Critical Role Critical Role Suspends Broadcasts

With the ongoing global health crisis, Critical Role has announced that all live broadcasts will be suspended for the foreseeable future, starting today.

Here's the announcement:

"Like many of you, we have been monitoring the progressing situation around COVID-19 and have made the difficult decision to temporarily stop all live broadcasts, effective Tuesday, March 17th, 2020. Please note that our next episode of All Work No Play will air live on Twitch today at 4pm Pacific and the finale will air on Tuesday, March 31st at 7pm Pacific.

The health, safety, and well-being of our company and employees is the highest priority for us and we asked our staff to begin working from home to practice social distancing last week.

Our hearts go out to everyone affected by COVID-19. If you are interested in helping, many state governments have set up special funds to help those in your local community or check out covid19responsefund.org.

Going forward, we’ll keep our social media accounts and website updated with the latest news.

Stay healthy, friends. We’ll be back soon.

Critical Role"

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

CR could make a triumphant return if part of the backstage prep work included getting the whole staff tested and announcing their resumption date once they know everybody is in fact OK.

There's just not enough tests available in the US at this point, unfortunately.

 

[Marandahir]

I guess it's time to FINALLY go back and start binging from the very beginning.

 

[MichaelSomething]

If I was an online rpg service like Roll20 or Fantasy Grounds, I would consider sponsoring a remote play session or two

 

[MarkB]

CR could make a triumphant return if part of the backstage prep work included getting the whole staff tested and announcing their resumption date once they know everybody is in fact OK.

Why would that matter? Just because they're okay on the day they get tested, that doesn't mean they won't get exposed ten minutes later.

Unless you're suggesting that the entire cast and production team communally self-isolate (is that even a thing?) inside their production studio?

 

[robus]

I guess it's time to FINALLY go back and start binging from the very beginning.

I just finished the first campaign, the finale is quite something.

 

[Eltab]

Why would that matter? Just because they're okay on the day they get tested, that doesn't mean they won't get exposed ten minutes later.

Unless you're suggesting that the entire cast and production team communally self-isolate (is that even a thing?) inside their production studio?

Pizza ordered out for a week!

 

[zhivik]

Production quality is important, but not as much as actual content, which is what drew me to Critical Role in the first place. After all, the first campaign started pretty low on production quality, but it didn’t prevent them from creating a compelling story. It is a good time to show that imagination trumps a fancy studio and miniatures. I remember that throughout most of the first campaign, Matt was using drawings on a sheet of paper for encounters and it didn’t take away from the fun I had. In fact, even an audio recording would be enough for me.

But I get it, people are worried, they have personal things to do and loved ones to take care of. Also, some people on the cast probably need a break (Matt and Marisha most of all), so it may be a good opportunity to get some. Besides, they might not want to lower their production standards, as unfortunately appearance often matters in the entertainment industry. I wish them well and I hope to hear from them soon.

 

[Burnside]

I absolutely understand pausing campaign 2 entirely and not moving it to Roll20 or making it into a podcast.

However, I very much hope they will run some one-shots or a mini-campaign using on of those formats.

 

[akr71]

Are they going to dislike it more than not having any Critical Role at all for weeks or months?

Many of us are now doing a lot of work via videoconferencing. I suspect CR has the ability to make that work well, even if it is inevitably different -- everything is going to be different for a while.

I think it comes down to quality. Do you pump out any old crap because people want the story, or do you stick to your own quality standards. In fact they've tweeted as such.

That is the question. But I expect Matt and the gang will try a one-shot or two before they start experimenting with CR. If the one-shots go well (and are received positively), then maybe they'll try CR-by-teleconference.

Yes, my thoughts exactly. They might even explore the idea just to fend off cabin fever - just a couple of fun, short sessions to see what comes of it.

 

[Nylanfs]

Also insofar as the likes of roll20, fantasygrounds, and the like aren't running at reduced capacity themselves,

I know that with FG everyone involved with the company are remote and work from home. And it isn't reliant much on server bandwidth like Roll20 is because it's peer-to-peer.