We sat down virtually with DaSilentLaddiie, a silent, no-cam horror streamer on Twitch, who posts gameplay videos regularly on Youtube. We discussed how important it is belonging to a stream team that supports you, what it’s like streaming with no-cam and no mic, and her favorite horror movies!
MonsterThoughts: You’re a streamer and also a member of the ScreamReapers stream team, a team for Women of Color, how important would you say is belonging to a stream team as a streamer? Do you find the ScreamReapers support your streams/streaming endeavors and boost your streaming career in any way? If yes, how so?
DaSilentLaddiie: Belonging to a stream team is important because you can connect with so many different individuals. But still, be able to find a shared passion among each other. ScreamReapers are the horror family I never had, and to see so many women of color talk about all and everything about horror is fantastic.
MT: How so?
DSL: The amount of support myself and other members get is uncanny. The support we get is not only about gaming-related stuff, is the support for being a WOC in the gaming industry is outside of gaming issues that no one sees.Â
MT: As a member of said team, I agree with everything you’ve said! I think more teams could benefit from a focus on inclusion. Moving on, you notoriously stream with no mic and webcam. What spurred this? Was it a choice or a necessity, and do you feel you’ve been hindered or helped by not having a webcam or mic to interact with your chat? Do you find pausing the game to type in chat a hindrance when it comes to communicating with chat during streams?
DSL: Reason behind why I do content with no mic at first is that I have a speech problem. I stutter when I get nervous or under pressure, but then it slowly stopped being a problem, and I started enjoying giving my support horror movie feel. I would not say hindered by not having a cam or a mic because some of my support enjoy watching the gameplay with no commentary to feel as if it’s them playing the game. My community understands that pausing in the middle of a game to chat with them is like a commercial if you’re watching a movie on tv. It’s the perfect time to grab a snack or bathroom break. I also have some wonderful mods that can interact with the chat. If I am in the middle of an intense part that I can’t pause, I have also set some pre-chat text on my Elgato stream deck that I can press for a quick response until I can give a purposeful response.
We have a habit as streamers and as humans to look at our views daily to see if we are growing.
MT: Ah I can relate to the speech problem–I tend to talk really fast and it happens moreso when I’m nervous. I’m glad you have found a niche that works for you! That said, what is the focal point of streaming for you? What do you get out of it personally?
DSL: The focus of streaming for me is to enjoy what you’re doing; you can’t provide good content if you are not enjoying the game or what you are putting out. Personally, it helps with my confidence, as in yes, I don’t have the mic or cam on, but people still find ways to interact with my streams, and those people become supporters.
MT: I agree – being able to enjoy yourself comes off to the audience even if you don’t have a mic or cam! You upload a lot of gameplay clips to your YouTube (feel free to plug your Youtube here). Which ones do you recommend to our readers to watch the most and why those? Is constantly uploading gameplay as well as streaming difficult to juggle? How do you manage it?
DSL: My YouTube channel (Youtube.com/DaSilentLaddiie) consists of various games with the main focus being horror. If you are looking for some indie horror games, that aren’t like your typical mainstream horror game, my channel provides that from early access, demo, walkthroughs, and more. I recommend 3 in 1 Random Indie Horror; this series offers short-length gameplay of games that I believe viewers should check out for themselves. Trying to upload and stream simultaneously, yes, at some point, it gets complicated. Because you feel like you have no time to edit a recorded video on time because you have committed to do a live stream around the same time you have to upload the video, so I learned to do my research on the most trending horror games, pick a day or so to play and record the game, and edit the next day so that when its time to upload all the videos you can upload and schedule in bulks, also a lot of planning goes into uploading in bulks.
MT: When I uploaded regularly to Youtube, I attempted to record, edit, and upload in bulk. Kudos to you for having the schedule and/or dedication to do it. Do you have any advice for aspiring streamers or community managers as to how to navigate the world? What things should they be prepared for or be prepared to ignore?
DSL: My most extensive advice for anyone aspiring streamers is to enjoy what you do always remember what the reason you decided to stream was. Never feel bad to take a break if you are feeling burnt out and in need of a mental break, take your time yes, people always feel as if they take a break, your viewers are going to disappear. No, your SUPPORTS will always be there no matter how long you take the break. We, as streamers/supporters, would rather see our favorite streamer take a mental break than to see them not enjoy a stream they prepared for. We sometimes feel discouraged feel unmotivated, and that is all common. We all have felt like that many times, and it is ok to feel like you’re only human. But also be prepared to receive massive support and help from your community. We have a habit as streamers and as humans to look at our views daily to see if we are growing or what. I would say try to ignore looking at your views; you are going to get in your head about growth, and growth doesn’t come quick, so have patience and enjoy what you’re doing.Â
MT: Great advice! Favorite horror movie in the past five years and why?
DSL: I have so many horror movies it’s so hard to pick one, but this movie is my top favorite, and it’s Bride of Chucky (1998); the reason behind this is: he finally is not alone on his killing spree, they added his lover Jennifer Tilly as Tiffany. Both of them together is a comedy in itself.Â
MT: That’s a great movie with an iconic character! DaSilentLaddiiee, I want to thank you for sharing yourself with us and we look forward to seeing where your streaming career takes you!
DaSilentLaddiiee is your silent horror game enthusiast. If you’re looking for a way to feel like you’re play a horror game without actually playing a horror game check her out.
You can find DaSilentLaddiiee at any of her links below!