture that snags a window off of DND beyond to show the dice rolls.
Here's a clip of our gaming that will show you one of our layouts (I use 4 different arrangements).
The biggest thing I can offer up for advice is that you watch your group size. Virtual gaming is hard and the more people you pack at the table the harder it is to keep everyone engaged. I cap at 4 players an feel pretty good about it.
1 Laptop eMachines with a CPU i3 with 4 GB RAM ( shared ). 1 Digital Nikon Camera used to capture the image. 1 Mic from the 60's reaconditioned & readapted to get USB port. 1 ADSL internet line with 6 MB bandwith.
And buckets & buckets of patience......................................
Over the course of our streaming since April 2020 we’ve moved from Discord to Skype (which gave us a lot more control over placement of individual camera feeds when combined with the NDI plugin) and now we’ve switched to using VDO.ninja which is absolutely awesome! So much control over video and audio plus the streaming quality is super crisp and we can control the position of each camera feed in the stream layout just like a browser source! Recommended for streamers out there using online games. https://vdo.ninja
We (Writing Wrongs on https://Twitch.tv/CursedDragonShip ) are using Teams for Video/Audio as it gives us NDI capabilities (discreet audio is coming soon!)
and now we’ve switched to using VDO.ninja which is absolutely awesome! So much control over video and audio plus the streaming quality is super crisp and we can control the position of each camera feed in the stream layout just like a browser source! Recommended for streamers out there using online games. https://vdo.ninja
How does this work for everyone being able to see & hear each other? I'd looked at this previously but didn't get too far in depth due to some issues with CPU utilization (I've since done a full PC upgrade so it may be viable now)
We (Writing Wrongs on https://Twitch.tv/CursedDragonShip ) are using Teams for Video/Audio as it gives us NDI capabilities (discreet audio is coming soon!)
and now we’ve switched to using VDO.ninja which is absolutely awesome! So much control over video and audio plus the streaming quality is super crisp and we can control the position of each camera feed in the stream layout just like a browser source! Recommended for streamers out there using online games. https://vdo.ninja
How does this work for everyone being able to see & hear each other? I'd looked at this previously but didn't get too far in depth due to some issues with CPU utilization (I've since done a full PC upgrade so it may be viable now)
Seems work work really well! Everyone else connects and it works in much the same way as Google Meet. The Director can view more controls, can adjust the volume of individuals and a bunch more!
3 old iPhone's on stands, OBS, one omnidirectional mic, umbrella underneath the ceiling lamp for diffusion, black bed sheets for backdrops, some foam and matrass toppers on walls for absorption and a square table with cut off corner where de DM sits👍. We might add some plants and Edison lights.
3 old iPhone's on stands, OBS, one omnidirectional mic, umbrella underneath the ceiling lamp for diffusion, black bed sheets for backdrops, some foam and matrass toppers on walls for absorption and a square table with cut off corner where de DM sits👍. We might add some plants and Edison lights.
Do you have a spare person doing the OBS work or do you manage that while you're running the game as DM? Or do you stay in a static shot?
I'm trying to find ways to clean up/ liven up the video and my two goals are "dynamic video/ emphasis changing" and "closed captioning". Zoom's captions are wonky at best but I'm not sure I'm ready to ask everyone to move to Google Meets or to Discord Video. Though I heard that discord lets you drag people around now so there is that (I hate having to redo the layout every time I start a new call because people aren't in "their frames".
3 old iPhone's on stands, OBS, one omnidirectional mic, umbrella underneath the ceiling lamp for diffusion, black bed sheets for backdrops, some foam and matrass toppers on walls for absorption and a square table with cut off corner where de DM sits👍. We might add some plants and Edison lights.
Do you have a spare person doing the OBS work or do you manage that while you're running the game as DM? Or do you stay in a static shot?
I'm trying to find ways to clean up/ liven up the video and my two goals are "dynamic video/ emphasis changing" and "closed captioning". Zoom's captions are wonky at best but I'm not sure I'm ready to ask everyone to move to Google Meets or to Discord Video. Though I heard that discord lets you drag people around now so there is that (I hate having to redo the layout every time I start a new call because people aren't in "their frames".
No just us playing. I have a stream deck next to me to switch to another scene to show props/maps. We do edit a little bit afterwards (remove break, insert some art, minor color correction, audio filters etc.) We do not live stream.
We are also looking for ideas to make the video more interesting. Any ideas are welcome!
One thing I'd toss in is that you've got kind of a dead zone there with the perpetual "Support us" window. You could do a stack of the character art with quotes, character trivia, etc that auto scrolls through all of them just to keep some "action" down there. Here's one that I'm using for my Ravenloft 1921 game:
One thing I'd toss in is that you've got kind of a dead zone there with the perpetual "Support us" window. You could do a stack of the character art with quotes, character trivia, etc that auto scrolls through all of them just to keep some "action" down there. Here's one that I'm using for my Ravenloft 1921 game:
Thank you. Looks good! Will definitely look into that!
for the call part you could look into vdo. ninja its a highly customizable quality and bit rate discord like video call site phone support with individual links to put as a browser source inside obs or any other streaming software i don't know if there are static links for your participants = this is the free option i would recommend
a paid option would be vmix an extremally powerful streaming software with a build-in voice call program that also works on phones no extra link just 1 link you would need to share with the participants it also allows you to record everyone with their own audio track in separate files if you are looking to use this for a podcast to edit the audio later
for the tech issues depending of all your locations it might be impossible to have a stable connection with 7 people this is why discord is failing you might not be able to fix it with any options out there i had this and waisted a lot of time on it tip don't waste time just play if you can or maybe try other hours maybe
for layout or overlay look at other streams take a inspiration and make your own
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Hi,
My group has relatively recently started streaming on Twitch (https://twitch.tv/RagingRolls). We currently use Roll20 for gameplay and Discord for video chat. I have a couple of questions for the community.
Here's our current layout...
TIA
For recording, OBS streaming is the best way to go for streaming from what ive used, but there are many more options but i used a virtual desktop for it. (I wouldnt suggest making streams or recording videos for multiplayer games if you dont have the best internet and multiple people live with you.
I have done a test stream and I have the same issue as well with players rearranging.
I will find a solution for this and let you know. :)
don't know if it helps, but I've realised that discord arranges the camera in alphabetical order. So by changing your nickname on Discord, you can make sure the order of your players is always the same.
unfortunately I don't think there's a way to keep them "fixed" on the screen. if someone drops out, discord will rearrange them.
My RPG Campaigns
this is our setup
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/645207905?collection=EqOFS7KeLhWIwg
My RPG Campaigns
Thanks. The more I ask around the more I'm hearing that there's no way to avoid it. Ah well. Here's hoping people don't drop out.
what overlay and OBS software do you use? I am using streamlabs OBS (because its free and seems relatively simple) but am having issues getting overlay right. I take it that you have two different video captures going? one for the map and one for the discord/videos?
So here's what I use:
Video Call: Zoom. It's designed for quality video and it seems stable enough and quality enough to make the call.
Software: OBS. I have a layout set up where I am grabbing the screen 4 times, once for each player. In OBS I have 4 "scenes" each one is a single screen grab that gets me their video in the call, and then I can re-arrange the players as I wish. I also have a screen capture that snags a window off of DND beyond to show the dice rolls.
Here's a clip of our gaming that will show you one of our layouts (I use 4 different arrangements).
https://clips.twitch.tv/HardMotionlessCucumberTBTacoLeft
The biggest thing I can offer up for advice is that you watch your group size. Virtual gaming is hard and the more people you pack at the table the harder it is to keep everyone engaged. I cap at 4 players an feel pretty good about it.
"Teller of tales, dreamer of dreams"
Tips, Tricks, Maps: Lantern Noir Presents
**Streams hosted at at twitch.tv/LaternNoir
i want so badly to be play in a streaming group
Here's what I use.....
1 Laptop eMachines with a CPU i3 with 4 GB RAM ( shared ).
1 Digital Nikon Camera used to capture the image.
1 Mic from the 60's reaconditioned & readapted to get USB port.
1 ADSL internet line with 6 MB bandwith.
And buckets & buckets of patience......................................
My Ready-to-rock&roll chars:
Dertinus Tristany // Amilcar Barca // Vicenç Sacrarius // Oriol Deulofeu // Grovtuk
Over the course of our streaming since April 2020 we’ve moved from Discord to Skype (which gave us a lot more control over placement of individual camera feeds when combined with the NDI plugin) and now we’ve switched to using VDO.ninja which is absolutely awesome! So much control over video and audio plus the streaming quality is super crisp and we can control the position of each camera feed in the stream layout just like a browser source! Recommended for streamers out there using online games. https://vdo.ninja
oh, and it’s completely free!
We (Writing Wrongs on https://Twitch.tv/CursedDragonShip ) are using Teams for Video/Audio as it gives us NDI capabilities (discreet audio is coming soon!)
How does this work for everyone being able to see & hear each other? I'd looked at this previously but didn't get too far in depth due to some issues with CPU utilization (I've since done a full PC upgrade so it may be viable now)
Hey there.
This is our setup as of right now: https://twitter.com/TheNameIsToby/status/1445295798288363520
There are still a few things missing (better lighting being one of them), but other than that I'm pretty proud of it!
And if you want to see our channel "in action" with overlays etc. You can find it here: www.Twitch.tv/DanesAndDice
Seems work work really well! Everyone else connects and it works in much the same way as Google Meet. The Director can view more controls, can adjust the volume of individuals and a bunch more!
We play and record IRL around a table:
3 old iPhone's on stands, OBS, one omnidirectional mic, umbrella underneath the ceiling lamp for diffusion, black bed sheets for backdrops, some foam and matrass toppers on walls for absorption and a square table with cut off corner where de DM sits👍. We might add some plants and Edison lights.
Do you have a spare person doing the OBS work or do you manage that while you're running the game as DM? Or do you stay in a static shot?
I'm trying to find ways to clean up/ liven up the video and my two goals are "dynamic video/ emphasis changing" and "closed captioning". Zoom's captions are wonky at best but I'm not sure I'm ready to ask everyone to move to Google Meets or to Discord Video. Though I heard that discord lets you drag people around now so there is that (I hate having to redo the layout every time I start a new call because people aren't in "their frames".
"Teller of tales, dreamer of dreams"
Tips, Tricks, Maps: Lantern Noir Presents
**Streams hosted at at twitch.tv/LaternNoir
No just us playing. I have a stream deck next to me to switch to another scene to show props/maps. We do edit a little bit afterwards (remove break, insert some art, minor color correction, audio filters etc.) We do not live stream.
We are also looking for ideas to make the video more interesting. Any ideas are welcome!
One thing I'd toss in is that you've got kind of a dead zone there with the perpetual "Support us" window. You could do a stack of the character art with quotes, character trivia, etc that auto scrolls through all of them just to keep some "action" down there. Here's one that I'm using for my Ravenloft 1921 game:
"Teller of tales, dreamer of dreams"
Tips, Tricks, Maps: Lantern Noir Presents
**Streams hosted at at twitch.tv/LaternNoir
Thank you. Looks good! Will definitely look into that!
for the call part you could look into vdo. ninja its a highly customizable quality and bit rate discord like video call site phone support with individual links to put as a browser source inside obs or any other streaming software i don't know if there are static links for your participants = this is the free option i would recommend
a paid option would be vmix an extremally powerful streaming software with a build-in voice call program that also works on phones no extra link just 1 link you would need to share with the participants it also allows you to record everyone with their own audio track in separate files if you are looking to use this for a podcast to edit the audio later
for the tech issues depending of all your locations it might be impossible to have a stable connection with 7 people this is why discord is failing you might not be able to fix it with any options out there i had this and waisted a lot of time on it tip don't waste time just play if you can or maybe try other hours maybe
for layout or overlay look at other streams take a inspiration and make your own