Dota 2 Tooltips Twitch Extension

header My good friend bukka and I have recently launched a Twitch extension that you may have already seen being beta tested called Dota 2 Tooltips. If enabled by the streamer, it allows the viewers to check out cool information from the game, including but not limited to Hero skills, Aghs, Shards, and items. The tooltips will also show recent changes made via Dota patches.

Who is this for?

Our target audience for this tool is streamers. When enabled by a streamer, viewers will be able to use the extension instantly. This is very helpful for both newer players and veterans alike. Keeping up with all the Aghs, Shards, and general changes feels impossible these days. We hope this extension will allow viewers to get the information they seek with very little effort.

This version of the extension is NOT intended for tournaments. If you are a tournament and would like to use a specialized version of this extension, please contact us.

Is this free?

For the viewers, all the base features of this extension will always be free. For the streamers, we are keeping it free for now so we can get a better idea as to how much servers will cost to maintain an extension of this kind. We may keep it free, but we also might add a subscription fee for bigger streamers. At the moment it is impossible for us to know. If you have any ideas for a good way we can make additional revenue without ruining the experience, please let us know via twitter.

At this time, we are not allowing this extension to be used for free by tournaments. If you are a tournament organizer and would like to use this, please contact us.

How does it work?

Streamers will install the extension, along with a GSI (Game State Integration) file in their Steam folder. GSI is officially supported by Valve, and if you have any RGB peripheral, chances are there is already an existing file in your folder. Depending on the mode, this GSI file allows the extension to see limited information from the game.

You may have seen similar extensions for some tournaments. Keep in mind that they have someone physically in the lobby, so ALL information is available to them.

For us, it's not that easy. We use the GSI file to see what is available, but also periodically scan the Twitch thumbnail in order to recognize what heroes are in your actual game.

What are the different modes included?

An indicator will pop up on screen when the streamer enters a different state of the game.

Spectating Mode is enabled when the streamer is spectating a game via DotaTV or Replay. In this mode, we gain the most information. The top bar becomes available right away and the bottom hud works for all heroes.

Gaming Mode is enabled when the streamer enters a game themselves. Information is more limited here. The top bar works after a delay (up to 3 min) and the bottom hud will only work for the hero they are playing.

Basic Mode is not recommended as only the top bar will work (with a delay). This mode simply means the streamer has not setup their GSI file properly.

This graphic shows the differences between modes: modes

What devices will this work on?

This works on Desktop & Android devices. IOS will come soon. The Desktop version is an interactive overlay, while mobile is more of a side panel available when the chat window is open. On mobile you are not able to mouse over the spells like on desktop. Instead, we've provided UI showing the 10 heroes in the game and their general information. mobile

I'm a viewer, how do I install this?

You don't need to! Feel free to poke your favorite streamers to remind them you want to use this.

I'm a streamer, how do I enable this for my stream?

This following graphic explains the installation process. Visit the extension page here. installation

What additional features are you planning for the future?

We have quite a bit planned for the future. The following are some things we have on our radar:

  • Support for ios devices
  • Item Shop
  • Current items for top bar in Spectating Mode
  • Hero Skill Video integration
  • Ability Draft support
  • Much faster scan recognition
  • Pro Player MMR (similar to twitch bots you see)
  • Facecam info!
  • More customization
  • Custom hero support for POG (Path of Guardians)
  • Non English language localization
  • …and much more!

Anything else?

Nope, but thanks for reading and supporting us! We hope to make Dota more approachable with this extension. Any changelogs will be posted on my twitter (@SUNSfanTV).