draft/outline still, please contribute!

Selecting a Stats System

HiveMind

https://kqhivemind.com

• Provides in-game and postgame overlays
• Also handles team names and auto-updates scores
• Stats client can run on streaming PC, from a separate system, or theoretically on the cabinet itself
• Server-based, requires stable internet connection, not recommended if you only have wifi

kqstats

https://github.com/killer-queen-stats/kqstats

• Runs in your browser on streaming PC
• Only does stats, no postgame screens
• Team names and score updates are separate

Designing your Stream

Decide on size and location of the game window

• Remember people are here to watch the game
• This sounds obvious, but shrinking your game capture window horizontally will also shrink it vertically. It seems like there's a lot of room but you start taking away a few pixels here and there for graphics and suddenly your game window is a postage stamp in the corner of the screen. Every 16 horizontal pixels is also 9 vertical pixels.
• Examples:
  • Default HiveMind overlay is 1600x900 centered, leaving 160px on each side
  • BumbleBash Remix: 1440x810 centered, stats at bottom
  • GDC V: 1536x864 on left side, stats on top, 384px chat window on right
• Stats going horizontally is probably better

In-Game Stats Design

• Aside from the obvious K/D, team name, and score, it's also helpful to include:
  • Berries deposited by player
  • Snail distance
  • Berries remaining on the map
  • Game time
  • Cabinet name
• Best to keep it somewhat minimalist, keep the focus on the game itself

Do you want chat in your stream?

• Takes up space
• Usually duplicated by Twitch sidebar (unless you're streaming to multiple platforms)
• Pro: chat is always in your video file, so you can see the comments even if it gets uploaded to another platform
• Con: chat is always in your video file, and the internet is full of terrible people

Player Cameras

• Source is typically 16:9, but players are next to each other, so a more widescreen format makes sense
• Crop the top and bottom and you can make it 3:1 or whatever fits (just don't stretch it)
• Be sure to indicate who's who
• Advantage of putting stats horizontally: put stats in the same order as the players on camera

Commentator Camera

• Nice to have, but probably the first thing to go if you're low on space
• Especially nice to have a scene with it though

Postgame Stats

• Can be automatic or a separate scene
• Make it 16:9 and the same size as your game window

Additional Scenes

• Require a stream tech - remember you won't get to use these during "regular" weekly play
• Make sure stream techs know when a match is starting! Otherwise: https://youtu.be/b8-KZAqxlbQ?t=27634
• Replay: advanced setup required
• Scene to show commentators and team cams
• Groups, brackets, upcoming matches?

Recording and Streaming Considerations

Hardware Requirements

• to do

Networking

• Wifi will find the worst possible time and fail at exactly that moment, use network cables if possible

Recording and Streaming Separately

• System from BumbleBash Remix: one PC attached to each cabinet recording game and stats
• Output from OBS on the recording PC to the streaming PC
• Switch scenes on streaming PC, don't touch the recording ones
• With a multi-input capture card you could switch which cabinet is on the main stream. Expensive, and much setup required.

Random Tournament Considerations

• Make sure the commentators have a way of knowing who's who. Having pictures of everyone helps.
• Give the commentators a way to update the scores or at least contact the stream tech without having to leave the mic.
• If you're only recording, make sure you're picking up audio.