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Make this game livestreamer-friendly
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Description

Please make this game stream friendly.

to put this in perspective - In the last 48hours I have livestreamed 18hrs of ARMA3 to 17,000 unique visitors totalling over 35,000 hours of ARMA3 content viewed on my livestream. Today during a 9hr livestream I had a player follow me across 11 servers, continually driving vehicles into my line of sight, shooting at me and giving away my position and telling the entire server that I am playing which encourages more players to begin streamsniping.- this kind of behaviour happens every single livestream, for hours.

A massive part of DayZ's (and therefor Bohemias) success, and ARMA3's future success comes from people watching livestreams of the game and being convinced to play. It is a form of free marketing and streamers put a lot of time into promoting great games.

The problem with livestreaming is that popular livestreamers are constantly being followed by other players who simply watch the livestream and kill the streamer constantly by using the stream to monitor the streamers position in realtime. The primary way a stream-sniper will do this is by looking for clues as to which server the streamer is on, this often comes from simply finding the streamers ingame name and then using online websites which contact the arma master server and literally tell them which server the streamer is on.

Dean is addressing this issue in DayZ SA by removing the players username from common windows such as the inventory screen where it is simply pointless information, but requires a streamer to cover. This means a streamer will have to cover the inventory nametag area with their stream overlay which greatly detracts from the gameplay.

The streamers in game name is also visible on the map view, so streamers must place overlay pieces to cover the areas of the map which display the name.

Another way of identifying the server is for a livestream viewer to simply read the chatbox in the corner of the screen. The chat box in ARMA games has always been an issue for livestreamers because server MOTD and error exceptions often stretch BEYOND 50% of the width of the screen (at 1920*1080) meaning a streamer must overlay the bottom third of their screen to avoid streamsnipers using this method to find the server.

Finally, the fact that servers display a list of the players inside is a major issue for livestreamers, once a viewer knows your name (or a name of anyone on the server) they can simply use mouse up/down through the server browse looking through the list of players on the server until they find you. Alternatively they can simply use websites to search ARMA servers for individual names.

Please, let livestreamers promote your game without suffering constant abuse my streamsnipers. We just want to promote your game for free, and being killed by streamsnipers once you get a decent weapon/squad etc is completely demoralising and causes a lot of negativity on the livestream.

player nameplates are also an issue for livestreamers, even if chat, inventory and map screens are covered by stream-overlay images, if we face an enemy or teammate some servers display the targets name in the centre of the screen - please allow streamers to toggle between name plates and a generic [friendly][enemy] tag.

To summarise, the below features should be easy enough to acheive before the game goes live, before the beta or maybe even during the alpha with a patch.

  1. remove player name from inventory
  2. remove player name from map
  3. make sure chatbox cannot overflow - or make a toggle chat button
  4. allow players to OPT OUT of public server listing
  5. add option to replace friendly/enemy nametags with [enemy] [friendly]

Livestreaming has generated significant amounts of revenue for Bohemia in the last 9 months, please show livestreamers some respect by changing a few minor UI elements to allow us to show the engine in its true beauty, without having to cover 30% of the screen with images to cover names and chat boxes.

for an example of how much screen needs to be covered (and this is still not enough, I am still streamsniped) please see this video (bottom left chat, has to cover 50% of the width of screen, middle of screen black bar blocks inventory name, top right black bar blocks the server name from the map screen....)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwlY-nOymXk

Kind regards,
Sacriel

Details

Legacy ID
3342013899
Severity
Tweak
Resolution
Fixed
Reproducibility
N/A
Category
Visual-GUI

Event Timeline

There are a very large number of changes, so older changes are hidden. Show Older Changes

Agree with all the above comments, loving ARMAIII Alpha streams, and hope to start streaming myself in the near future. This is a good idea.

SGTIce added a subscriber: SGTIce.May 7 2016, 11:32 AM

This is not a high priority to compared to stabilizing the game.

ChrisH added a subscriber: ChrisH.May 7 2016, 11:32 AM

I hope the developers hear us on this. This is needed badly!!!

Jann3 added a subscriber: Jann3.May 7 2016, 11:32 AM
Jann3 added a comment.Mar 8 2013, 12:26 AM

Online streaming is one of those markets that in the past was next to non-existent but has exploded in recent years, and will likely continue to in the future.

The changes suggested here are all relatively simple GUI tweeks and I think would be foolish to ignore.

There are many things that can be implemented into the game to make it user friendly and for a streamer to showcase a game (for example which is in Alpha) to the general public without the fear of reprisals for playing the game. In this case, and with the production value of Arma 2 and the mod DayZ, removing such an unnecessary item such as the screen name of the player (which they would know as they chose it) and the other unnecessary info, you would have less problems with people streaming, thusly a happier community, leading to decent gameplay and ultimately more sales for the company. Arma 2 succeeded massively due to DayZ, and due to this Arma 3 has developed a 'cult' following. By allowing people to even choose if they would like these options turned on (allowing the casual or less confident gamer the option, but allowing the more experienced to decide) you open up a world of opportunity.
As an Alpha, the game exceeds expectations from what I have seen. Due to my own personal circumstances, I have not had the option to play recently, but after recent reviews and video gameplay, I have no doubt that I shall be purchasing the Alpha. I am very dubious about the playability of a game though, which despite such a following, has not addressed the one small problem which has caused such a problem which could be easily addressed. I hope for the best with this game, and have no doubt that any secondary problems such as FPS issues and the like will be addressed in the Beta and final release. But I beg of you to make this game stream friendly, as there are a great many people who wish for this to become an exciting and brilliant game, and who also wish to stream it, but feel that there is a lack of support and cannot due to circumstance.

Thank you for your time.

I have to remind everyone present here that this is a bug-report forum, not really a "place your suggestion here" kind of thing.

Granted this will get attention, but other more important things may be blocked because of this (and many other) suggestions submitted as bugs.

Please use the proper channels.
Thanks.

Skepy added a subscriber: Skepy.May 7 2016, 11:32 AM
Skepy added a comment.Mar 8 2013, 1:15 AM

As a longtime streamer of Arma 2 and its iterations (DayZ/Wasteland/Takistan life/ACE ACRE,

This would be something I am sure 99% of the community who streams/watches would enjoy, there is nothing more frustrating than spending 3 or 4 hours playing collecting gear for some "random" from a stream to ind you and either call out your location to the server, or even worse, tell the entire server that you are streaming.

My favorite rebuttal to such things from stream snipers is "Don't Stream then" they don't realize that for many of us who are serious streamers we use this as a form of income.

Please BI add something that lets a streamer/Youtuber play in peace.

Streaming is an amazing marketing tool, help us..Help you!

Zala_ added a subscriber: Zala_.May 7 2016, 11:32 AM
Zala_ added a comment.Mar 8 2013, 2:47 AM

Bless this post. Upvote!

If I can't watch Sacriel do his thing on a live stream, I'm going to get angry. You won't like me when I'm angry.

Please fix it.

Thank you.

Have a wonderful day.

Upvote, would be nice.

This is a great idea that should be implemented. Stream sniping is a huge problem and spoils the experience for player and watcher.

Cheers.

This would be a great feature and really send the message that the devs care about the users.

These suggestions are simple, but effective.
Streamsniping is a real problem, and delaying a stream should not be the fix.
I hope you pay attention to this issue!

Long time Sacriel viewer :v

Streaming is free advertising and this hurts it. This is a necessary change to keep your free advertising running! Upvote!

These simple changes would be an excellent addition to Arma 3.

Zanith added a subscriber: Zanith.May 7 2016, 11:32 AM
Zanith added a comment.Mar 8 2013, 3:43 AM

mods might be able to fix this issue if BI don't but for the time being sticking a delay on a livestream would work for the time being although killing the streamer-audience interactions but its a temp fix?

Issue needs to be fixed for a more stream friendly game. I bought this Alpha mostly due to watching Arma 2 streams and streams of the Alpha, it's great advertising.

Watching video game streamers on TwitchTV, along with Youtube videos, has pretty much replaced traditional TV for me. It has heavily influenced my game buying decisions for the last year or so. I prefer to watch live streams of games I'm interested in prior to purchase, rather than Youtube videos, as there is no editing to make the game play seem better than it really is. With live streams, you really do get what you see.

Some server related GUI options for streamers would help to keep viewers from wandering off during the all-too-frequent server hops needed to stay ahead of the stream-snipers. Showing off a better game experience via streams can only yield positive sales results for BIS in the long run. Not to mention the 'good guy' factor your company will get when people notice you are willing to listen to the customers. I refuse to buy any more EA or Ubisoft games due to the way they treat their customers.

This is not necessary at the moment. I'd rather they pay attention working on the game fixing bugs then too work on less important things.

While this may not be a "high priority" issue compared to stabilizing the game and getting those frames per second under control. It's still an issue that affects lots of the community. Not just the ones who streamed when DayZ started out, but the Arma community as a whole. Streaming is becoming much more popular as well and these suggestions will really aid in making the game popular, which generates more revenue for BI, which allows them to spend more time optimizing.

To the point, it may not be the top priority at the moment, but it should be on the list.

Why is the positive vote stuck at 100? It was at 100 when I voted an hour ago. Odd. I think this web site needs some feedback of its own.

DnA added a comment.Mar 9 2013, 3:01 PM

Our GUI people are indeed looking into stream-friendly tweaks.

rattus added a subscriber: rattus.May 7 2016, 11:32 AM
rattus added a comment.Mar 9 2013, 3:39 PM

Thank you DNA

Dhal added a subscriber: Dhal.May 7 2016, 11:32 AM
Dhal added a comment.Mar 9 2013, 3:58 PM

This is a must. We all know the potential success Arma models can have with a strong social media community behind it. Live video and commentary without delays is probably the best format for long term support of the game.

Possible temporary workaround: setup the stream to go 1 minute delayed ?
(not sure if possible, i'm not in that kind of stuffs)

"allow us to show the engine in its true beauty" Thats funny last time i watched sacriel 50% of livsteam was constant complaining about VR engine and how it is worst engine in history. Yeah that's totally selling the game...

To kid18120, unfortunately, a few minutes stream delay does nothing to stop stream snipers from finding your server, it only slows them from finding your exact position on the map by a few hundred yards (not even that if the player wants to hold in position for an ambush/sniper action). So, the impact on stream sniping is minimal, but the impact on direct player/streamer to viewer interaction is drastically impacted in a negative way. You often see the player/streamer take feedback from viewers real-time. That interaction is completely wiped out when you delay the stream.

To strangere, you say "last time i watched sacriel 50% of livsteam was constant complaining about VR engine and how it is worst engine in history".... I watch Sacriel/Chris stream a lot, and have never heard him say that. Yes, there are legit complaints sometime, but for every complaint, I see way more compliments regarding the game or how the game allows certain interaction (like the recent hit-and-run/neck breaking/triple backflip vid). But in the end, you can actually SEE what is onscreen that the streamer is complaining about and disagree if the streamer is being too harsh. Several times I found myself thinking "X problem is an acceptable trade-off for Y benefit".

Hahahaha down vote. Crying little streamer. This is so adorable.
Just set delay on your stream.

still ive anyone is in voip they call you out like: "hey cacriel_anonymous, you see the guy to the west at the river?"

As a programmer, user interface designer and gaming aficionado my honest opinion on this is that, in this day and age, with the obvious examples of how important streaming has become for producing free, extremely specialised and market penetrating advertising, ... combined how important it is for the scenes biggest players who shift, define and generally shepherd the masses to games...

... this sort of FIX should not simply be a tweak, if you're not designing your UI, user experience and systems from the ground up with Streaming in mind, if you're not 'intimately familiar' with the streaming experience, you_are_doing_your_game_a_complete_disservice.

Because games are obviously no longer just to be played, they are rich entertainment showcases and therefore the quality of streaming experience you offer defines the sale-ability of that experience to viewers, in a scene that has seen continued growth versus traditional broadcasting and, because of the scope of both the Broadcast and Gaming industries, has incredible potential for continued growth only truly being realised right now by the Streamers making money off the quality of streaming experience you provide whilst effectively marketing your games to what ends up being millions of people.

Improve their experience, improve the return on the time you've invested into making a great game.

As a programmer, user interface designer and gaming aficionado

Sounds legit.

please make this so the player can make et streamer friendly them selves.

tuxBRO added a subscriber: tuxBRO.May 7 2016, 11:32 AM

voted up, why does this even have down votes? :/

ViiK added a subscriber: ViiK.May 7 2016, 11:32 AM
ViiK added a comment.Mar 15 2013, 11:36 AM

How about because people don't agree with OP that it is a 'high' priority...

Zala_ added a comment.Mar 16 2013, 6:14 PM

Yeah, because delaying your stream is a good idea. Oh wait. Tard.

To imply that the games success relies on streaming is ludicrous. Definitely not a 'high priority'.

play in server with no name tags solve one of your problens, or just stop streaming if you don't wanna get killed

Tajin added a subscriber: Tajin.May 7 2016, 11:32 AM
Tajin added a comment.Mar 21 2013, 2:19 PM

ArmA3 is a game, not a TV show. It shouldn't have UI-elements removed in order to become one.

bleh

Tajin, streaming = advertisement for BIS, the option should at least be there to remove UI, some people like no hud at all.

While this could be added as an option, it is definitely not a high priority issue, as it only affects a small minority of players.
And about the free advertisement, if you ask me BI should focus on making it a better game and not on advertising it, so again low priority.

The priority should generally be left up to the devs, so I changed it to the default (normal).

Down voted because streamers thinking they can make and break a games success and acting like they don't make any money doing it while thinking game developers owe them something....pffffft

It's simple. Don't want to get stream sniped? Don't stream.

Wasteland noobs.

I laugh at people who use "noob" as an insult.

no one cares about your livestreams you egotistical twats. yeah i'm going to sit around and watch you play instead of just playing myself. learn to youtube.

Great job on making this a troll thread. Nobody cares about your egotistical views on a subject you know little about. So, yeah. Good job keyboard warrior. Has nowt to do with the fact its a lively hood for particular people and you are jealous of the success of other people.

On the flip side of this, Optimization in the new patch is good, increasing the FPS in a lot of the servers. Still some crashing errors, and also a lot of issues with servers dropping / desync

SYSTEM added a subscriber: SYSTEM.May 7 2016, 11:32 AM
SYSTEM added a comment.Apr 4 2013, 7:06 PM

since the UI is client only, BI could implement various designs, some with focus on information, some with focus on streaming...

Oh good. This is a very good idea. It's great the Devs think so too. :D

Zychon added a subscriber: Zychon.May 7 2016, 11:32 AM

Good thing the Devs also had the sense to change it's priority from high to normal. That's sure as hell the only reason I up voted it.

People,
We know that certain aspects of the game are important to you. We all have those preferences. Please use common sense when assigning priority and severity to your issues. Consider the RELATIVE importance of the issue when compared to the other issues with the game (crashes, etc). If you want to know why people down vote what is otherwise a perfectly reasonable report, this is it. It makes critical path issues much harder to find and solve. This tool is being made available to you so you can help work the kinks out of the product and ensure a timely, quality release. It's not a forum to soapbox or champion a cause. It's not a chatroom for you to post "wouldn't it be cool if...".

...And for the love of all that is merciful and decent, the notes section is not a place to voice your support or dislike of a particular issue. That's what VOTING is for.

http://feedback.arma3.com/how-to-user.html.html

HERE'S a great place for all the other yammering:

http://forums.bistudio.com/forum.php

Watch "the Squads" streams a lot and nothing is more annoying then them having to stop playing the game due to stream sniping!

Tark added a subscriber: Tark.May 7 2016, 11:32 AM
Tark added a comment.Jun 5 2013, 12:19 AM

Why should accommodations be made for such a tiny majority of players? Streamers get whats coming, you're streaming gameplay from a videogame where anything can happen, of course you're going to get shot when you're telling everyone else where you are.

Livestreaming has generated significant amounts of revenue for Bohemia in the last 9 months,

Oh wow, where is this proof? This is a non-issue that should be downvoted to oblivion. Things like performance, stability, and assets should be the priority before twitch.tv users.

"Livestreaming has generated significant amounts of revenue for Bohemia in the last 9 months,

Oh wow, where is this proof? This is a non-issue that should be downvoted to oblivion. Things like performance, stability, and assets should be the priority before twitch.tv users."

You could easily argue that the huge spike in popularity that Arma 2 : Combined Ops enjoyed last year is in part down to live streams on twitch combined with youtube of people playing DayZ.

As an issue it should be reasonably simple to fix, i mean it took the guys behind breaking point a few hours to implement their fix for removing the player name from the UI, surely if they can do it so easily then the devs at Bohemia can as well?

Tark - how can you have a tiny majority? Dumb cnut

Streamer friendly interface has been implemented. Marking as resolved.