D&D 5E Grey beard culture question about critical role

[Bill in Warsaw]

I've been playing D&D since the red box. I am now 52 and playing with a group who is heavily influenced by critical role. I've only watched snippets of critical role, but I'm happy it has brought younger folks to the table.

I adjusted to the new group by using the digital tools as opposed to the paper character sheets.

I often feel like I am playing in parallel to them sometimes. Our DM is incredible, and everyone around the table is having tons of fun. The DM makes puzzles, props, and is not hewn to a rigid following of any CR story, although we use Exandria as a setting. I feel like I'm not 100% "there". I feel like they are playing D&D, but speaking it in a heavily accented version. I want to speak their language a bit better and dive into the game fully as they understand D&D.

Any other long time players have any advice for adjusting into critical role dialect a bit better?

 

[Voadam]

I feel like I'm not 100% "there". I feel like they are playing D&D, but speaking it in a heavily accented version.

Any specific examples? Do they focus on different things than you are used to? Skip over things you normally consider a big part of the game?

 

[Morrus]

Yeah I think we’d need some examples. I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect any one group of people to interact identically to any other. What is it you’re struggling with?

 

[Bill in Warsaw]

Any specific examples? Do they focus on different things than you are used to? Skip over things you normally consider a big part of the game?

It's like the language / cadence. Or maybe the things they "expect D&D to be". A few examples:

1. the interchange with merchants is not not something I'm accustomed to - this seems to be a big part of the experience
2. the depth-of-character is really impressive, but again, I'm simply not accustomed to it - the group is "really in character" at the table
3. the killing move, "how do you want to do this" is something new to me
4. the mechanics of the game seem to be less important than the story of the game

Again, my DM is really amazing (I introduced D&D to him many years ago), and I'm having a very fun time, but I'm just...not...quite...connecting.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

As someone slightly older that as watched most of CR 1 Legend of Vox Machina. Matt Mercer plays a very old school story focused version of D&D. Of a type that was rare in my experience in the old days.

 

[Morrus]

It's like the language / cadence. Or maybe the things they "expect D&D to be". A few examples:

1. the interchange with merchants is not not something I'm accustomed to - this seems to be a big part of the experience
2. the depth-of-character is really impressive, but again, I'm simply not accustomed to it - the group is "really in character" at the table
3. the killing move, "how do you want to do this" is something new to me
4. the mechanics of the game seem to be less important than the story of the game

Again, my DM is really amazing (I introduced D&D to him many years ago), and I'm having a very fun time, but I'm just...not...quite...connecting.

I don’t think any of that is unique to Critical Role. While my group isn’t heavy RP (just not our style), the other stuff we’ve been doing for years. Like your #3 there we were doing back in the 80s.

I think it’s just that every group is different. Go to another group and it will be entirely different again. This isn’t really anything to do with age or CR, irs just the nature (and beauty) of our hobby and always has been.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I was beginning to post before you made this response. So to follow on from my pervious post. I only once came across a similar type of game back in the day and that group were theatre types also. Though the DM was much more controlling.

It's like the language / cadence. Or maybe the things they "expect D&D to be". A few examples:

1. the interchange with merchants is not not something I'm accustomed to - this seems to be a big part of the experience
2. the depth-of-character is really impressive, but again, I'm simply not accustomed to it - the group is "really in character" at the table

In character in play is very much in the CR style as is moving the story along and engaging with the DM to carry the story. Combat action are often done that make narrative sense, rather than combat optimal as are character build decisions. The story and narrative sense is a central feature of the CR style.

1. the killing move, "how do you want to do this" is something new to me

It is new to me also but I see where they are coming from.

1. the mechanics of the game seem to be less important than the story of the game

Very much so, if the mechanics of the game clash with the narrative sense, Mat Mercer will come down on the side of narrative. I do not always agree with his decision on this because sometime he disempowers the players, but I would play at his table. Not sure if they would invite me back, don't know if I am too set in my way to rp at that standard but I think I would enjoy the game.

Again, my DM is really amazing (I introduced D&D to him many years ago), and I'm having a very fun time, but I'm just...not...quite...connecting.

Are you having fun and is anyone complaining? If you are and nobody else is too bothered then sit back and enjoy the ride.

 

[tetrasodium]

It's like the language / cadence. Or maybe the things they "expect D&D to be". A few examples:

1. the interchange with merchants is not not something I'm accustomed to - this seems to be a big part of the experience
2. the depth-of-character is really impressive, but again, I'm simply not accustomed to it - the group is "really in character" at the table
3. the killing move, "how do you want to do this" is something new to me
4. the mechanics of the game seem to be less important than the story of the game

Again, my DM is really amazing (I introduced D&D to him many years ago), and I'm having a very fun time, but I'm just...not...quite...connecting.

On that last point.. CR is a bunch of professional voice actors putting on a for profit production intended to entertain the viewer. D&d is almost always intended to entertain the plsyers(and gm).

There is no deeper meaning unless your gm is doing some kind of house rule stuff beyond letting them engage in free form roleplaying because they happen to get the killing blow

 

[Professor Murder]

I think there is something to be said that, broad strokes, there are generational divides in gaming culture. I say this as someone who has been gaming for around 40 yrs and really doesn't click with what seems to be the attitude of most long term gamers online. All that said, for most gamers, their sample size will always be very small, and online attitudes traditionally are guided by people with high personal investment, which often leads to having hard set opinions. I have been watching S3 of CR and yeah, I see game elements which would just not click for me if I was at the table. But I also see things which I admire and have stolen for my own games. The only time I really feel the need to call out anyone for "gaming wrong" is if they do harm or gatekeep.

But yeah. the tediously extended shopping segments on CR, Jasus wept.

 

[Reynard]

As someone slightly older that as watched most of CR 1 Legend of Vox Machina. Matt Mercer plays a very old school story focused version of D&D. Of a type that was rare in my experience in the old days.

Emphasis mine.

Obviously we all had different experiences in the "old school" but I must say this is the first time I have heard these two terms mashed together.