What is this "points" thing?
If you are reading this page, you probably know I have recently added a point system to the Reasoned Answers livestreams. What you are probably wondering, however, is what is its purpose. You're in the right place. Looking for ways to improve my streams, and inspired by Twitch's built-in channel points, I have installed a bot that keeps track of live activity during a stream and awards points accordingly. Basically, if you show up live and do the kinds of things you are already doing, you are awarded some points. These points can then be redeemed to interact with/mess with the stream in various ways in real time. The possibilities are endless and options will grow over time as they are added little by little.
Earning Points
YouTube's privacy settings allow you to watch a stream anonymously - if you never make a comment on a stream, then no one (stream owner included) will ever know you are there. As such, to get any points you'll have to comment on the livestream while it is happening. This initial comment earns you 100 points. You then get 5 points per minute for watching (you'll need to comment once every 5 minutes or so or YouTube will stop reporting your presence to me). Subsequent comments earn 10 points each, but don't spam or I'll have to take your points away. Superchats earn 1000 points and Patreon (or equivalent) support earns 2000 points per month. I'll probably add additional things - like a secret word of the day that grants a bounty to the first person to find it - as time goes on.
In summary:
In summary:
- 100 points for first comment (per stream)
- 10 point for subsequent comments
- 5 points for each minute watching (while live)
- 1000 points for superchats
- 2000 points for Patreon support (once per month)
Spending Points
Spending is where the real fun comes in. Since the system is brand new, options are limited right now but I will aim to add new options to every stream for the foreseeable future and build up a considerable library.
To redeem, you just need to type a key phrase ("command") into the chat, similar to how "cat" triggers the Happy Happy Cat animation. When you type a valid command you'll trigger the reward and RAbot will send a message acknowledging the spend (assuming you have sufficient points). Keep in mind that there is a delay between when I send video and when you see it on YouTube, so the effect will be delayed 30-60 seconds from your perspective.
In honor of everyone's favorite Muslim "apologist," you can hire a part time stripper for 250 points. He can be triggered by tpying either !strip or #stripper anywhere in a chat message. For example, typing "What this livestream needs is a halal #stripper" will bring out our friend.
The command #SlaveMaster was added for Nadir's discussion on slavery in Islam with Mary. It triggers the famous Ben Hur scene where Jesus stops the slave master in his tracks. The command #TheMatrix was added for a stream on Andrew Tate. The command #DhulQarnayn was added in honor of Yusuf Estes' famous line about Alexander the Great. Since that is hard to spell, it can also be triggered via #DQ or #Yusuf. These all costs 250 points each. After these, I introduced a big different different command that doesn't trigger an animation. Using !Flip or #IslamicMode turns the screen upside down for about 15 seconds, just like how the religion of Islamic itself is completely upside down. Since this is more disruptive to the stream, it costs 500 points.
For my birthday, I created a special !HappyBirthday animation that plays a party horn sound and covers much of the screen with a party animation and greeting. It was reused for Muhammad's birthday and now returns for general use. Send a friend birthday greetings live on the air with a message, for example "!HappyBirthday Greetings to John, the best friend a guy could have" and it'll play immediately (after factoring in YouTube delay). Then I'll read it later as well like I do superchats. The cost for the this special treat is 1000 points. Note: the !HappyBirthday command must be at the start of the message to trigger as the rest of the text is used for the greeting.
The newest animation is #WhoAteTheApple. (It can also be triggered with simply #Apple.) This was created to celebrate our good buddy Goofti Menk and his superchat talk about eating apples. This will play a sound and animation immediately and then I'll read the comment as if it was a super chat. The cost for this one is 1000 points, a small price to pay for 1000s of apples!
On a more mundane note, you can highlight a message of yours for 50 points with the command !highlight anywhere in a chat (probably either the start or end would make the most sense). This will be put in my queue and ensure I see it. Like superchats, I will read it aloud at a convenient time, not necessarily immediately.
To redeem, you just need to type a key phrase ("command") into the chat, similar to how "cat" triggers the Happy Happy Cat animation. When you type a valid command you'll trigger the reward and RAbot will send a message acknowledging the spend (assuming you have sufficient points). Keep in mind that there is a delay between when I send video and when you see it on YouTube, so the effect will be delayed 30-60 seconds from your perspective.
In honor of everyone's favorite Muslim "apologist," you can hire a part time stripper for 250 points. He can be triggered by tpying either !strip or #stripper anywhere in a chat message. For example, typing "What this livestream needs is a halal #stripper" will bring out our friend.
The command #SlaveMaster was added for Nadir's discussion on slavery in Islam with Mary. It triggers the famous Ben Hur scene where Jesus stops the slave master in his tracks. The command #TheMatrix was added for a stream on Andrew Tate. The command #DhulQarnayn was added in honor of Yusuf Estes' famous line about Alexander the Great. Since that is hard to spell, it can also be triggered via #DQ or #Yusuf. These all costs 250 points each. After these, I introduced a big different different command that doesn't trigger an animation. Using !Flip or #IslamicMode turns the screen upside down for about 15 seconds, just like how the religion of Islamic itself is completely upside down. Since this is more disruptive to the stream, it costs 500 points.
For my birthday, I created a special !HappyBirthday animation that plays a party horn sound and covers much of the screen with a party animation and greeting. It was reused for Muhammad's birthday and now returns for general use. Send a friend birthday greetings live on the air with a message, for example "!HappyBirthday Greetings to John, the best friend a guy could have" and it'll play immediately (after factoring in YouTube delay). Then I'll read it later as well like I do superchats. The cost for the this special treat is 1000 points. Note: the !HappyBirthday command must be at the start of the message to trigger as the rest of the text is used for the greeting.
The newest animation is #WhoAteTheApple. (It can also be triggered with simply #Apple.) This was created to celebrate our good buddy Goofti Menk and his superchat talk about eating apples. This will play a sound and animation immediately and then I'll read the comment as if it was a super chat. The cost for this one is 1000 points, a small price to pay for 1000s of apples!
On a more mundane note, you can highlight a message of yours for 50 points with the command !highlight anywhere in a chat (probably either the start or end would make the most sense). This will be put in my queue and ensure I see it. Like superchats, I will read it aloud at a convenient time, not necessarily immediately.
Other Commands
In addition to "spend" commands, free actions will be added over time. There are currently 7 free animations, but you have to be in the know to trigger them. (Hint look for other people doing so to learn the secrets.) You can also check your point balance by typing "!points" and hitting enter.
Feedback
The purpose of the point system is to have fun, so I want to hear what you would make streams fun for you. If you have spend suggestions, leave me a message on YouTube - in live chat or regular comments - or email me at
thaddeus@reasonedanswers.com
with your ideas.