So, after a hiatus, I went back to streaming this year! I’m having fun, as per usual, and I even modified my model a little more. But uh, I’m avoiding closeups because I need to tighten and smooth out edges; you can see seams and it’s pretty rough. Not to mention finalizing my outfit: I want to keep it simple, but I’d like to nail down a shirt design.
Scheduling and Playing
My biggest hurdle is still, scheduling. Not only do I need to account for plans I have in meatspace, but I have to consider my energy level. I’ve canceled or postponed streams because I needed to rest, and that’s either because I don’t get enough sleep (insomniac life!) or worn down from the rest of my schedule.
I’ve been playing a LOT of ValiDATE, and while I enjoy it it is a lot of reading! After a while I just get tongue tied. Last week or so I played APICO for a change of pace, with Twitch approved lofi in the background. That is an amazingly chill combo that I should do more.
OBS is Intimidating
I have it downloaded… but not installed. HOWEVER, I’ve finally began using VTopia as backup storage for my streams– Twitch only keeps them for a week, and sometimes I either forget to download them or I have trouble doing so. Because I have a potty mouth and talk about ADULT STUFF, I flagged most of my vlogs as Mature Content– that’d explain the sparse page. There is another channel, for some reason. There’s where OBS will come in.
Also, cap my damn FPS at 60. Anything more and my poor hardware freaks out.
The Lore, you Say?
I’ve also been muddling about with the lore. With the rise of AI tools taking people’s jobs and committing plagiarism, I’ve half a mind to move away from the self-aware AI bit. But… it’s so cool– I mean "real" artificial intelligence, of the science fiction actually-self-aware sort. While I’ve been dipping my toe in the water of vt.social, I’ve come across other AIs, programs or computers personified, and even a rad calculator! Concepts are awesome, and I suppose I need to solidify my own spin on the AI thing. Being around other VTubers is inspiring, as usual!
So, yes, the sentient AI thing is still going to be a thing, but now I know how I want to get weird with it. I’d like to do longform entries on another platform instead of just infodumping here, but in summary:
I was not prepared for the consequences of my poll. But hey, I did ask. I will try to make this interesting.
Before Twitch, and before Youtube branched out, there was streaming service called Mogulus (what happened to them, anyway?). To describe it would be redundant. Some politicians and other important people used it, but in my former neck of the woods it became very popular among those who played video games. While Mogulus eventually left us non-paying customers behind, I always loved the streaming-with-a-live-audience concept.
I’ve subscribed to many streams since then, a variety of those with webcams and voice only. Then… 2D/3D custom characters-as-hosts began growing in popularity. At first, I was content with being an audience member. But with this new creative angle, I actually became interested in streaming myself! I was also seeking a new twist on a hobby I loved (gaming), and to reclaim my creativity and free time from the growing dreariness of my life-draining job. And vent, of course.
I grew caught up with setting up: the branding, scheduling, format, icons– then, one evening, I grew fed up with my self-imposed procrastination. Perfect, after all, is the enemy of good, and Virgos gotta have everything perfect before they start anything… so I brute-forced my way through the insecurity, installed the software, queued up a visual novel I’ve been itching to play, and DID IT LIVE.
My last braincell had ENOUGH.
…And it was Fucking Terrible from a didn’t-even-optimize standpoint, so I didn’t feel bad for the 0 viewers on my first run. (Well, one viewer, but they had to catch a DnD game after giving me audio advice.) But with experimenting and practice, things began coming together. Sometimes I still goof, though.
Some World Building
I was determined to create my own model, but I lacked the technical know-how and did not have the money to commission a model or rigging– but I was up for the challenge. I play around with VROID Studio, following tutorials and learning how to modify the defaults. I knew that I wanted my character to look like… well, like me. But cooler.
Seeing other Black VTubers has simply been inspiring.
I have a whole section in my bullet journal dedicated to design ideas, and I’ve been taking notes of techniques and tools other VTubers found useful. But I’ve also have paragraphs and doodles of the character’s backstory. Inspirations include Ghost in the Shell, SOMA, Macross Plus, Digital: A Love Story, Janelle Monae’s Metropolis, and… Chrono Cross? And if I was any good at games I’d throw in TASbot for good measure, but it’s fun to think about. [Note- a surprising lack of Asimov; make a Three Laws joke later to make up for it.] If you haven’t guessed by now, I enjoy the ethical, technical, and whateverelse-cal ramifications of artificial intelligences, cyberpunky transhumanism, and what it means to be “self-aware.”
I also hold a similar view as Monae’s Mayweather’s when it comes to androids in fiction:
I speak about androids because I think the android represents the new ‘Other’ …You can compare it to being a lesbian or being a gay man or being a black woman… What I want is for people who feel oppressed or feel like the ‘Other’ to connect with the music and to feel like, ‘She represents who I am.’
Artificial intelligences can take years to fully build upon themselves, so in some cases a brainprint of a living person is superimposed onto AI code to “jump start” the self-awareness process. The provider of said brainprint would be the designated Arbiter of the resulting AI; they have a lowercase-a as their designation (ex. “a.Issac”). You can think of Arbiters are caregivers or tie-breakers to logical conundrums. AIs created with the jump-start method tend to be eerily similar to their Arbiter, but may eventually branch off into their own quirks and identity.
There are the “functional” AIs that can write or fix the stock market for you. But, the fun thing self-aware AIs have in common with humans is to find a purpose in life, a niche to fill… or a hobby. Conveniently, Avi’s hobbies line up with mine, and even more conveniently, are easily accessible from px’s origin server with an Internet connection. That’s how “Avi” decided on a name for pxself- it’s a type of video format, px found samples of. For the time being px does not wish to inhabit an android body, but that can change in the future. Avi’s content with communicating with the outside world via px own compilation of the Self-Aware Visual-Variable Protocol, or SAV2P. Lastly, Avi is 3 Laws Compliant on a technicality.
…Or you can just say that Avi is digital!me, but scifi afrofuturistic lore is more fun.
Current Things
Like most folx, my backlog is Large. I’ve been using streaming as an excuse to go through it! I have quite a bit of science fiction and cyberpunk titles to play, and I love to gas up any LGBTQ+ creators. I also like puzzlers and whatever weird thing I come across. I’m currently enjoying ValiDATE, Get in the Car, Loser! (currently grinding; I’m getting my ass kicked), and APICO or Vilmonic for the comfy streams.
I’m naturally taciturn, so I tend to rely on chat prompts and backseating– but I love interacting with the chat! And I am susceptible to ranting if you give me a juicy enough topic. I do have a tendency to get wrapped up in a game and forget about it for a minute or two. There may also be a lot of vocal stimming: the doots, the beeps, the sweeps, and the Spaceballs reference. Tiny improv songs and more songs as well! And I take jokes and run with them.
My stream is rated for MATURE AUDIENCES, to be on the safe side. I talk about all sorts of shit, and cuss a lot, and I’m filtered only a little. I talked about weed that one time and my regulars may know a little too much about the freaky dinks I’m into.
Don’t let the more recent video fool you; I’m still on the quest for bone mischief.
…I just scheduled a cuddle date on a streaming night; it’s little wonder why my schedule is in shambles.
Future Stuff
I am undergoing a cosmetic upgrade as I consider how robotic-looking I'd like to be, as well as contemplating neo-pronouns to refer to pxself. So far, "px" is appealing to me. (Maybe I should do that in-character thing more often. I’m also considering a distinction between AIs and “self-aware” ones. SAAIs?)
Someday I dream of nailing down my schedule. I’m more concerned about consistency.
I could work on my hardware. I need to upgrade my mic; you can hear our cats brawlin’ in the background. The computer can be upgraded later; it currently gets the job done (it can barely handle Stray, VSeeFace, and Twitch Studio running at the same time).
Still no plans to monetize. And considering how Twitch likes to act (badly, to clarify), I’m really not keen on monetizing through them anyway. Maybe I’ll do a tip jar thing in the future, for beer money or emergency funding (I do have Ko-Fi).
With Twitter worming its way out of my social media diet, I’ve mainly been in Discord servers. I need to lurk less, however. I’ve also been following some related hastags on Mastodon. Oh yeah, and what’s this thing?
I hope y’all enjoyed this post, and if you have any cheers and advice I’m all ears!
