Oh, I totally get that impulse. There are live plays I won't listen to because I have little to no interest in the ruleset. As I see it, there are a number of different hooks a live play might have for its audience - the specific actor-players, the ruleset, the general subject matter, etc. The more hooks that attract me, the more likely I am to check it out and watch or listen on the podcast. Similarly, the fewer the hooks, the less likely I am to watch. And whether you're simpatico with the view or not, ruleset is a BIG factor for me. I figure it is for other people as well.
I like Critical Role and listened to most of their first campaign (Vox Machina) but the 4 hour sessions are a bit much. I know I can just pause and pick up, but psychologically, I tend to stick with live plays that have one hour or even half-hour episode. It just fits into my habits better. If I'm one a long, multi-hour drive, I can queue up several and binge-listen to them. Otherwise, it is synched to times I block out for chores or exercising.
That's me. I find my favorite live plays are using crunchier rule systems. Overly simple and dramatic rules systems end up feeling like poor radio dramas than listing to a game being played.
