We first spoke to Becky back in February for our #supportsmallstreamers efforts – a couple of months down the line and we’ve had a follow-up chat to check in on some of our new pals and get to know them a little better. Lostalunatic has recently taken part in the Girls Who Code charity stream, which was supported by Razer and Streamlabs, so what better time to have a chat about getting your start on Twitch and building a community around your content?
So Becky, we spoke to you a little bit for our Support Small Streamers banner last month. How’s your channel getting on now? Managed your first PUBG win yet?
430 hours in and still no solo dinner, but I have maintained my love for the game by playing duos and squads which is always fun. My channel continues to grow with each stream. I am often welcomed by new viewers as well as support from my friends which does bring out my confidence more as I much prefer to speak to people rather than myself, which is a skill I had to pick up during my early streams.
What are your goals for your stream? Is it a potential career?
With me having full-time hours at work I am quite limited with the times I can stream so ultimately my goal is to continue to do this as a hobby and to have fun in doing so. Streaming full-time may not be the career path for me but getting involving myself in communities, planning events, and networking with other streamers is definitely something I am interested in. I guess a personal goal for me is to continue being myself and provide a positive environment for people to have fun.
How easy did you find it to get started?
Honestly it was a bit accidental, my friend built my computer last year, I needed an upgrade for my laptop and because I was interested in playing a few games I was advised that a desktop would be way more beneficial. I only had a very small group of gamer friends at the time and they started to set Twitch up and I guess I just followed suit. I was completely new to everything surrounding PC setups and Twitch itself so I was luckily given a lot of help to get my channel up and running.
Are there any games you love personally but would never stream?
I once streamed To The Moon in full and ended up crying on stream which was a bit embarrassing, so any games which I am aware can cause a fair amount of tears I will do privately, plus I find games like that need your full attention.
What do you do when you’re not streaming?
I work in the NHS in the field of Dietetics which takes up my time Monday-Friday. I enjoy spending time with my friends and if going out for foods is on the cards I am always up for that. I do play a lot of coops offline as well which I really enjoy. Personal hobbies include binging Netflix and also playing the piano.
Are your friends and family supportive? Any streaming friends you wanna give a shout out to here?
My brother was always the big gamer in the house on his Xbox so they are all a little surprised at how much I have gotten involved with Twitch but they even lurk in my streams to check how I’m doing. I have been so lucky to have come across the most awesome streamers and have been welcomed greatly into so many communities within discord. I definitely would like to mention LionsideTV and Feeblemew who not only are my favourite streamers but are also now two of my best friends! Also OldManMischief who set up Stream Warfare, Jecsashbolt, PasqualeeLTD and Queenangmar I recommend you check out.
What’s your setup like?
My PC was initially built for gaming and not streaming so it’s taken me a year to get everything sorted. I have an i5-7400 CPU @ 3.00GHz, MSI GTX 1060 3Gb Graphics card, 8GB of ram. Blue Snowball Microphone, Logitech c920 Webcam and Logitech G430 Headphones. I use a tv and an LG monitor for my screen setups and my mouse and mechanical keyboard were very budget choices off Amazon. I did use a green screen, but my goodness, it took up a lot of room.
Have you had any bad experiences whilst streaming?
I honestly haven’t had anything detrimental happen whilst streaming, I have had a few trolls pop by with rude comments but they are swiftly removed by myself or my swell mods in the channel. One incident went a bit further when some trolls managed to log into our Jackbox game however again, this was swiftly sorted. We all look out for each other in our channels so it’s reassuring to know I have some backup.
Do you feel as though you’ve faced any unique challenges or prejudices as a female streamer or gamer in general?
I personally have not encountered any prejudices within this community which I am grateful for. I am involved in the great GirlStreamers community which is active 24/7 and provides a lot of advice and support. I am never discriminated in joining in games/events due to being a girl streamer.
On that topic, would you have any advice for people who want to stream but are afraid of running into those prejudices?
I would recommend getting involved in communities with your friends and applying for the GirlsStreamers Community as place for additional support. I personally wouldn’t let that fear stop you from streaming, the female gaming community is constantly growing and even though I am only a small streamer I haven’t been denied any opportunities. I have recently been involved with Streamlabs charity stream week in support of Girls Who Code, which was a superb opportunity to raise money for a great cause as well as being introduced to many wonderful female streamers.
What do you think Twitch/the community at large could improve on in future?
I think it’s great how a lot of organisations are helping smaller communities grow and bringing streamers together; for example Fremily organised the Twitch London meet up in December which was a chance to meet streamers and gamers from all over. Technically there are still a few bug issues within Twitch that could do with being ironed out, as well as having more features added to the phone app such as subs/gift subs and additional features currently only available on desktop.
Finally, do you have any words of wisdom for new streamers who aren’t sure how to get the most out of it?
I think the most important factor is to have fun and stream because you want to without feeling any pressure to do so. Starting out can be a bit of a grind but it is a good time to practice talking to yourself and getting used to interacting on-screen. Watching other people stream is a good way to network and make new friend’s so I would definitely recommend getting yourself involved in other people’s channel. Lastly you don’t need a super expensive setup to be able to stream!
Words of wisdom! We’ll be catching up with more of our streamer buddies over the next few weeks, so keep your eyes peeled for more insight into a variety of topics. Want to have a chat yourself? Email n1lgames@fullsync.co.uk, and, of course, check out Becky’s streams on Twitch and stay up to date with her adventures on Twitter!
