Stream FAQ

What do you stream?

We run a 24/7 gaming stream, shutting down only for maintenance, vacation and personal events. We stream a scheduled video game just about every night (rare cancellations due to special occasions or personal events) from 6 PM PST (9 PM EST) to 9 PM PST (Midnight EST). Following the scheduled video game, we stream an additional 1-3 hour random segment called "Game Over", which could be absolutely anything video game related!

Am I allowed to co-host?

Yes, for cohosting, we use Mumble. In order to cohost, you must set up Mumble according to our guidelines and sign up for cohosting. We do not tolerate misbehavior on air, so please familiarize yourself with the rules before attempting to cohost or you risk having your privileges revoked.

How do I get DP?

DP, which stands for Dragon Points, is awarded primarily through chat games and quicknicks, but can also be earned through donations from other users, receiving honorable stream status (Noob of the Day, etc.) or awarded from Tom personally for doing something amazing.

What's a QuickNick?

A QuickNick is a stream challenge that can be played by anyone. You play by listening for certain sounds that play on the stream and responding to them with various phrases.

What is "Level up!"?

Level Up is a different kind of QuickNick challenge where you gain levels for TBB RPG Plus, one of the various chat games. When you hear the World of Warcraft level up sound, say "Level up!" and you might get the free level, but be careful, saying it too late will cost you one level.

How do I play the chat games?

There are many chat games, and very few are loaded at any given time. They may be loaded by chat room moderators.

How do I use my DP?

Type "!ban-n-shop" into the chat and Banondorf will PM you everything you can purchase with DP. Just tell TomBobBlender what you wish to buy and he will get it for you. Just remember that Tom's schedule doesn't always allow him to do everything when it's convenient for you. Give him time and remind him every now and then, but not constantly.

Who is Banondorf?

Banondorf is the stream bot. He is the short-tempered brother of Ganondorf. He controls the chat topic, bans, chat games, stream challenges, events, and the stream music and sounds. Be warned, he isn't afraid of using his ban hammer and will strike if you are asking for it... and I mean that both literally and figuratively. See a list of commands here.

Why was I banned?

Read the rules and try to find any rules you have broken. If your search is in vain, ask a stream operator (moderator). If they don't know, they will point you to someone who does.

I have a problem with a moderator!

Take the problem up with Tom. If a stream operator isn't doing their job properly, Tom should know.

I'm having a problem with another user!

If it's something they are doing or saying, ask them politely to stop. If they persist afterward, talk to a moderator. They'll be happy to take care of the situation. Just remember that anything in private conversation is out of our control. If someone is harassing you in a private message, switch to an IRC client and add them to your ignore list, set to PM (query). In mIRC, this command is "/ignore -p " followed by the person's chat nick.

Why can't I talk?

From time to time, we may have to set mode +m (moderated) on the chatroom to keep the peace. If this is the case, only those registered and identified with Nickserv and have permission to do so may speak. If you have not registered or don't know how to identify yourself, please see Rizon's wiki page for registering your nick. If one of the operators has devoiced you, please see the stream rules or ask them why you were devoiced.

Where's Tom?

If Tom is not on the stream or active in the chat, he is probably doing something else. Right now, Tom lives a busy life between work and his personal schedule and both take precedence.

It's WiiPlay time! Where's the WiiPlay?!

Be patient, Tom is a busy guy. Sometimes WiiPlays are delayed or canceled because Tom has more important things to do than play video games.

Who is Buddii?

Buddii is Tom's pet ferret and the stream's mascot. He's been around since before the stream started and without him, the stream probably wouldn't exist, if not ever, like it does today. Right now, Buddii is being oppressed by the evil Fish and Game Commission of California! Help get Buddii into California with Tom by learning about legalizing ferrets in California at http://legalizeferrets.org/

What kind of hardware do you use for streaming?

Tom's streaming/gaming rig consists of the following:

• Motherboard: ASUS P6X58D-E LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX
• Processor: Intel Core i7-950 Bloomfield 3.06GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad Core
• Memory: 8 GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM
• Video Card: ZOTAC GeForce GTX 465 1 GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP
• Power Supply: XION 850W ATX 12V v2.2
• Microphone: USB Samson C03U
• Mixer: USB Ulesis MultiMix 8
• Video Capture Device(s): BlackMagic Shuttle, Dazzle DVD Recorde

What kind of software do you use for streaming?

Tom broadcasts through XSplit.

How often do you stream?

Tom streams almost daily at 6 PM PST after his day is over and done with. It ends "when it ends", which could be as early as 1 AM or as late as 3 AM (or later!), depending on the day and situation. He plays a different scheduled video game every night to keep everyone happy, even though it causes horrendous memory problems when jumping game-to-game for him. Throughout the show, members can join in and help him through games and talk live with the chat and community.

Why do you stream?

Tom streams for the fun of it all! Prior to the show, Tom skipped out on playing video games for four whole years so he could focus on school! As a result, he missed out on a lot of good games ranging from consoles like the Nintendo 64 to the Nintendo Gamecube! In August of 2007, Tom picked up a Nintendo Wii and began playing Super Mario Galaxy and a few virtual console games, but it wasn't until Super Smash Bros. Brawl that he "began to take video games seriously again". Since the stream began, his favorite aspect of it has always been interacting with the community!

How can I learn more about your show?

Check us out at TomBobBlender.com, Ustream or Twitch TV. You can also join our forums which will provide you with all the information you could ever ask for regarding our show and how it is run, including all the fancy mini games and events we hold. We also have a Skype, Twitter, and Facebook account to keep you updated on what's going on with the show. We hope you join us!