D&D 5E Sidelining Players- the Good, the Bad, the Ugly, and the Poll

[Jester David]

I’d rather do anything else than watch other people play D&D. It’s no spectator sport.

200,000 people watch Aquisitions Incorporated. More than could fit in the largest stadium in the US.
Each weekly episode of Critical Role attracts similar numbers, it has its own IMDb page ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4834232/ ), and trends on Twitter every Thursday during the live show.

While an order of magnitude smaller than network shows, it's clear that to a LOT of people, D&D very much is a spectator sport.

 

[Morrus]

200,000 people watch Aquisitions Incorporated. More than could fit in the largest stadium in the US.
Each weekly episode of Critical Role attracts similar numbers, it has its own IMDb page ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4834232/ ), and trends on Twitter every Thursday during the live show.

While an order of magnitude smaller than network shows, it's clear that to a LOT of people, D&D very much is a spectator sport.

Those are not my friends playing D&D. They are professional entertainers. If my friends were professional entertainers then sure, maybe I'd watch them playing D&D.

In other news, I also wouldn't enjoy being invited on a scenic hike with them only to be told I have to sit in the car.

 

[Satyrn]

Those are not my friends playing D&D. They are professional entertainers. If my friends were professional entertainers then sure, maybe I'd watch them playing D&D.

In other news, I also wouldn't enjoy being invited on a scenic hike with them only to be told I have to sit in the car.

And on top of that, the people watching the D&D shows - or even just their friends playing - are choosing to do so.

 

[Morrus]

And on top of that, the people watching the D&D shows - or even just their friends playing - are choosing to do so.

That, too.

So, to revise my statement:

Those are not my friends playing D&D. They are professional entertainers. If my friends were professional entertainers then sure, maybe I'd choose watch them playing D&D, but even then I wouldn't enjoy being told I had to watch them play D&D.

 

[cmad1977]

And on top of that, the people watching the D&D shows - or even just their friends playing - are choosing to do so.

And 200k viewers worldwide is tiny given how many gamers there are.


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[Demetrios1453]

That, too.

So, to revise my statement:

Those are not my friends playing D&D. They are professional entertainers. If my friends were professional entertainers then sure, maybe I'd choose watch them playing D&D, but even then I wouldn't enjoy being told I had to watch them play D&D.

My friends aren't professional entertainers, yet both myself and others in the various groups I've been in over the years have happily watched our groups play for hours (sometimes entire sessions!) without our participation. Like I said several pages before, this varies from person to person and group to group - how much the person watching is entertained by watching their friends play, and how entertaining that group is to watch...

 

[TheCosmicKid]

Those are not my friends playing D&D. They are professional entertainers. If my friends were professional entertainers then sure, maybe I'd watch them playing D&D.

Well, no, but they are your friends. And you're spending time with them. You may not be rolling dice, but surely you're still chatting and cracking jokes and throwing popcorn at each other, right? I mean, yeah, if your DM puts a gag order on sidelined players, I can see how that might be a problem, but the solution to that problem seems pretty obvious: "don't put a gag order on sidelined players".

 

[Morrus]

Well, no, but they are your friends. And you're spending time with them. You may not be rolling dice, but surely you're still chatting and cracking jokes and throwing popcorn at each other, right? I mean, yeah, if your DM puts a gag order on sidelined players, I can see how that might be a problem, but the solution to that problem seems pretty obvious: "don't put a gag order on sidelined players".

Would you go out for dinner with your friends, but they told you you had to just watch them eat? It’s fine, because you’re still allowed to talk to them?

Of course, it depends on the duration. Half an hour might be OK. 4 hours seems vindictive.

But, hey, us telling each other what we are supposed to find fun has no purpose, really. You may find watching our friends play D&D fun, but there’s no combination of words which will suddenly make me find that same thing fun. It’s a silly argument, really.

 

[Lanefan]

Yeah, I'd far rather watch my friends play a game in which I'm a once and future participant, and be in the same room; than watch on a screen some people I've never heard of play a game I have no investment in, somewhere else where I'm not.

 

[Caliban]

Yeah, I'd far rather watch my friends play a game in which I'm a once and future participant, and be in the same room; than watch on a screen some people I've never heard of play a game I have no investment in, somewhere else where I'm not.

And you should absolutely do that if you want to. No one is saying you shouldn't, or that it's a bad thing to do.

Just don't don't try to tell someone else they have to stay or are being a bad person if they choose not too. That would be rude.

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