D&D General Critical Role Ending

[Mort]

While it is true that out in the wider world there are people who just refuse to learn basic stuff, you'd think that the CR players would put a bit more effort on the system side of things so that they match the professionalism of the rest of the production.

I think they are fully aware that part of their "charm" is that they're not 100% rules knowledgeable. That said they seem to do mostly just fine.

They do seem to be otherwise perfectly intelligent people, and for professional actors/players the continual lack of basic understanding is inexplicable at this point.

3 of my 6 players have PHDs, 2 have engineering degrees and one has an undergraduate degree from Cal Tech. We've been playing 5e since it came out, yet rules hiccups still happen. One of my players still makes basic rules mistakes all the time, and he's been gaming for over 20 years.

Not talking about power gaming.

Just knowing basic stuff that the GM should not have to remind you of after years of play...

I've been gaming with my group a LONG time and still have to remind them. Keep in mind too, most of these people come from a long day of work and then, on a weeknight, have to game late into the night. They're tired, which often leads to difficulty recalling stuff.

Again, these are paid professionals.

IMHO, part of the problem from what I can see is that they have no quick rules references, or spell sheets they can quickly look at.

Tablets w/apps are just not a quick as having a sheet right there out in front for you to see. They are a false convenience.

And it's not like they are lacking for tablespace.

Don't they all have D&D beyond on their ipads? With the character right there?

D&D beyond is about as quick reference as you can get. All bonuses are front and center. All ability descriptions are front and center. Equipment is front and center and if you touch it, has exact descriptions.

The spell sheet not only lists all prepared spells with a short description but provides a longer description when touched.

In my opinion; CR would be better served with a system more like Dungeon World, or maybe a custom OSR game that is in between the complexity of 5e and DW.

I think they would have a difficult time distancing from 5e at this point. Sure they could do it, but it would be a risk. They seem to have set the format at 5e with occasional forays into other systems via one shot.

 

[billd91]

Yup and D&D got a ton of free advertising the past several years too:

Regular mentions/appearances in:
The Big Bang Theory
Stranger Things
Episodes in:
Community
Freaks and Geeks
The IT Crowd

And that's just the short list. Each of those shows having much further reach than CR.

Not all of those mentions/appearances may be free. Some of those may be the result of marketing outreach.

 

[Oofta]

The key is to listen, not watch. Then you can do other things. For me, as I work from home alone, it’s a nice thing to look forward to as light entertainment instead of only listening to music.

I do the same thing. Later today when I go for a bike ride I'll have an earbud in (I only ever use 1, I want to hear cars coming!) in and CR will be playing. I can kind-of-sort-of pay attention. Although people do look at me funny sometimes when I'm chugging and start laughing out loud.

 

[robus]

All the folk in Critical Role come from theatrical careers or backgrounds, not a group known for their love of math or rules. And the game may be broadcast to entertain us, but it also has a major goal of entertaining the players and DM.

And they are acutely aware that everything they do is being watched closely and every decision will be endlessly critiqued! I wonder how well any of us would perform under that kind of intense spotlight?! The entire group obviously have very vivid imaginations and are each living out the story in their heads. The hard bump back to mechanics, I think, can cause some of the confusion and less than optimal choices. It's like they're being wakened from a dream on a regular basis.

 

[Reynard]

All the folk in Critical Role come from theatrical careers or backgrounds, not a group known for their love of math or rules. And the game may be broadcast to entertain us, but it also has a major goal of entertaining the players and DM.

This is a silly thing to say. Whether someone has a theatrical bent doesn't say anything about their preference for math and/or rules.

 

[LongTimeLurker]

It’s not my thing to watch these type of things. But I like what they have done for the hobby. And I like the Wildemount book.

i concur. I tried to watch anepisode and it just didn't click for me. It's nice that they're doing well though.

 

[Iry]

I do the same thing. Later today when I go for a bike ride I'll have an earbud in (I only ever use 1, I want to hear cars coming!) in and CR will be playing. I can kind-of-sort-of pay attention. Although people do look at me funny sometimes when I'm chugging and start laughing out loud.

Same for me. Sometimes I go back and actually watch a particularly hilarious scene, like the Cupcake, but mostly I'm listening while driving.

 

[CleverNickName]

I'm a pretty big fan, I won't try to hide it. But my wife and I stopped watching it a few months ago, right around the time that the "Lucien" story arc was gaining traction. It's hard to say why, I think it's a bunch of little things.

For one thing, the "Lucien" story arc just wasn't all that interesting to us. I was extremely interested in Caleb's story arc and was looking forward to seeing it resolved, but then the story went in a different direction. (I want to be clear that this is just my preference, and not a problem with Critical Role's show or Campaign 2. The vast majority of viewers and fans--and most importantly, the DM and players at the table--were very interested indeed in the Lucien/Molly arc. It was the right call, regardless of how I feel about it.)

And it's getting harder to watch Sam's advertisements at the beginning of each episode. They used to be one of my favorite parts of each episode, but we starting muting them. I don't know what changed. Sam's antics were always overwrought and campy, and that was part of their charm. Maybe the tone, I think? Or the predictability? Now I know how this all works: I know that CR depends on their sponsors to keep the lights on and they can't bite the hand that feeds them, so Sam's adverts aren't going anywhere. I just miss the days when it was just a silly song, a raunchy poem, or a simple sight-gag...not a full-blown 5-minute commercial.

Laura's merchandise announcements are getting hard to watch, too. Every week there is something new in their store (which is a good thing, I love me some D&D merch!) But then everyone ooohs and aaahs over it for five minutes, talking it up like it's the Second Coming of Pelor, and it just feels inauthentic. I mean sure, those Jester-themed socks are adorable but come on, Travis, nobody believes you preordered six pairs of them.

The CR team has done some pretty amazing things for the hobby as a whole, and I don't want my three criticisms to diminish any of the good that they have done. They have brought about sweeping changes in the industry, and they have done more to raise awareness of accessibility, equality, and visibility than any other D&D-affiliated company has.

Like, when Sara Thompson developed the "combat wheelchair", it created a splash in the tabletop gaming scene...but when Matt showcased it with an NPC on his show, it friggin' exploded in popularity. Now there are published stats and custom minis everywhere for combat wheelchairs in D&D--and most importantly, people are having more serious conversations about accessibility and the representation of people with different physical abilities. This is amazing.

I have nothing but respect for Matt, Liam, Sam, Travis, Laura, Marisha, Talisen, and Ashley. And I have high hopes and great expectations for Campaign 3. (I'm not looking forward to the commercials, though.)

 

[robus]

I have nothing but respect for Matt, Liam, Sam, Travis, Laura, Marisha, Talisen, and Ashley. And I have high hopes and great expectations for Campaign 3. (I'm not looking forward to the commercials, though.)

The great thing about the YouTube feed is there's a person who posts timestamps for the show and you can just jump into the actual beginning. But yeah, the merch stuff is wearing a bit.

 

[Oofta]

I'm a pretty big fan, I won't try to hide it. But my wife and I stopped watching it a few months ago, right around the time that the "Lucien" story arc was gaining traction. It's hard to say why, I think it's a bunch of little things.

For one thing, the "Lucien" story arc just wasn't all that interesting to us. I was extremely interested in Caleb's story arc and was looking forward to seeing it resolved, but then the story went in a different direction. (I want to be clear that this is just my preference, and not a problem with Critical Role's show or Campaign 2. The vast majority of viewers and fans--and most importantly, the DM and players at the table--were very interested indeed in the Lucien/Molly arc. It was the right call, regardless of how I feel about it.)

And it's getting harder to watch Sam's advertisements at the beginning of each episode. They used to be one of my favorite parts of each episode, but we starting muting them. I don't know what changed. Sam's antics were always overwrought and campy, and that was part of their charm. Maybe the tone, I think? Or the predictability? Now I know how this all works: I know that CR depends on their sponsors to keep the lights on and they can't bite the hand that feeds them, so Sam's adverts aren't going anywhere. I just miss the days when it was just a silly song, a raunchy poem, or a simple sight-gag...not a full-blown 5-minute commercial.

Laura's merchandise announcements are getting hard to watch, too. Every week there is something new in their store (which is a good thing, I love me some D&D merch!) But then everyone ooohs and aaahs over it for five minutes, talking it up like it's the Second Coming of Pelor, and it just feels inauthentic. I mean sure, those Jester-themed socks are adorable but come on, Travis, nobody believes you preordered six pairs of them.

The CR team has done some pretty amazing things for the hobby as a whole, and I don't want my three criticisms to diminish any of the good that they have done. They have brought about sweeping changes in the industry, and they have done more to raise awareness of accessibility, equality, and visibility than any other D&D-affiliated company has.

Like, when Sara Thompson developed the "combat wheelchair", it created a splash in the tabletop gaming scene...but when Matt showcased it with an NPC on his show, it friggin' exploded in popularity. Now there are published stats and custom minis everywhere for combat wheelchairs in D&D--and most importantly, people are having more serious conversations about accessibility and the representation of people with different physical abilities. This is amazing.

I have nothing but respect for Matt, Liam, Sam, Travis, Laura, Marisha, Talisen, and Ashley. And I have high hopes and great expectations for Campaign 3. (I'm not looking forward to the commercials, though.)

Watching on youtube helps. I just skip ahead to the actual game. Of course I'm only on episode 60 something because I only watch while doing other things (biking, sometimes while exercising).