Wizards of the Coast launches official Dungeons & Dragons Actual Play show

mamba · Saturday at 7:42 PM

Paul Farquhar said:
It’s normal for the players to play for the audience, it’s just usually limited to the other players.

the other players are not really an audience though, they are participants

doctorbadwolf · Saturday at 7:44 PM

Mort said:
Many of the "players" really come across as playing to the camera/audience as opposed to each other or the DM.

Frankly, this is out of line. Putting quotes around players to imply they arent real players somehow is an uncalledfor insult that just makes the speaker look bad.

bedir than · Saturday at 7:45 PM

There are at least a half dozen APs that send their people traveling the US and/or world to theaters and arenas now.
WotC themselves produced at least three and have partnered with dozens more. It's a large field.
Suggesting that Critical Role is the only comparison to what an AP is or can be fails to embrace the medium and format.

Even if CR did all the negative things people suggest of them it wouldn't be any indication of what D20, NADDPod, High Rollers, Glass Cannon, DCA, Black Dice Society, or this show will and can do.

Mort · Saturday at 7:47 PM

doctorbadwolf said:
False. The character 100% had the opportunity to either become a revenant or die completely instead of just starting as a revenant. No loss of player agency or dice base determination.

The "during game" was completely planned between Brennan and Alex. Brennan made Alex playing a hollow one conditional on him getting killed during the game. Sure, no loss of agency, because it was absolutely agreed upon, but it seemed completely for the benefit of the audience.

Mort · Saturday at 7:49 PM

doctorbadwolf said:
Frankly, this is out of line. Putting quotes around players to imply they arent real players somehow is an uncalledfor insult that just makes the speaker look bad.

I wasn't implying, I was flatly stating that, in my opinion, they're not playing, they are performing - which, for me, kills the game night vibe. And expressing my hope that the new actual play does not come across like this

Clearly we disagree, and that's fine.

Paul Farquhar · Saturday at 7:54 PM

Mort said:
The "during game" was completely planned between Brennan and Alex. Brennan made Alex playing a hollow one conditional on him getting killed during the game. Sure, no loss of agency, because it was absolutely agreed upon, but it seemed completely for the benefit of the audience.

I’ve been involved in this sort of secret collaboration between a player and DM to set up a cool story moment.

Mort · Saturday at 7:58 PM

Paul Farquhar said:
I’ve been involved in this sort of secret collaboration between a player and DM to set up a cool story moment.

And that can be fun.

I was just responding to the claim that the player had the choice to stay dead. Since there was a collaboration here, there was no choice as such, just a dynamic way to establish the background of the character.

AlViking · Saturday at 8:03 PM

doctorbadwolf said:
No, they don't. (Or we could both admit that it is a wholly subjective thing where our own biases and experiences shape how we experience the show)

To you perhaps. To others, season one was "obviously scripted". To me and many others, season 4 is just a well organized game with players who are drama/theater kids and great maps and terrain and the coolest gaming room ever.

False. The character 100% had the opportunity to either become a revenant or die completely instead of just starting as a revenant. No loss of player agency or dice base determination.

No, the game was transparent about stakes. Which is a good way to run the game at home.

You are bringing that to the experience, it isnt actually part of the show.

I've been in games where a player discussed some aspect of their character arc with the DM and the DM made it happen. The player may not have known the exact specifics, but there was an agreement that some variation of X would happen. It's not limited to streams and whether or not anyone wants it in their game is a personal choice.

Reynard · Saturday at 8:15 PM

It seems very odd to level "they are playing to the audience" as some sort of criticism of what is essentially a TV show. of course they are playing to the audience. That is literally their job. That doesn't mean they aren't playing D&D to the audience, though.

Vicar In A Tutu · Saturday at 9:13 PM

liteberer said:
Good for you. I'm all for you enjoying yourself the way you want. That's not my choice.

I love having books that my kids can look at and say, "Pop, those are really cool. Can you play with us?" And that gives me an enormous sense of happiness.

I can't point them to D&DB and say, "look at this...computer." I mean, I could. But I don't want to.

It doesn't have to be all or nothing. I always have the core books of the latest edition in paper. My son (4 years old) calls the monster manual simply "the monster book". I also kept some of the early books I started gaming with, as they are precious to me. But the million of splatbooks and source books have gone the way of the dodo ...