Zoom games (Feb-April '21)

[Kurgan]

More pics of my setup... configured many more scenes in OBS, granted they need to be adjusted every time I setup the game... slightly, but I can have a close up of each segment of the board, and still use the document camera for autofocus on a particular area (I run out of room on the left side since I put my furniture/miniature boxes there). The blue patch is the "face" webcam (for that personal touch).

Even though ALL of this can be done with just the tripod usb camera... I love having the document camera, for dice, card draws, closeups of any kind really.

[Kurgan]

More scene shots from OBS. Whatever I show on my screen will show up in Zoom using the "obs camera" in video and I can switch between them at the touch of a button. Not pictured: the tripod above ("board view"). This is the 1 inch custom board with matte finish.

[iKarith]

More scene shots from OBS. Whatever I show on my screen will show up in Zoom using the "obs camera" in video and I can switch between them at the touch of a button. Not pictured: the tripod above ("board view"). This is the 1 inch custom board with matte finish.

What does that camera setup look like with tripods and overheads and whatnot around the board?

[Kurgan]

Excellent question. I have a picture somewhere here for the tripod itself, but the shots taken BY the tripod are the "board" shots.

Document camera = focus/closeup
Tripod camera = board (including the "zoomed in") board shots
face = webcam

I now have hotkeys for all the main views I use which is great.

[Kurgan]

Our whole setup has changed... we now use Discord to communicate in near real time. We use virtual dice in the discord chat (via MentorBot, created by Ribby of Bourbon_and_BoardGames on Youtube), and stream directly to Twitch using OBS Studio.

I still have cameras pointed at my (reprinted) board though! But we haven't used Zoom in years now. We play 2-4pm CST on most Fridays and 7-9pm CST on most Saturdays on http://www.twitch.tv/heroquestfans

Players can participate in the Twitch chat by using channel points ("Gold Coins" which are free, follow if you want, subscribing not required!) to influence the quest for the Chaos side or the heroes. If you want to control a hero (while slots are available), stop into our Discord voice channel "Quest Talk" and we'll get you geared up so to speak. All that is needed is pencil & paper. We'll show you how to use our virtual dice which keep the game rolling (pun intended).