Critical Role Could Critical Role launch their own RPG?

[Ruin Explorer]

But we also know their numbers go down when they play one/two shots in other systems.

I don't think that's as much the system as the characters, though.

The people follow the actors building up specific characters, and when you play a one-off, you get the actor but the familiarity of your beloved and emotionally-connected character they play.

If, and obviously this is a huge if, they are at odds with WotC (unlikely I think), and WotC decides to go full self-immolation (also unlikely) by trying to push OGL 1.1 with general deauthorization, all CR would really have to do would be to say "Oh we're actually going to do Critical Role Season 4 after all, and it's in this system", and I think 90%+ of their audience would be some busy getting excited about another season that they wouldn't care about the system.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I wish Crit Role would get out from under D&D's yoke. I'd love to see them use their talents on other games constantly instead of just the occasional other system on a one night special.

I'm honestly surprised they havent started a 2nd streamed game with the core cast (or most of) . Seems like money on the table to me. Imagine a weekly Cyberpunk Red or Shadowrun show.

I am not uptodate on CR, was a later starter and plowing through Campaign 2 but for CR to pull in a new system I think it would need the main cast and Matt as GM and I wonder if the main cast are a bit burned out with a public game/campaign that goes on for multiple years.

While I think they are having fun in the roles it has got to be a little more stressful playing an rpg as a performance as compared to a home game.

 

[CleverNickName]

If, and obviously this is a huge if, they are at odds with WotC (unlikely I think), and WotC decides to go full self-immolation (also unlikely) by trying to push OGL 1.1 with general deauthorization, all CR would really have to do would be to say "Oh we're actually going to do Critical Role Season 4 after all, and it's in this system", and I think 90%+ of their audience would be some busy getting excited about another season that they wouldn't care about the system.

As a self-avowed "Critter," I agree completely. Some CR fans watch the show for tips and suggestions on how to run their own games at home (I know I do), but I think most of them are watching for storytelling and acting, the characters and the setting and the villains. If CR shifted to a different system, say Pathfinder, I feel it would be a much bigger problem for Hasbro than it would be for the CR fans.

 

[OB1]

This is my hope as well. Fan communities on the internet--gaming communities especially--don't have a very good track record for this sort of thing.

I do think the CR community is pretty good at this, as they really try to encourage positivity. Like I mentioned, the kerfuffle over their updated Fan Content policy could have blown up, but didn't (and Ep 1 of C3 now has 8M youtube views).

As for which direction they go,

Spoiler: Minor CR C3 Spoiler and Speculation

I don't think it's a coincidence that the main plot of C3 resolves around a crisis that could give a narrative reason for a switch from the D&D ruleset. Not saying it will happen, but they certainly have the option, and may be using that as a negotiating tactic with WotC.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I do think the CR community is pretty good at this, as they really try to encourage positivity. Like I mentioned, the kerfuffle over their updated Fan Content policy could have blown up, but didn't (and Ep 1 of C3 now has 8M youtube views).

As for which direction they go, I don't think it's a coincidence that the main plot of C3 resolves around a crisis that could give a narrative reason for a switch from the D&D ruleset. Not saying it will happen, but they certainly have the option, and may be using that as a negotiating tactic with WotC.

Now you have just incentivitised me to binge harder, I am still on Campaign 2 No sleep until Campaign 3

 

[OB1]

@UngainlyTitan hope that wasn't too much of a spoiler! I'll update the post to put that part under a spoiler tag

 

[overgeeked]

As a self-avowed "Critter," I agree completely. Some CR fans watch the show for tips and suggestions on how to run their own games at home (I know I do), but I think most of them are watching for storytelling and acting, the characters and the setting and the villains. If CR shifted to a different system, say Pathfinder, I feel it would be a much bigger problem for Hasbro than it would be for the CR fans.

Yeah. Most CR fans are, importantly, fans of Critical Role first. Fans of the game they play second…if they care about the game stuff at all.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

[Thing to be spoilered]

Well well well that's jolly interesting. Hmmm.

 

[OB1]

Yeah. Most CR fans are, importantly, fans of Critical Role first. Fans of the game they play second…if they care about the game stuff at all.

I'm not sure about most fans, but for me personally, D&D and the game stuff is a huge draw.

 

[Reynard]

I'm not sure about most fans, but for me personally, D&D and the game stuff is a huge draw.

It's interesting because there are people drawn to CR because they were playing D&D, and people drawn to D&D because of CR. I don't think anyone knows what the proportions are -- let alone how Stranger Things and Big Bang Theory and vin Diesel and that hawt guy from that vampire show figure in.

 

[overgeeked]

I'm not sure about most fans, but for me personally, D&D and the game stuff is a huge draw.

Sure. Everyone’s different. Being on the CR sub it’s pretty clear the majority there are CR fans first and discovered D&D because of CR.

 

[Matchstick]

IIRC Undeadwood was very popular, there was even talk of a sequel, and that was Savage Worlds. They did a Savage Worlds charity stream too at some point. I'd love to see the CR crew do Deadlands or 50 Fathoms, or Deadlands Noir.

Taliesin's Call of Cthulhu game was popular as well.

 

[Reynard]

IIRC Undeadwood was very popular, there was even talk of a sequel, and that was Savage Worlds. They did a Savage Worlds charity stream too at some point. I'd love to see the CR crew do Deadlands or 50 Fathoms, or Deadlands Noir.

Taliesin's Call of Cthulhu game was popular as well.

Being a fan of and even freelancer for Savage Worlds, I really wanted to like Undeadwood but I did not like the GM.

 

[overgeeked]

IIRC Undeadwood was very popular, there was even talk of a sequel, and that was Savage Worlds. They did a Savage Worlds charity stream too at some point. I'd love to see the CR crew do Deadlands or 50 Fathoms, or Deadlands Noir.

Taliesin's Call of Cthulhu game was popular as well.

Look at the view count of Undeadwood. It starts strong then falls off a cliff. Matt said in an earlier Deadlands stream that it’s one of his favorite settings. Kinda surprising they haven’t done more than a few episodes.

Taliesin’s Call of Cthulhu one-shot is what convinced me to give the main show a chance. It hooked me good.

 

[Matchstick]

Being a fan of and even freelancer for Savage Worlds, I really wanted to like Undeadwood but I did not like the GM.

Same, but I'm not a freelancer. The GM did good NPC's but he didn't know the system well at all. They were still making basic "what do I roll" kinds of mistakes in the last episode. I also felt that Undeadwood downplayed the system (SW) instead of promoting it.

@overgeeked I probably saw that earlier stream but didn't remember Matt saying that. I firmly believe that Deadlands or Noir would be a killer campaign for them.

 

[Composer99]

It wouldn't surprise me to learn that CR is wrapped up in obligations that would make disengaging from D&D rather difficult compared to other 3PPs, at least while campaign 3 is ongoing. It wouldn't surprise me if they don't really contemplate the idea until campaign 3 is winding up.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

@UngainlyTitan hope that wasn't too much of a spoiler! I'll update the post to put that part under a spoiler tag

Nope this is fine really

 

[Clint_L]

But we also know their numbers go down when they play one/two shots in other systems.

True, but this is a causation/correlation question. I think the most likely cause is that those games are not part of the main campaign and frequently involve guests, often mostly guests, so folks who are invested in the main Critical Role campaign story don't feel the need to watch every one-shot or limited campaign.

To support my thesis, I point out that we see the numbers for non-campaign games go down both when those games use D&D, and when they do not.

 

[bedir than]

True, but this is a causation/correlation question. I think the most likely cause is that those games are not part of the main campaign and frequently involve guests, often mostly guests, so folks who are invested in the main Critical Role campaign story don't feel the need to watch every one-shot or limited campaign.

To support my thesis, I point out that we see the numbers for non-campaign games go down both when those games use D&D, and when they do not.

I'd have to look at the numbers, but the Aabria campaign in D&D compared to other short non-D&D would be a way to test this

 

[Vaalingrade]

I'd love to see what Matt and Co could come up with system-wise, especially from the viewpoint of a game optimized for Actual Play shows.