A friend and I are trying to create a DND stream. It has been a passion project we have been trying to get up and running for quite some time now. That said, we have some questions and would appreciate advice on what to do.
Before I proceed, let me say what we already have: a setting for the campaign, a microphone that has been very useful in recordings, a few web-cameras plus tripods to set them on and a location for the party to gather around.
Also, my friend and I are not financially wealthy, so any recommendations involving hiring outside help is limited to our friends and associates.
My questions are this: Is there anything else we will need equipment wise besides what we have already? What's the best time to stream that would guarantee a good turn out? Should we enable chat if we have no one watching the cameras? Are there any streams and series like what we are planning that we should watch for reference?
If you have any other advice that I didn't mention, please feel free to share. Anything would be of great help!
Good luck starting up your D&D stream! I'll offer some suggestions for your questions, though these are certainly my (educated) opinions, and others may have very valid and valuable suggestions!
Is there anything else we will need equipment wise besides what we have already? It sounds like you are all playing in person. I highly recommend testing out your whole set up ahead of time, recording and listening back to see what you think. I'd be especially mindful of your audio, with one microphone it's going to be hard to get clear audio from everyone without also picking up a lot of background noise and bonus issues. I believe audio is the most important part of a D&D stream, and if it's hard to hear or understand people it can ruin the whole experience. So if you can invest in a few other mics so everyone has a microphone I highly recommend you do! If that is too much money, maybe just one more microphone for the DM specifically?
What's the best time to stream that would guarantee a good turn out? There is no easy answer to this, and it can be very dependent on what timezone you are in. If you're in the US then between 3pm PT and 9pm PT on weekdays will get you evening hours across the country and pick up more people who are done with work. Weekends are also a good time. But you will not be able to find a time that is good for most people, so focus on what makes sense for your group, and how you can record your livestreams to put them up on YouTube or a podcast version for those who need a VoD.
Should we enable chat if we have no one watching the cameras? You never know when people will come in and watch! And having the chat enabled is a great way to let anyone in your audience interact with each other, cheer you on, and start to build a community! However remember that there is also the possibility for trolls/racists/spam/other issues, so having someone agree to be a mod in the chat is VERY important. I highly recommend someone you trust to be there in case crap happens who ISN'T a member of your cast, so your players can focus on performing and playing.
Are there any streams and series like what we are planning that we should watch for reference? The good AND bad news is there are HUNDREDS of D&D streams you can take inspiration from! If you and your friends are interested in doing this stream, chances are you are already fans of a few other shows. Watch an episode with a critical eye...what do they do that appeals to you? What are you able to emulate?
Finally my last bit of advice as someone who creates both D&D streams and podcasts...always remember that your friendship with these people is more important than any D&D game, especially a streamed game. Do not let any concerns about the SHOW get in the way of concerns over your FRIENDSHIP. The show can come and go, the show can change, the show can go on hiatus, the show can end...but it's the friendships that are the most important.
I want to thank you again for the help. My friend and I have a few more questions we'd like your input on:
In terms of additional mics, what would you recommend? The one my friend has is a Blue Yeti Nano, which has served us pretty well. Should we invest in lapel mics or a second mic similar to our current one?
We are trying to use both YouTube and VOD for the project. Do you know if it is possible to do both simultaneously and if so, what is a good VOD site?
We're currently planning to stream between 7-9PM EST and thinking of either Monday, Tuesday or Thursday as potential days. Which would you recommend out of the three as the ideal day?
We're planning our campaign to be more storytelling based then map and figurine based. Is there any pros and cons to this type of playing on a stream? This is how me and my group play D&D.
We're also looking for a DM for the stream. Do you know any places where we could look for one?
Last question, is it possible to upload video on this forum? We want to post either video or images of our current setup and get feedback on it.
Sorry if some of these questions are unusual, but we're trying to get as much help as possible.
Hi Loner! I'll do my best to give you some answers, though remember that this is just my opinion and others may have good but different ideas!
- Since the Blue Yeti brand tend to be solid quality microphones, I would recommend trying to stick with that for your second mic. It's a good mic, AND you already know how to use it, AND you'll get the same sound quality which will help make things sound consistent.
- By VoD do you mean Twitch video on demand? You can stream to both YouTUbe and Twitch at the same time, though I don't know the details on how. Twitch will save your stream as a VoD for a while, YouTube should save unless you delete it or the channel.
- I think any of those days are good!
- The pros of Theatre of the Mind games (no maps, minis, or showing dice rolls) is that it cuts down on the technical challenges. The pros of using maps and minis is that there are a lot of people who enjoy seeing that kind of play. So really it's up to you and your game style. Go with what is comfortable.
- Finding a DM for a streamed game can be a challenge! Start with your friends and family, and move out from there. You want someone all the players are comfortable with. who is also ready to perform on a stream. A lot of D&D streams that are not just close friend groups will pay their DMs, so keep that in mind.
- You can't upload video directly to the forums, but you can link videos. If you're looking to promote the stream check out the Streams and Video forum!
Hello, I'm the friend working on the project with Loner. I just wanted to pop by and say thanks for all the help and provide some additional details (and ask any questions I think of, myself).
For VoD we're thinking something more long term then just "Saves for a while." We'd like the stream to fully accessible for people who want to watch live or catch up on what they missed and even re-watch anytime they'd like. So, if Twitch doesn't keep the VoD permanently, are there other sites that will? I've never done VoD before, as I'm more used to YouTube so it's new territory for me.
Finding a DM through friends and family is going to be very tricky as most of our D&D playing friends either don't want to be DM or have no experience. Loner already DMs a campaign and was planning to sit in a player's chair, but we've discussed the possibility of him helming this campaign as well.
For uploading videos, I'm thinking of uploading some private videos of the set up to my gaming YouTube channel to share the links here, but I do know when I've directly shared private videos with people they still can't see them on their phones, but on their laptops just fine, so would sharing links to private videos be an issue for adding input? I was planning on holding off on making the official channel on YouTube until we had everything set up and ready to actually start the streaming (like set it up about a week to a few days from the official first stream).
A friend and I are trying to create a DND stream. It has been a passion project we have been trying to get up and running for quite some time now. That said, we have some questions and would appreciate advice on what to do.
Before I proceed, let me say what we already have: a setting for the campaign, a microphone that has been very useful in recordings, a few web-cameras plus tripods to set them on and a location for the party to gather around.
Also, my friend and I are not financially wealthy, so any recommendations involving hiring outside help is limited to our friends and associates.
My questions are this: Is there anything else we will need equipment wise besides what we have already? What's the best time to stream that would guarantee a good turn out? Should we enable chat if we have no one watching the cameras? Are there any streams and series like what we are planning that we should watch for reference?
If you have any other advice that I didn't mention, please feel free to share. Anything would be of great help!
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InsiderGood luck starting up your D&D stream! I'll offer some suggestions for your questions, though these are certainly my (educated) opinions, and others may have very valid and valuable suggestions!
Is there anything else we will need equipment wise besides what we have already?
It sounds like you are all playing in person. I highly recommend testing out your whole set up ahead of time, recording and listening back to see what you think. I'd be especially mindful of your audio, with one microphone it's going to be hard to get clear audio from everyone without also picking up a lot of background noise and bonus issues. I believe audio is the most important part of a D&D stream, and if it's hard to hear or understand people it can ruin the whole experience. So if you can invest in a few other mics so everyone has a microphone I highly recommend you do! If that is too much money, maybe just one more microphone for the DM specifically?
What's the best time to stream that would guarantee a good turn out?
There is no easy answer to this, and it can be very dependent on what timezone you are in. If you're in the US then between 3pm PT and 9pm PT on weekdays will get you evening hours across the country and pick up more people who are done with work. Weekends are also a good time. But you will not be able to find a time that is good for most people, so focus on what makes sense for your group, and how you can record your livestreams to put them up on YouTube or a podcast version for those who need a VoD.
Should we enable chat if we have no one watching the cameras?
You never know when people will come in and watch! And having the chat enabled is a great way to let anyone in your audience interact with each other, cheer you on, and start to build a community! However remember that there is also the possibility for trolls/racists/spam/other issues, so having someone agree to be a mod in the chat is VERY important. I highly recommend someone you trust to be there in case crap happens who ISN'T a member of your cast, so your players can focus on performing and playing.
Are there any streams and series like what we are planning that we should watch for reference?
The good AND bad news is there are HUNDREDS of D&D streams you can take inspiration from! If you and your friends are interested in doing this stream, chances are you are already fans of a few other shows. Watch an episode with a critical eye...what do they do that appeals to you? What are you able to emulate?
Finally my last bit of advice as someone who creates both D&D streams and podcasts...always remember that your friendship with these people is more important than any D&D game, especially a streamed game. Do not let any concerns about the SHOW get in the way of concerns over your FRIENDSHIP. The show can come and go, the show can change, the show can go on hiatus, the show can end...but it's the friendships that are the most important.
Find me on Twitter: @OboeLauren
Thank you for your reply!
My friend and I are going to review what you've said and work from there. If we have other questions, we will ask.
Again, thank you!
I want to thank you again for the help. My friend and I have a few more questions we'd like your input on:
In terms of additional mics, what would you recommend? The one my friend has is a Blue Yeti Nano, which has served us pretty well. Should we invest in lapel mics or a second mic similar to our current one?
We are trying to use both YouTube and VOD for the project. Do you know if it is possible to do both simultaneously and if so, what is a good VOD site?
We're currently planning to stream between 7-9PM EST and thinking of either Monday, Tuesday or Thursday as potential days. Which would you recommend out of the three as the ideal day?
We're planning our campaign to be more storytelling based then map and figurine based. Is there any pros and cons to this type of playing on a stream? This is how me and my group play D&D.
We're also looking for a DM for the stream. Do you know any places where we could look for one?
Last question, is it possible to upload video on this forum? We want to post either video or images of our current setup and get feedback on it.
Sorry if some of these questions are unusual, but we're trying to get as much help as possible.
Thank you again!
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View Posts
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InsiderHi Loner! I'll do my best to give you some answers, though remember that this is just my opinion and others may have good but different ideas!
- Since the Blue Yeti brand tend to be solid quality microphones, I would recommend trying to stick with that for your second mic. It's a good mic, AND you already know how to use it, AND you'll get the same sound quality which will help make things sound consistent.
- By VoD do you mean Twitch video on demand? You can stream to both YouTUbe and Twitch at the same time, though I don't know the details on how. Twitch will save your stream as a VoD for a while, YouTube should save unless you delete it or the channel.
- I think any of those days are good!
- The pros of Theatre of the Mind games (no maps, minis, or showing dice rolls) is that it cuts down on the technical challenges. The pros of using maps and minis is that there are a lot of people who enjoy seeing that kind of play. So really it's up to you and your game style. Go with what is comfortable.
- Finding a DM for a streamed game can be a challenge! Start with your friends and family, and move out from there. You want someone all the players are comfortable with. who is also ready to perform on a stream. A lot of D&D streams that are not just close friend groups will pay their DMs, so keep that in mind.
- You can't upload video directly to the forums, but you can link videos. If you're looking to promote the stream check out the Streams and Video forum!
Hope this helps!
Find me on Twitter: @OboeLauren
Hello, I'm the friend working on the project with Loner. I just wanted to pop by and say thanks for all the help and provide some additional details (and ask any questions I think of, myself).
For VoD we're thinking something more long term then just "Saves for a while." We'd like the stream to fully accessible for people who want to watch live or catch up on what they missed and even re-watch anytime they'd like. So, if Twitch doesn't keep the VoD permanently, are there other sites that will? I've never done VoD before, as I'm more used to YouTube so it's new territory for me.
Finding a DM through friends and family is going to be very tricky as most of our D&D playing friends either don't want to be DM or have no experience. Loner already DMs a campaign and was planning to sit in a player's chair, but we've discussed the possibility of him helming this campaign as well.
For uploading videos, I'm thinking of uploading some private videos of the set up to my gaming YouTube channel to share the links here, but I do know when I've directly shared private videos with people they still can't see them on their phones, but on their laptops just fine, so would sharing links to private videos be an issue for adding input? I was planning on holding off on making the official channel on YouTube until we had everything set up and ready to actually start the streaming (like set it up about a week to a few days from the official first stream).
Anyway, thank you for all the help so far.
Just wanted to add the thread that my friend StarliteDecay made that contains the links to the audio and video tests.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/streams-video/96476-the-audio-tests-and-the-equipment-set-up