Over Half Of New D&D Players Got Into Game From Watching Online Play

I know this is really a small issue if any at all, but yet I find it mildly disturbing that so many people watch others play D&D instead of playing it themselves... it's kind of similar to the rise of "eSports" and their possible inclusion even in the olympics. And also my kids are starting to watch people play Minecraft on youtube instead of playing it themselves! It's ok to watch occasionally to get some inspiration, but if it's more often than the real thing then it raises some questions...

 

[Caliban]

So, I will readily admit I am in the "get off my lawn" and "I don't get it" crowd. My kids watch videos of people playing video games and I tease them about it.

However, if I wanted to recommend a stream to a potential new player - what would you recommend? It seems like some of the popular ones are super long episodes - that may be too much of an investment of time to suggest to someone who is potentially interested.

I think it is great that this is a way to get new people involved BTW.

You might try highlights from the longer shows. Critical Role has 3-5 hour long episodes, but fans pull out specific bits for highlight reel videos, or the "Vox Animated" videos - an artist takes a specific scene from the show and animates it. Generally they are hilarious.

But this won't really teach you much about how to play D&D as far as the mechanics are concerned. It will show adults mocking each other and bickering with each other without holding a grudge though. So learning good sportsmanship?

 

[schnee]

They are great at playing their characters, but less so at playing the game.

Most of them, sure, but Talesin is a multi-RPG grog, and Sam *really* knows his stuff.

And, I think we'd probably agree on one thing - I think they would be better off with a system like Dungeon World. Far less crunchy, far more about narrating something cool and then dealing with it when everything starts going haywire.

 

[Mirtek]

Wow, people are really weird. Or rather I must be really weird as I can't get anything from watching other people play D&D. I usually even get bored while watching the turns of my fellow LFR/AL players on the table, even if my character's life may be at risk.

 

[TrippyHippy]

To me, this is just awesome news for the hobby. It opens up all sorts of avenues for future promotion too.

 

[neobolts]

Well to be honest it probably worked that way for me too. I watched maybe 40-50min of Critical Role the first time. Then I stopped but I can't say I disliked it. Maybe it worked so well that it prompted me to prepare adventures to DM again instead of keep watching it

I also only got about 40-50 minutes into a D&D Let's Play. I think it failed to hold my interest because it matches neither of the two reasons that typically lead me to watch games (some of which was covered by previous posters)...

Reason to watch #1: I want to learn more about a game system. I watched 4-5 episodes of Titansgrave for this very reason...to learn the mechanics. I also have made board game purchases based on Wil Wheaton's Tabletop and similar shows.

Reason to watch #2: I want to see a game played at a high level of skill. This is what draws me to eSports. I play way too many videogames (currently Overwatch), and enjoy seeing skilled players doing what I enjoy doing. While the D&D video play is often very creative or well acted, I would say that it's not what I would call a "higher level of skill" as enjoyment of the game is purely subjective. I'd say that I've had as much fun playing D&D as anyone playing for an audience.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

I love watching Critical Role, but I'm not sure I'd describe it as "watching experts perform activities with a high level of skill."

You mean Liam's, "Action, Action, Action, Action, uh, Action! I have advantage on that because it's my turn, right?"

Love 'em all and it's gotten better, but Matt really has to hold their hands at times.

 

[Stef McCarter]

I love to watch critical role. I didn't get into it until Aug so I'm still catching up, but l have found it has opened me up to new ways to DM and helped motivate me to up my game as a DM (like try different voices). But l do run a game on average every other weekend.

I think if watching critical role turns people onto the game and gets a few new players to the game its a bonus. IT is not like the popularity of Critical role will hurt D&D.

 

[Valetudo]

I started watching or listening to AI back during 4es early days. Who would have thought that dnd podcasts would blow up like they did. But it is definitely a huge part of 5es success and Im all for it. Also seems to help perkins job security, so theres also that.

 

[tomBitonti]

Eh, "50% of folks who responded to our online survey indicated that they learned about the game by watching others play online". I'll grant that lots of folks watch streams capturing playing sessions, and that that doing so is increasing in popularity, but I'm not sure I'll accept the statistic as given.

Also, it's really quite easy to have watched videos of folks playing RPGs. I have, although, they have never caught my interest long enough for me to keep watching. I suspect this is a generational thing: For example, I rather prefer written reviews, while video reviews have become rather common. See, for example, reviews on boardgamegeek. I would be interested in seeing a stream of The Amber Experiment -- see http://paizo.com/paizo/blog/v5748dyo5lk5x?Order-of-the-Amber-DieThe-Strange-Aeons.

I'm thinking the streams are not typical: They stray into acting and improv, which makes them more entertaining, but less representative.

Thx!
TomB

 

[AriochQ]

I have been playing for a very long time, but did enjoy the handful of episodes of Critical Role that I watched. It was interesting to see how Matt Mercer DM'd (I rarely play, so I tend to view it from a DM perspective).

Eventually, I decided I didn't have 4 hours a week to watch other people play D&D. I would rather travel to my FLGS and play some D&D! I am not surprised that younger players stream D&D games, you tend to have more free/flexible time in your late teens/early 20's than you do later in life.

It really is a win/win. No one needs to stream D&D, but it does substantially lower the barrier to entry for new players, thereby expanding our shared hobby. The more, the merrier.