GreyLord
Legend
So there have been quite a number of highly posted threads in other locations this week on other sites where conversations about Critical Role have popped up (actually, more like the past three days, it's like a LOT of people are talking about it).
The primary point seems to be whether people love, hate, or dislike Critical Role and it's ROLE (see what I did there!! Hahaha) in how popular D&D is currently.
I don't watch it, and really don't care whether people do or not. I DO think it is GREAT in how it has brought people into the hobby. I think it's wonderful that people are engaged with it and enjoy it and how it's helped popularize D&D.
However, I don't see this opinion really expressed other places. It seems people either really love it and think it's the greatest thing that ever occurred, or that it's the worst thing ever. No one seems to share the same opinion as I do, and it seems rather binary in the opinions I've seen people express.
Maybe I just hang out with the wrong groups online?
Anyways, there IS one thing that I dislike about those who are very pro-Critical Role that I've seen. It seems most of them think that the ONLY reason 5e is as big as it is is because Critical Role uses it. That without Critical Role, 5e would not be the booming success it is. I disagree with this idea STRONGLY. I live in a relatively smaller area (so, not a big city, at least compared to what I think is a big city) and I don't know a soul that has heard of critical Role. Not a player, not a store owner...no one. Those who play D&D here, are NOT playing because of CR as far as I can tell. Those playing in larger cities have SOME that I've seen that will talk about CR, but most of them were playing RPGs long before CR inspired them to (there may be a few that started from CR, but most did not). It annoys me to no end, then, to come online and see CR fans claiming that 5e's success is due to CR. I'd think the opposite. I'd say CR got far more popular from them utilizing 5e in a more symbiotic relationship than them being the reason 5e became popular.
CR, despite it's popularity among RPG groups is STILL a very niche thing, in my opinion. Offline, it doesn't have the widespread fame that many seem to indicate it does online.
BUT, my experiences are anecdotal. It could simply just be who and what I am exposed to.
As I said, I actually appreciate Critical Role and what it brings to the table, my only complaint being about fans (not even about CR) who claim the above items..of which...I could also be wrong.
In that light, I am posting this poll. This is still anecdotal (as this site is not really a good enough sampling to really be taken as scientific), but it is expanding the view I have outside my own small circles. It could enlighten me (and maybe others).
If I had to view my choice, I'd probably say I think Critical Role has had some influence on D&D's popularity (but isn't the main reason it is popular), and I am more neutral in how I feel about Critical Role (I am not a viewer, I have nothing against it in general, and hope they do what they do, but I am not particularly interested in it).
Curious what others think.
Edit: Could have sworn I posted a poll, but I'm not seeing it....hmmm...not sure what I did wrong. I think it's available now.
The primary point seems to be whether people love, hate, or dislike Critical Role and it's ROLE (see what I did there!! Hahaha) in how popular D&D is currently.
I don't watch it, and really don't care whether people do or not. I DO think it is GREAT in how it has brought people into the hobby. I think it's wonderful that people are engaged with it and enjoy it and how it's helped popularize D&D.
However, I don't see this opinion really expressed other places. It seems people either really love it and think it's the greatest thing that ever occurred, or that it's the worst thing ever. No one seems to share the same opinion as I do, and it seems rather binary in the opinions I've seen people express.
Maybe I just hang out with the wrong groups online?
Anyways, there IS one thing that I dislike about those who are very pro-Critical Role that I've seen. It seems most of them think that the ONLY reason 5e is as big as it is is because Critical Role uses it. That without Critical Role, 5e would not be the booming success it is. I disagree with this idea STRONGLY. I live in a relatively smaller area (so, not a big city, at least compared to what I think is a big city) and I don't know a soul that has heard of critical Role. Not a player, not a store owner...no one. Those who play D&D here, are NOT playing because of CR as far as I can tell. Those playing in larger cities have SOME that I've seen that will talk about CR, but most of them were playing RPGs long before CR inspired them to (there may be a few that started from CR, but most did not). It annoys me to no end, then, to come online and see CR fans claiming that 5e's success is due to CR. I'd think the opposite. I'd say CR got far more popular from them utilizing 5e in a more symbiotic relationship than them being the reason 5e became popular.
CR, despite it's popularity among RPG groups is STILL a very niche thing, in my opinion. Offline, it doesn't have the widespread fame that many seem to indicate it does online.
BUT, my experiences are anecdotal. It could simply just be who and what I am exposed to.
As I said, I actually appreciate Critical Role and what it brings to the table, my only complaint being about fans (not even about CR) who claim the above items..of which...I could also be wrong.
In that light, I am posting this poll. This is still anecdotal (as this site is not really a good enough sampling to really be taken as scientific), but it is expanding the view I have outside my own small circles. It could enlighten me (and maybe others).
If I had to view my choice, I'd probably say I think Critical Role has had some influence on D&D's popularity (but isn't the main reason it is popular), and I am more neutral in how I feel about Critical Role (I am not a viewer, I have nothing against it in general, and hope they do what they do, but I am not particularly interested in it).
Curious what others think.
Edit: Could have sworn I posted a poll, but I'm not seeing it....hmmm...not sure what I did wrong. I think it's available now.
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