A couple of weeks ago was Spring Break for the district that I am substitute teaching for. I was going to use that time to write, but I ended up streaming on the platform Twitch. I’ve been a viewer for a very long time, maybe seven or eight years. I always thought that I would never stream, but something sparked my interest to start doing it.
I got a new graphics card for my computer since my old one was not being recognized. (It turns out it was not the graphics card, but the motherboard. I had to get that replaced.) The new graphics card had four HDMI outputs. I was thinking of getting a second monitor, but I didn’t know what I would do with it. My thoughts went to streaming. Maybe I could have one monitor to play a game and the other monitor to have my streaming software displayed. I also thought it would be fun to stream some Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO), since I play it almost everyday. I also thought it would be found to have my own emotes when I actually make affiliate with Twitch.
I tried to stream LOTRO, but I didn’t have enough memory to smoothly run the game and stream it at the same time. My computer only has 16G of RAM. I could stream and play the game, but periodically the game would freeze on me. At first I thought it was just normal server lag, but after looking into my memory usage I noticed that was the issue.
I didn’t decide to give up streaming. Rather, I switched games and started to stream Stream Raiders and Marbles on Stream. I wasn’t getting enough viewers for Marbles, so I stuck to just streaming Stream Raiders. I don’t get many viewers, if any at all. I’m still learning how to work with OBS and the Twitch channel in general. It has been fun and exciting so far. I just need to save up money to upgrade my memory so that I can stream the games that I really want to.
Fifteen years from today I began my adventures in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) The Lord of the Rings Online(LOTRO)
I was looking for a new MMORPG to replace Final Fantasy XI. I wanted to take a break from the game and perhaps move on to a different title. I went to GameStop looking for something. I noticed a single copy of a collector’s edition of The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar sitting on the shelf. I keep up to date on video game releases, but I have never heard of this title. I was also a fan of JRR Tolkien’s legendarium. Needless to say, I was surprised and pleased that I discovered the game. Little did I know that on that Wednesday on July 25, 2007 that I would begin a video game addiction that will last fifteen years. This would be longer than Final Fantasy XI, which I spent just under four years playing.
The first thing I did before I even installed the game on my computer was to look for a server to join. I always join a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) guild (called kinships in LOTRO) so I was trying to find if someone created one for LOTRO and which server they are on. I find a kinship called Knights of the White Lady on the Landroval server. I joined that server and created a human captain. I picked a captain because it appeared to be similar to the paladin that I have been playing on Final Fantasy XI. Yet, when I went to the introduction area I saw a lore-master with a bear companion. I had a herald companion as a captain, but it didn’t seem as cool as having an animal companion. I deleted the character and created a new one, a lore-master named Pinkfae Neilikka (you have to purchase a surname from a notary non-player character when you reach level fifteen). Once I got out of the introduction area I was able to join a kinship. I applied to become a member of Knights of the White Lady. I was accepted to join the kinship shortly after I applied. The kinship is still going strong with many active members. Perhaps not as many as when the game was younger, but there are always a couple of members logged on at any given time. Also if you are an ally and not part of the LGBT spectrum, you are still welcome to be a member.
Evendim from High King’s Crossing
I hit level cap, which was level 50 at the time, after about a month of playing the game. It was at this time that I bought a lifetime subscription to the game. I believe I paid $299 for it at the time. I think it was perhaps the best money I ever spent. You can’t purchase a lifetime subscription any longer. I think they discontinued it in 2009. Currently you can subscribe to LOTRO at $15 per month or $100 a year. You don’t have to subscribe to play the game. In fact you don’t have to spend a dime on the game at all. You can play until level 95 with all content being open for you with some of the newer content not being available. After level 95 you can grind out LOTRO point farming (the real life currency to purchase in game items and content) by doing the deeds in game. Yet, there are some perks for being a subscriber. If you are interested in knowing the difference between the different account types there is an article on lotro-wiki that explains it very well.
Like I said, I was at end game and wanted to do some end game content. I patiently waited for other members to get to end game with me. Eventually we were doing some raiding. Yet, it was very sparingly. Others in the kinship that were interested in end game content grew restless and left for other kinships. I was one of them. I moved by character to my current kinship The Palantiri. We were running raids on a weekly basis. I also started to get active in the player-versus-monster-player (PvMP) on the server as well. I’m not a very big alt-player at all. (Someone that plays multiple different characters). I did start a healer class character since Knights of the White Lady was in bad need of healers. I also created a handful just as mules (characters that you only use to store your in-game items). Yet, for the most part I like to just play one character and try to do everything that I am able to do on that one character. Trust me, there is a lot that you can do. Even after fifteen years I haven’t done everything that I can do and achieve.
My lore-master on a warhorse in Lebennin.
About the time that Lord of the Rings Online: Mordor came out in July 2017, I took a break from the game. I haven taken a number of breaks lasting from a few weeks to a few months, but this time I spent nearly two years away from the game. There were perhaps three or four people from my kinship that regularly logged on the game to play. I also found the landscape mobs to be tougher to take down. I thought it was because I was starting to get worse at playing the game and chalked it up to old age. It wasn’t until I came back to the game that I realized I probably was due to a lack of Light of Eärendil to counteract the effects of the Shadow of Mordor.
I don’t recall the precisely when I eventually came back to playing the game. It might have been late 2019 or early 2020. Whatever the date, ever since then I have been logging on daily with perhaps a day or two missed here and there. I really have changed the goals for playing the game. Like I said, I liked the end game aspect of the game. Trying to form fellowships or raids (six or twelve man groups) to try to conquer/solve a dungeon (or instance as they all them in LOTRO) isn’t my main objective any longer. Instead, I’m just trying to get the best gear that I’m able to obtain without raiding (I still think the best gear you can obtain is through raiding) which usually entails doing daily repeatable quests or even finding a pick up group (PUG) to obtain some Embers of Enchantment that can be used to exchange for powerful items. I have always loved doing the epic quests (the main story line). It is like reading fan-fiction based on the books. Yet, I haven’t been doing that with side quests. In fact, I skip a lot of content that over level. I have been thinking of going back and trying to complete some of them. I have always found myself just exploring around and discovering graphic details that I missed speed running in the game.
My character by the swan fountain outside her home at 4 Fairwood Lane, Falathlorn Homesteads, Car-E-Hidh, Landroval server. Wearing Lórien Fancy Robe, Padded Pristine Shoulder Guards, Lieutenant’s Cloak and Circlet of Lórien.
Perhaps the person that really brought me back to playing LOTRO more regularly was TheeGreenEyedGamer on Twitch. I have been getting into Twitch very regularly since I lost my job and when COVID hit. I got into the live streaming service years ago, but I started watching it for hours on end just a number of years ago. I found her when I was looking for LOTRO streamers earlier last year. She does a weekly LOTRO point grinding session with her viewers. I decided to join in her adventures. I got to know her fairly well. Just a couple of months ago I decided to transfer one of the Valar Level Boost – level 120 that I obtained for free from Standing Stone Games for being a VIP during the 15th Anniversary celebration. I used it on my lore-master on the Arkenstone server that many Twitch streamers play on. I power leveled her to level 130 and got her stats up as best as I could. I don’t regularly play with that character. I usually hop on it to play with friends I made through Twitch.
I’m so excited to see what happens to the game in the next fifteen years. I’m sure that I will still be part of the game when the 30th anniversary is celebrated.
I want to leave you with a fan created video. About ten years ago when The Lord of the Rings Online was developed by Turbine they held a Biggest Fan Contest. People would make a short video saying why they love the game. Below is what I think should have won the contest. Enjoy! I’ll see you around Middle-earth.
I like to play Marbles on Stream from time to time when I’m on Twitch. On May 9, 2020 I was looking around for streamers to play the game with. One of the streamers that I happened to discover that day was a young lady with the username PauCossio. When you select a player’s marble to follow them on the track you can take a look at their profile. Along with various game stats such as total points, number of races, and so on you’re able to see their Twitch avatar. At the time my avatar was just a picture of myself. Pau saw the picture, complimented it and speculated that I was an actress. She won me over with her sweet flattery I immediately gave her a follow and stuck around until the end of the stream.
I’ve been watching her religiously every since then. She has been playing Marbles on Stream to start her streams and then plays Jackbox Games and some web-based games. She’s very much a community player. All of her games are games that the viewers can play along with her. She might not be amazing gamer, but she does has an amazing personality. She is very quick to laugh and she is an actress to boot. She is a partner with Streamloots, which a marketplace to buy real-time interactions with live streamers in the form of virtual cards. She has some cards you can obtain and play where she will do accents. I wish she had more cards where I can watch her perform her art. The majority of the cards are animated gifs of her dancing.
I’m known in her community (which she calls the PauFam) as the person that loves to ask her sexual questions. I never expect an answer to my questions. It is fun just to see her reaction to them. Yet, she has recently been getting more annoyed by them rather then shocked, so I refrain from doing that any longer. She is a lover of dad jokes. Telling her one will always get a groan or a laugh from her. If you get a chance, go on her Twitch channel and check her out. Tell her that PinkKatie sent you!
Tazkabaz made a best of clips from her Twitch videos that she shared with everyone today. She is currently on hiatus with no idea if and when she is coming back. She posted on Discord about her future with Twitch.
It is with a heavy heart that I say that Aaron and I have broken up. There will be no more streams for the foreseeable future and I will no longer be able to play sims or on the minecraft server so will stop payments before the server renews this month. Thank you all for your kindness and generosity over my time on Twitch. I ask that you please respect both of our privacy at this time.
Tazkabaz, Wednesday February 5, 2020
It has been an honor to be her moderator for the past year or so. We had a lot of fun together. The community of regular viewers were always a joy to chat and be with. I’m hopeful she will come back sometime in the future. Yet, if not, I won’t forget the joy that she gave me in my life when I was feeling down. Best of luck, Tazkabaz, where ever life might take you.
I was first introduced to MomGamesHard when Tazkabaz raided her about ten months ago. I subscribed and supported her channel right away. She has a personality that keeps you glued to the screen. You can see what I mean by watching the video above.
She was playing The Sims 4 as a story telling game play. Yet, she also ventured off and played American/European Truck Simulator (ATS/ETS). She is a variety streamer, and has dabbed in a lot of different games. She seems to get really hooked on one game for a week or two, but always ends up going back to The Sims 4 and ATS/ETS as her staple games. Her streams start at 8AM Central Standard Time Monday through Friday. Usually she plays for a good four hours.
I am usually up at 7AM and grab some breakfast and a cup of tea before seeing her stream. She usually has a warm cup of coffee that she sips on throughout the stream. Her eyebrows are always perfectly shaped, as she has a thing for always getting them waxed. In fact her bitty money goes towards her eyebrow waxing fund.
Take a look at her when she goes on over at twitch.tv/momgameshard. You won’t be disappointed.
Yesterday we were telling Tazkabaz about a Hype Train that they now have on Twitch. She had no idea what that is, so we had to show her. It began with three people donating bits within five minutes of each other. That started the train to start moving. Very soon other people started to get involved in hyping up the chat. After all was said and done, we reached level five.
It was great to see Tazkabaz’s reaction to the bits and subscriptions coming in. She was clearly overwhelmed from it all. You can watch the event unfold by watching the 18 minute video above.
I first discovered Twitch when I saw a Twitter post from Lord of the Rings Online stating that a stream was happening live. I decided to click on it. It was fun to watch other people playing the game. I began to explore other people playing Lord of the Rings Online.
The first person I found playing Lord of the Rings Online was TesslaDaPanda. She was also playing some Overwatch, which I have never seen before. I couldn’t believe how fun it was to watch other people playing games that I loved, and exploring new games that I never played before. Not only that, but there was a sense of community in the chat rooms that made everyone feel like family.
I thought I would explore another game that I loved: The Sims 4. The first person that I found was Tazkabaz. She had this beautiful English accent and was entertaining to watch. It wasn’t long until she made me a moderator – someone that patrols the chat room and make sure everyone was following the terms of services. She has since become one of my favorite streamers.
Every so often streamers would do raids bring their viewers over to another person’s channel. One of the people that Tazkabaz raided was MomGamesHard. She was playing The Sims 4 at the time. She was playing the game as a story: Sims Big Brother for example. I grew to start liking her streams and personality as well.
Now I have a schedule when from 8am to 12pm I watch MomGamesHard. I then pop over and watch Tazkabaz play from 1pm until 5pm. Lastly I watch TesslaDaPanda from 7pm until I go to sleep. This is my day every weekday. There are times when some of them don’t stream due to real life getting in the way. I manage to find something else do. It is usually finding other people who are streaming.
ouple of weeks ago was Spring Break for the district that I am substitute teaching for. I was going to use that time to write, but I ended up streaming on the platform Twitch. I’ve been a viewer for a very long time, maybe seven or eight years. I always thought that I would never stream, but something sparked my interest to start doing it.
