[FAQ] Marstead on Twitch

I’m a variety streamer trying to complete at least one full playthrough of every awesome game ever made. There are so many great games available that it’s impossible for one person to beat them all. I like to approach games the way an English teacher might critique literature. I discuss narrative structure, game design space, etc. My mods & I work hard maintaining a calm, relaxed atmosphere, and a friendly community.

In addition, I give a large amount of schedule control to the community. Through my channel systems like Voting & Sub Block, viewers get to dictate which awesome games I play first.

[📺 Channel] How do you define an “awesome game”?

It’s tough to be objective about this, but my rule-of-thumb is that a game must have at least an ~7.5 in either the Critic or User reviews on Metacritic. I prefer that games we play have ~8.0 in both Critic & User categories, but this is a safe way to ensure we are only excluding games that everyone agrees are bad or mediocre. Not every game is available on MetaCritic. Some games have issues which unfairly taint their average. Consider this a guideline and not a rule.

[🎮 Games] Which games have you already played?

There’s a spreadsheet with a log of all of the games we’ve played on Twitch with YouTube playlist links to all of the VODs. You can see whether I’ve beaten each game, whether it was a blind (first-time) playthrough, and how many hours I spent on it. My YouTube channel is a permanent VOD archive for every live stream session.

[🎮 Games] How do you decide which games to play first?

This voting spreadsheet lets viewers choose the next game I’m going to play. Viewers can vote using currency (SP) they earn by being in chat, so regular viewers get more influence on the next game. I’m now also uploading every VOD to Twitch, although Twitch’s browse function makes it difficult to find specific videos.

[🔮 SP] What are SP?

Sphere Points (SP) are a loyalty currency tracked by my bot (PiiqPiiq). For every 5 minutes you watch the stream while it’s live, you automatically earn 1 SP. My bot tracks this by checking for people who are signed into chat. I also sometimes award one-time SP bonuses for other events like following or donating. Subscribers get a multiplier that increases the number of SP they receive per tick.

[🔮 SP] How can I check my SP?

Type “!sp” in chat.

[🔮 Spheres] What are Spheres?

In addition to my bot’s !SP feature, I also use Twitch’s live channel points system. I call this system Spheres. Spheres are earned by actually watching the live stream, while SP accrue for being in chat. Spheres can be redeemed for the following perks:

Temporarily unlock or modify an emote
Convert Spheres directly into SP
+100 SP Welcome Package (Redeemable once per viewer, lifetime)
Other Unlocks (See the Advanced FAQ for details)

[🗳️ Voting] What can I do with SP?

SP is used to vote for the next game we’ll play on stream. SP can also be spent on Auctions to add games to the system. It is not used for any other purpose.

[🗳️ Voting] How do I vote for a game?

We have about 40 titles collected on a Voting Spreadsheet on Google Drive. Each vote costs SP, and the vote cost is different for each game. You can vote by entering the related command in Twitch chat: for example, !game01. When you vote, PiiqPiiq will update the vote total for that game.

[🗳️ Voting] How do you determine the SP cost to vote?

The cost to vote for a game is based on how long the game is estimated to take to beat on howlongtobeat.com. +1 Hour = +1 SP Cost.

[🗳️ Voting] What happens to the games that lose the vote? Are their vote counts reset?

Nope! Vote counts are never reset for games on the spreadsheet. If you vote for a game that is low on the sheet right now you are investing in it rising to the top and being played sooner rather than later. Every vote counts!

For even more information about the Voting System, check out the Advanced FAQ.

[📅 Schedule] Where can I see your schedule? When do you update it?

I stream Monday - Friday from 01PM - 05PM PDT (GMT -7). I update the schedule every weekend. It’s posted in the Discord #announcements channel and on a panel below the stream. At the time of this FAQ update, Twitch’s Events page has been sunset, and we are still waiting on their new scheduler page. In the meantime, I am using a Google Calendar for timezone-corrected schedule updates. You can find that calendar at: http://schedule.marstead.com

[📅 Reruns] What’s up with reruns? How are they scheduled?

With my channel theme, I play a lot of games. But when I beat them, I never play them again. To share these past playthroughs, I run reruns of past streams during offline hours. I use different strategies for Reruns; I’ve done a full chronological rerun of every game played since the channel started in January 2015, and at the time of this FAQ update I’m running strictly Retro game franchises. Check the #rerun_project channel in Discord for details!

[💰 Viewer Support] What do I get for donating?

You earn 12 SP for each dollar you donate. If you donate while the stream is live there will be a pop-up on the screen with your donation message. I’ll personally thank you live. You can also get bonuses for cheering; see the Advanced FAQ for more information.

[💰 Viewer Support] What do I get for subscribing?

You can subscribe either through Patreon or directly through Twitch. Subscribers earn the following rewards:

In-Stream Chat Badge

You get a special badge based on your pledge tier that shows a colored rupee and the number of months you’ve subscribed. This shows up in-stream only

Loyalty Badge (Twitch Only)

Twitch subscribers get a Loyalty badge based on the # months subscribed.
, , : 6 Months: 9 Months
: 12 Months

Emotes (Twitch Only)

$4.99: , , , ,
$9.99:
$24.99:

SP Multiplier & Bonus

You earn more SP per hour watched, and get a monthly bonus of SP per $1 pledged.

Spheres Multiplier (Twitch Only)

You earn double the Spheres for all Channel Points-earning activities.

Access to Sub Block

You can nominate a game for Sub Block, where we play games recommended by subscribers for about an hour at a time.

($24.99+) Permanent Game Slot

You have a reserved slot on the voting spreadsheet that you can replace with the game of your choice. The game in that slot still needs to be voted up by everyone in order for it to be played.

[⭐ Sub Block] How does Sub Block work?

Sub Block is an opportunity to go off-script and play games recommended by subscribers. The normal stream theme requirements of having to keep playing games until we beat them and needing to be “awesome games” do not apply. Once per week, three (3) subscribers are drawn and their game choice is played on stream.

[⭐ Sub Block] How does the Sub Block drawing work?

If there are any new subscribers, we try to draw them right away in the next Sub Block. If there aren’t any new subs, then the remaining subscribers take turns. If you check the Sub Block tab, the subscribers who have been waiting the longest are listed at the top--they are very likely to be drawn next.

[⭐ Sub Block] I’m a Twitch Prime sub, or I received my sub via gifting. Can I still participate in Sub Block?

Yes! If you’re invested enough to be reading this FAQ, then your Twitch Prime or Gift Sub absolutely qualify you for a Sub Block. Shoot me a whisper or Discord DM with the game you’d like to see me play!

[🛠️ Commands] Why do so many people’s messages start with !hide?

Typing !hide before text keeps me from seeing your message, but still lets everyone else in chat see it. Use this to discuss hints or spoilers with other viewers without giving it away for me.

[👥 Community] Where does your community hang out when the channel is offline?

You can join our public Discord Channel here! We have a bunch of different channels for conversation topics. Discord is the best place to discuss stuff that might not be appropriate in the live Twitch chat. I post channel news regularly in #announcements and the #general channel is particularly active during the mornings/evenings/weekends when the channel is offline. You can check the #opt-in channel to determine what sort of content you want to see. Come join the discussion!

[📝 Rules] Can you go into more detail on your rules?

#1 Be civil

The chat should have a relaxed, positive, and comfortable atmosphere.

#2 No racism, sexism, or homophobia

Zero tolerance.

#3 Change the subject (if asked)

Productive discussion about controversial or polarizing topics is encouraged, so long as it remains productive. Please move on from a subject if asked.

#4 Take it offline (if asked)

Some important topics like moderation, issues with other viewers, and meta-discussion about the stream itself are best addressed via whisper or private message with me or a mod, after the stream is offline. Please don't revisit a topic in live chat if asked to take it offline.

#5 Links are OK, but please ask first

To block spammers my bot will purge links from viewers with <1 hour watched unless if a mod !permits you.

#6 No backseat gaming

It's okay to ask if I want a hint. Please don't persist if I say "No."

#7 No spoilers

Even when I'm replaying a title I've played before. If you're in doubt or want to discuss a spoiler, please type !hide before your message to discuss it with chat but hide it from me. You can find my extended spoiler policy here.

#8 Respect moderator action

If you disagree with moderator action, please follow up with Marstead or any mod via whisper or Discord DM. Please do NOT publicly argue or complain about moderator action in the live Twitch chat. This especially applies to chat clears for spoilers. Repeated live-chat disrespect for moderator action will result in two timeouts, followed by a permaban.

#9 Act in good faith

Everyone should behave with the spirit of cooperation, good-will, and respect for one another. It is possible to obey the letter of all of these other rules while still showing contempt for the community. Moderators have the discretion to time-out or ban viewers who violate the spirit of the community, even if they don't explicitly violate any of the above rules.

[📝 Rules] What’s the best way to contact you privately?

Sending a direct message (DM) on Discord is the best way to get in touch with me. I treat my new messages bucket like a task list and work through them daily.

[😃 About Marstead] How are you able to afford to stream as your only career?

My incredible wife Andrea supports my career, because she’s totally awesome! I also work as homemaker for our household. I do the dishes, clean the kitty litter, take care of laundry, etc. If we decide to have kids I plan to be a stay-at-home dad. My amazing supporters help to pay for games, stream equipment, and other costs of keeping the stream growing.

[😃 About Marstead] What did you do before Twitch?

I was a User Acceptance Test Lead/Project Manager for JPMorgan Chase, testing internal software and the public website. I used my severance to start the channel in February of 2015. Before that I worked third shift, sorting and loading packages onto planes for overnight delivery.