Working on becoming a vtuber.

[Kyng]

Yes, that design does look nice and clean . And the rules all make perfect sense .

Best of luck to you with the channel!

[SpookyZalost]

So as of sunday I got my first regular in the twitch chat.  I'm super stoked.  it seems they come on during the first hour on sundays (nobody on this past saturday.)  and hang out for a bit.  Which is a huge achievement given this is my second week with the new model and setup. 

I'm now up to 18 followers on twitch and 26 subscribers on my youtube channel which is also insane.  Let's give it a couple months, see what happens but I'm cautiously optimistic.  I've also kept up my goal of beating at least one boss in each session, two if I can get there.

So far I'm playing hollow knight on saturday and sunday.  and either Dungeon keeper or terraria on tuesdays as a more relaxed chill stream.  But Hollow Knight seems to be the big draw so far.

[SpookyZalost]

I just reached 20 followers!  I'm nearly halfway to a major twitch milestone and I'm pumped as I've had regulars popping in and not just on Sundays.  no idea what's been changing but it's proving to be an interesting experiment.  I want to try and mix up the games i play.  maybe try to make some memes featuring my vtuber...

[Kyng]

I just reached 20 followers!  I'm nearly halfway to a major twitch milestone and I'm pumped as I've had regulars popping in and not just on Sundays.  no idea what's been changing but it's proving to be an interesting experiment.  I want to try and mix up the games i play.  maybe try to make some memes featuring my vtuber...

Congrats .

I hope you're able to figure out what's driving this success, so you can do more of it!

[SpookyZalost]

I just reached 20 followers!  I'm nearly halfway to a major twitch milestone and I'm pumped as I've had regulars popping in and not just on Sundays.  no idea what's been changing but it's proving to be an interesting experiment.  I want to try and mix up the games i play.  maybe try to make some memes featuring my vtuber...

Congrats .

I hope you're able to figure out what's driving this success, so you can do more of it!

So I've found a game that's been consistently getting me activity in chat!  Elite Dangerous.  been doing some missions and surprisingly I'm up to 24 followers now.  just gotta figure out the next game once this one eventually dies down lol.  but since it's chill I can communicate with chat better.  and play music too (royalty free of course.)

[Kyng]

Sounds good . I haven't heard of that game, but I guess it must have a fanbase, if it's bringing in followers!

Good luck continuing to search for new games. I guess if you're one of the first to stream a game that ends up being very popular, it could really help you grow your numbers!

[SpookyZalost]

@ Kyng speaking of finding new games... I'm trying out something new on youtube that won't involve streaming.

I'm going to start doing a linux gaming perspective based first impressions series.



I'll have to figure out some stuff later but I've got the overall structure and stuff in place.

[Kyng]

Wow, that does look like a frustrating game! Still, for $3.99, it's not bad .

Maybe I should give it a go... although, I'll probably get tilted and destroy my computer, which would cost loads more than $3.99 to repair !

[SpookyZalost]

So I've been messing about with a "character sheet"  for my vtuber character.  chat GPT is actually great for bouncing ideas off of funnily enough.  anyway here's what I have so far.  I might end up using this if I decide to go with a live 2D model or next gen version of my 3D avatar.
 Character Sheet: Spooky Zalost, The Mad Professor of Mayhem

---

Basic Profile

• Name: Spooky Zalost
  
• Nickname/Alias: The Mad Professor, The Artificer, The Tinkerer
  
• Alignment: Chaotic Anti-hero/Villain
  
• Age: Late 20s to early 30s
  
• Pronouns: He/Him
  

---

Appearance

• Eyes: Ghostly purple with a sharp, piercing quality that gives a sense of depth and intelligence.
  
• Hair: Dark purple, long and streaked with silver, gathered in a loose ponytail.
  
• Facial Hair: A well-groomed goatee that adds a distinguished, slightly sinister edge to his look.
  
• Clothing Style: A dark, patched trench coat over a rugged denim shirt, and his signature utility bandolier loaded with an array of tools, making him look ready for anything.
  
• Accessories: Tinted, round spectacles with attachable magnifiers for close work, and his cyberdeck slung on his hip like a badge of his technical prowess.
  
  

Personality

• Core Traits: Unyielding, obsessively curious, fiercely independent. They’re observant and analytical, rarely trusting others at face value. There’s a hidden warmth beneath their dark, intellectual exterior, but it’s guarded by walls of cynicism and skepticism.
  
• Temperament: Zalost maintains a calm and composed exterior, though their frustration with society’s faults sometimes bubbles over, especially when speaking about injustices or past experiences. Charismatic in a quiet, intense way, they draw in those who resonate with their ideals of independence and rebellion.
  
• Ethics & Morality: While they reject societal norms, they have a strict personal code, seeing their actions as necessary to expose society’s hypocrisy and failures. Zalost believes that they must tread into “villainy” to be the change they wish to see.
  

---

Signature Gadget: Utility BandolierThe utility bandolier is Zalost’s ultimate toolkit, containing everything he needs to handle complex builds, repairs, and tactical challenges. The key piece of his bandolier is the Covert Companion, an advanced lockpicking multi-tool.
Utility Bandolier Contents:

• Lockpick Set: A compact multi-tool with picks for all occasions, from bypass hooks to lever lock picks, perfect for Zalost’s “Professor of Mayhem” persona.
  
• Multitool: Includes pliers, a small knife, and interchangeable attachments for handling both quick fixes and serious repairs.
  
• Attachable Magnifiers: Clip-on magnifiers for precision work on models or electronics.
  
• Portable Soldering Iron: Compact and rechargeable, ideal for electronics work.
  
• Battery Pack: Provides power for gadgets and other tools on the go.
  
• Multi-bit Screwdriver: With a variety of interchangeable heads for both mechanical and electronic adjustments.
  
• Allen Wrench Set: Comes in several sizes, essential for assembling models or tightening parts on custom builds.
  

The utility bandolier is both Zalost’s armor and his toolkit, giving him the ability to tackle nearly any technical problem while adding to his rugged, rogue-professor aesthetic.

---

Cyberdeck: The ArcanoBoxZalost’s cyberdeck, now named the ArcanoBox, is a masterfully crafted blend of vintage computing power and modern tech enhancements. Inspired by retro devices like the Amiga 500, this gadget has both the look and feel of a vintage piece while containing cutting-edge technology.

---

ArcanoBox Cyberdeck Features

• Physical Design: Styled like an Amiga, the ArcanoBox has a sturdy, matte black shell with a retro aesthetic, accented by brushed metal and exposed wiring for a rugged look. It’s fitted with a mechanical keyboard with satisfying, loud clicks, and a retro trackball for precision navigation.
  
• Interface: The ArcanoBox includes a holographic display that projects maps, schematics, and data feeds, adding immersion to his streams and lore.
  
• Hybrid OS: Runs on a Linux variant operating system that mixes vintage command-line aesthetics with advanced functionality for tinkering, hardware hacking, blueprint storage, and diagnostics.
  
• Connectivity & Ports: Outfitted with both classic and modern ports, including legacy connectors, USB, and adapters, making it highly adaptable.
  

Key Features:

• Hacking and Decryption Tools: Comes with decryption software, signal jammers, and virtual lockpicks for in-game lore and stream storytelling.
  
• Blueprint Storage and Project Library: Holds detailed blueprints, 3D models, and design schematics for his various creations.
  
• Surveillance Mode: Equipped with scanning tools that detect signals and devices nearby, adding an element of mystery and immersion to his streams.
  

---

Content Focus

• Villainous Gaming Streams: Zalost’s preference for games with villainous characters and chaotic plots lets him embody his anti-hero persona, often narrating his choices with a professor’s rationale, even when wreaking havoc.
  
• Tinkering & Building Streams: Featuring his ArcanoBox and utility bandolier, these streams are hands-on, showcasing his knowledge as he builds intricate models and devices.
  

---

Audience Engagement

• ArcanoBox Interactive Use: Fans can suggest commands or hacks for the ArcanoBox during streams, participating in its lore and functionality.
  
• Minion-Sourced Projects: Fans send in ideas for what Zalost should create or modify, and he uses his tools and ingenuity to bring their ideas to life in the lab.
  

Catchphrases

• “There’s no such thing as too many parts. Only too few hands!”
  
• “What’s a little chaos, if it brings something new into the world?”
  
• “Together, we will break the shackles society has placed on us.”
  
• “Villainy is but a term for those who dare to question the narrative.”
  
• “Join me, not for me, but for the change you wish to see in this world.
  

That's what it spat out with a little fiddling when I fed it my character's back story. and described my bandolier to it since part of me wants to feature it somehow. 

and when I take all that and feed it into an image generator...


Honestly it's not bad and pretty close to what I had in mind originally.

[SpookyZalost]

Now for something more technical.  It took a lot of finagling but getting OBS to work right with everything wasn't easy.  the end result ends up looking something like this.  please note I'm running two monitors.  the vertical one on the left and the horizontal one on the right.  This is so I can keep the game on the right monitor while streaming at full resolution.



I have it setup that way so I can monitor all aspects of my stream in real time.  meanwhile I have a program called veesee face running in the background to do the mocap control for the vtuber model.  that terminal is the script that basically does the motion capture and sends it to the vtuber puppeteering software.

to get OBS to look like that I ended up using browser source based docks and went through my twitch settings popping out each thing and grabbing the URL.  it does mean I'd need to log into it every 30 days or so but the functionality is there and I can see who's in the chat/watching the stream and what people are saying, as well as anyone who follows etc, as I stream so I don't miss anything.

finally on the far left I'm running some KDE widgets to track CPU usage, memory usage, network speed as well as time and the timer I set for myself to keep my streams and recordings from running too long.

A bit of advice.  if you're going to do this in linux rather than windows don't use the flatpack version of OBS.  it makes it difficult to install plugins which is important if you're a streamer.  for example the controller actually shows a graphic of my gamepad controller and what buttons I push while I play.  that one works fine with normal OBS but flatpack OBS won't see it.  something to do with how the sandboxing works, OBS doesn't like it and won't see any plugins you install unless you're running it as root which defeats the purpose of sandboxing it.  however in regular OBS it reads the plugins from the user directory.