In this interview, I talk with MagiWasTaken, the self-proclaimed “best lich on Twitch” Vtuber and player of indie games. He has been streaming since 2019 after a friend in a blogging community got him into it. While that friend of his no longer streams himself, Magi is still going strong!
His schedule is a bit in flux due to university demands, but once he finishes university, he plans on establishing a more set schedule. Following him on Twitter and joining his discord server are the two best ways to know when he is live next!
Table of Contents
MagiWasTaken’s Summary
His Other Content:
Streaming Content:
Community Focused – Chatting, Art Streams, and Indie games
His Message to Streamers Just Starting out:
Just try it out, and (don’t) overthink it.
You don’t need big-budget PCs and equipment. The minimum that you need is a phone. I know people that stream switch gameplay by projecting it onto a wall, and they have the phone filming the wall with the gameplay… and they have fostered great communities.
Hardware doesn’t matter.
Apart from that, just do things and try them out.
Erich Kästner, a German author, used to say, “Es gibt nicht’s Gutes, außer man tut es” – “Nothing good happens unless you try,” basically.
Who is MagiWasTaken?
MagiWasTaken is a Twitch Streamer and Vtuber. His Vtuber Avatar is known as “The UwU Lich,” and he made it himself. He likes to draw, write, and create, so he sometimes streams himself working on art, playing indie games, or other games like Monster Hunter Rise.
There are also just chatting streams, where he talks about all sorts of things, including deep conversations about sensitive topics. Due to this, he does not allow people in his stream who he suspects are too young.
Author’s Note: any parentheses in the quotes are words that I inserted to make the context of what MagiWasTaken was saying easier to understand. The rest of the words are directly quoted from Magi. Additionally, under the quotes, I may have a small statement about the part of the quotes that may interest you.
His Friends Got Him Into Streaming
So, back in July of 2019, I actually got into blogging (again) and started writing reviews. Through one of the bloggers, I got into Twitch – and through the streamer Jimb0 (who doesn’t stream anymore), I got to know plenty of other people from all sorts of bubbles… and Jimb0 and XilentFlex kinda told me that I should give it a try after I asked them if streaming is fun.
Hence, I did just that. Started streaming on my crappy laptop with a bad microphone on November 19th 2019, played Dungeon of the Endless and Risk of Rain 1 as well as other Indies, got to know people, reached affiliate in early January and that’s basically it.
MagiWasTaken
Anybody can start streaming for any reason. Having friends that get you into it is one of the better ways because then you have a support system. Having a streamer friend to bounce questions off of is invaluable.
He Is Big Into Indie Games
So, when it comes to game(s that I stream), I do one “main game”, and (play some others) for the other streams of the week.
At the moment, we’re playing through “Dust: An Elysian Tail,” which is an Indie Classic and a really good metroidvania game. We also play lots of roguelikes at the moment as well as Monster Hunter Rise. MHR in particular is quite neat to stream as you can get people into the lobby, and most people in the Monster Hunter categories just know a lot more about the series than me. 🙂
MagiWasTaken
I’ve never been all that big into indie games myself, honestly speaking. A lot of times, it has to do with the fact that many indie titles really thrive on the fact that the gameplay is difficult. Noita, for example, I love the concept of, but man, is it unforgiving! Same thing with Don’t Starve – an interesting concept, but unfriendly towards novices and people with limited use of both hands.
Given that I have partial paralysis with my left hand, games that play on the concept of difficulty are naturally harder for me than for someone else. This is because WSAD is used by the left hand to dodge out of the way of stuff, and, well, when you lack fine motor control of your fingers, dodging stuff with millisecond precision is challenging.
This is why I love games that make heavy use of the mouse, like Path of Exile. It’s still challenging, but it’s manageable because my right hand doesn’t have the same paralysis issues.
He Likes Grindy Games, too, Especially Monster Hunter World
I think my favourite parts about (Monster Hunter Rise is) how ridiculously big some weapons are… and how grindy it is. Despite being an action-game, I can go out and explore areas, grind materials and monsters, and have a relatively chill time with my community.
…The designs are great, too! I like Monster Hunter World more as Monster Hunter Rise dumbed down combat quite a bit… but I just encountered something called a “Bishaten”, the other day, which is like a feathered griphon-monkey that throws fruit at ya… and it’s amazing. I love it so much.
MagiWasTaken
As for Monster Hunter, I also like the designs a lot (especially the Dragons!), but fighting one thing for half an hour just isn’t that fun to me. I tried the Free Monster Hunter Clone, Dauntless, but I just didn’t have much fun with it. “Hunt this monster X times to upgrade the weapon slightly to hunt harder variants of said monster to upgrade weapons to…” and so on. Too grindy for my taste, which is weird because I LOVE Path of Exile, which is a suuuuper grindy game.
I think the reason I like Path of Exile so much is the enormous character-building options, though not so much the grindy nature of it. Being able to smash through the game’s hardest content with a build you make yourself is just so satisfying!
He Uses A Midrange PC from 2019, and It’s Good Enough For His Needs
Nowadays, I’m using a PC that I built back in late November 2019, actually. I did manage to stream on the laptop maybe three or four times – and then I had this PC here and it just works.
…I’m using an AMD Radeon RX 5700 and an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 Six-Core Processor with 16GB RAM. After saving for a few months, I had a budget of around 1000€. So, since new graphics cards came out at the time and since it was Black Friday, I got these two incredibly cheaply compared to what they’d usually cost.
And as far as other stuff goes, I’m using two used Asus monitors that I got for the price of one, the Elgato Wave-3 for my microphone, and the cheapest headset, mouse and keyboard I could find…
MagiWasTaken
This actually brings up a good point. Many people looking to get into the streaming hobby are constantly told that they need a fantastic computer to be able to live stream, and that simply isn’t true. All you really need is a decently fast internet upload speed and a PC that is capable of running the content you want to stream. Or even just a smartphone on a tripod pointed at your TV.
It might not be “Professional Quality,” but darn it, you are still a streamer!
He Loves to Draw, Too!
(I’ve been drawing) since 2021, I think? I was into arts and doodles before but never got into digital art, so then I needed to learn that and now I do practice streams, work on my emotes and stuff, and I even do art for other streamers. 🙂
I’m using an old wacom tablet that a friend didn’t need anymore. When I do (art) stuff, I generally do it to amass experience and get better at what I do. So, during charity streams, I’d have people donate to charity for me to draw emotes for them.
It was a win-win-win, basically. I get experience and we raise money for charity. The last commission I did was for a friend who I didn’t want to charge, so we just made a deal to donate whatever he would’ve paid me to TheTrevorProject. But like, if I were to get proper commissions nowadays, I’d charge for it.
MagiWasTaken
I have tried drawing on and off, but straight lines are the bane of my existence – couple that with perfectionism, and you have a recipe for giving up before you get started. Props to you for sticking through that early phase! It takes a lot of self-discipline to do that!
He Made His V-Tuber Avatar Himself
I used to just stream with a little GIF of a pixel art Lich that I made ages ago. But for my 3-year-stream-anniversary (November 19th, 2022), I created my very own VTuber model during a 24-hour stream from scratch.
So, I’m a Lich. 😀 The best Lich on Twitch.
MagiWasTaken
The Best Lich on Twitch! I like that (title idea!!!); it’s catchy! Are any other Liches out there wanting to challenge his claim? Do so in the comments below (and maybe join the discord and dispute with Magi himself!)!!
He Aspires to Create a Safe Environment In His Channel
I aspire to create a safe environment free of toxicity and any kind of bigotry. People in my community have told me in the past that it’s their personal safe space and that they come hang out especially when they’re feeling down or when they need to relax.
…I try to talk a lot about mental health and LGBTQIA+ issues as well as other topics. Having autism, being queer, having a migration background, etc. – I’ve had specific experiences and I like talking about them, hearing other people’s experiences, sharing stories at times, and even giving advice… I think it’s really good to encourage each other and have an open mind, so that’s what I try to foster.
MagiWasTaken
Mental health is an immensely important topic that is only recently getting the attention it deserves. The fact that there are so many places where people can get assistance with it is huge. Big kudos to you Magi!
In fact, I need to go on a little tangent real quick.
I myself struggle with anxiety and depression, and one of the ways that I deal with it is by writing my feelings into words here on Streamer’s Haven. (If you’re a regular of this site, you’ll see the tonal shifts in my writing for the days I feel depressed or overwhelmed.) Before starting this blog, all of that was channeled into video games at the level of true addiction for over ten years.
But in April 2019, after watching a video by EposVox (the big OBS Masterclass tutorial video), I decided to start Streamer’s Haven to help others. He inspired me to do more with my life than just waste it gaming all day. I thought, “Hey, he can do this, and you know what, so can I!”
Well, maybe not the video part (Yet). But darn it, I’m 240-something articles in on this site now, and I’m a completely different person from when I started this thing. I’ve learned so much, and there is nothing I’d rather do more in life!
And now, back to the interview…
The Best Thing He Did For His Stream was to Remove His FaceCam
(There are) three things (that I did which I think were best for my stream):
- No Cam
- No View Count
- No Kids
When I streamed with a cam, I’d let my face show all the emotions but my voice just… sucked. I have a deep voice, so talking in a monotone way, even if you smile or something, it’s hard to listen to.
So, I stopped using a cam and started doing streams with audio only, basically.
…Streaming without a camera means that you have to be A LOT more expressive with your voice. You need to emulate it and switch up the tone a little, you need to put emphasis on some things with pauses and stress.
I used to be in a drama group for quite a few years and ever since I started to actually make use of the voice techniques I learned there, my streams have gotten better.
(In fact,) my channel only started growing once I focused on my voice work.
…As for the view count, I used to get down when the viewer count dropped. (Sounds Familiar…) I’d second-guess what I’m doing, overthink things, etc. Sometimes, I’d feel “down” because of it and no matter how good you can mask your face and play a happy person… your viewers will notice and it will sound fake.
So, disabling the view count and streaming every time as if you’re streaming to a hundred viewers is probably the second-best thing I did for my channel.
MagiWasTaken
We chatted about the no kids part of the rules he set for his stream, and he explained that the subjects he talks about sometimes get pretty deep, and kids often don’t know how to handle those conversations maturely. I chose not to include the details for privacy reasons.
His Advice for Streamers Looking to Improve as a Creator is to “Watch Your Own Content”
My advice to all streamers would be to “Watch your own content.”
My standard is that I wanna create a stream I’d watch myself. I lurk a lot, so I try to create a lurker-friendly space. I like comfy and chill vibes, so I do that. Etc.
MagiWasTaken
This is great advice. In fact, I utilize it myself, though in a different way. Before I post any article, I always read it out loud to myself multiple times. By doing that, I can “hear” how it reads and adjust my writing if something doesn’t sound right. Digesting your content from the perspective of your audience can be quite enlightening to find weak points in your creative process.
Watching a live stream back is tough, especially if it’s multiple hours. But even a cursory glance at different points is better than simply letting the VOD go to the void, never to be seen again.
His Schedule Is In Flux While He Attends University
Since I go to university, (and the fact that) exams are right around the corner, I don’t really have a schedule at the moment. I try to prioritize university, so I often stream once I’m done with studying and assignments.
Generally, you can check out the “schedule” tab (on my Twitch channel), or join my Discord server for updates on when I’ll be live. The Discord notifications are on an opt-in basis, so you can just add or remove the roles as you please. Once exams are over, I’ll probably try to stream regularly again but once the new semester hits, I’ll have to change the schedule again depending on when my classes are and stuff.
MagiWasTaken
You know, even if your schedule is constantly changing, you can still set a schedule that you can tell people when you “try” to be live.
So, say, for example, we set the schedule for Tuesday and Thursday at 15:00. (3PM for people on the 12-hour clock) “I try to be live on Tuesday and Thursday at 15:00, but due to my university schedule, there may be days that these streams are not able to happen. Additionally, I may spontaneously decide to stream off schedule. The best way to know when I’m live is to join our Discord server!”
This way, people have a rough idea when they can find you live at a cursory glance, but know WHY you aren’t live if you are predisposed for other reasons. If they are super curious, they may join your discord server to see how you manage your community. A schedule is an advertisement for your channel, essentially.
Check out MagiWasTaken!
His Other Content:
Streaming Content:
Community Focused – Chatting, Art Streams, and Indie games
His Message to Streamers Just Starting out:
Just try it out, and (don’t) overthink it.
You don’t need big-budget PCs and equipment. The minimum that you need is a phone. I know people that stream switch gameplay by projecting it onto a wall, and they have the phone filming the wall with the gameplay… and they have fostered great communities.
Hardware doesn’t matter.
Apart from that, just do things and try them out.
Erich Kästner, a German author, used to say, “Es gibt nicht’s Gutes, außer man tut es” – “Nothing good happens unless you try,” basically.
Closing Words – Get Your Own Interview Article Written!
If you want to get an interview done for yourself, you need only join the community discord, @Monodex and ask!