Curmudgeon's Corner: So, what's the deal with Critical Role?

[Nebulous]

I'd say that our tastes are pretty different.... but watching someone else play an RPG is something I find I can't do.

I can watch someone else play a video game, something which my wife doesn't get and even I find a bit weird.

But I get bored out of my mind watching someone play a RPG.

I can watch video game walkthroughs all day long on Youtube. Especially something wickedly difficult but amazing like Dark Souls that I don't have the patience or skill to play well. But watching people roleplay online? I can't stand it. Hate it. It is so damn boring, and I too don't understand the incredible appeal it has. But to each their own, I'm glad that the market has vastly expanded to incorporate new players.

 

[Li Shenron]

And, more importantly, why would I want to watch others play a game that I can play myself?

What can I say... maybe it's just not our (mine and yours) cup of tea.

I really tried to watch some of those shows, Matt Mercer's group, Sirens of the Realms, and some live stream by Chris Perkins... I had to force myself to last half an hour, then I just started to skip forward until I simply quit. They're good at it, but I just feel pointless in watching it. I could get some good ideas from watching, but I don't want to spend 2 hours in hope that maybe I catch those 20 seconds when something comes up that I had never thought about...

Even less I understand watching video gamers play, but my kids like doing that... I wonder how much it has to do with age. At least I know I cannot afford to spend 2 hours watching a show by myself, I only watch movies or whatever long stuff with family or friends, otherwise I instinctively think I should rather do something more useful, but obviously my school kids don't have the same problem.

 

[cmad1977]

The role playing doesn’t catch me. I listen so I can analyze the use of the rules in the moment. I guess I listen for the mechanical parts of the game.

 

[Tony Vargas]

, why would I want to watch others play a game that I can play myself?

Y'know, if you're playing a typical RPG, in which players assume the role of a character interacting with the world through the proxy of the DM (and yeah, the mode-average typical RPG is D&D), with 5 other people, and you're not said DM, and no one's dominating play, you probably are watching other people play the game about 80% of the time.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I just...it’s not about watching them play the game.

It’s a story. It’s watching people you find entertaining tell a story while inhabiting interesting characters in an interesting world with no script.

It isn’t the same type of thing as watching someone play a video game.

 

[macd21]

I just...it’s not about watching them play the game.

It’s a story. It’s watching people you find entertaining tell a story while inhabiting interesting characters in an interesting world with no script.

This. I find the ‘why watch when I could play myself’ argument weird - sure you could, but you wouldn’t be playing this game with these PCs. I’ve been listening to the Glass Cannon podcast. The reason I do so is because I’m interested in the story - I want to know what happens to the characters, what challenges they face and how they overcome them. I’m never going to run the Giantslayer adventure path, and even if I did, it would be with different players running different characters, resulting in different outcomes.