Poll: What is the worst depection of "true DnD"?

[Teflon Billy]

Both sucked hard, but the cartoon sucked harder.

Between nobody actually killing anything for it's treasure and the cute unicorn sidekick, the cartoon made me want to punch whoever had the temerity to call this Dungeons and Dragons back in my teen years.

 

[Piratecat]

I still do Uni impressions when I want to watch my wife twitch -- but I voted for the movie anyways. Incidentally, poll title edited as requested.

 

[Scarbonac]

Let's see, kids from our world assuming the roles of persons adventuring in a fantasy realm, complete with a Dungeon Master, Evil Overlord, dragons, orcs, magic items, a quest (or two), anachronistic dialogue from the "PCs", a familiar (Uni)...I'd have to say the D&D Cartoon was far and above the better representation of "true" D&D, whereas the movie was a half-assed generic fantasy-adventure that had very little tying it to the game.

 

[Algolei]

The cartoon was a better depiction of the game than the movie was, and here's why:

The worst parts of the cartoon were based on 2E, and the whole "no demons or violence" thing that they had descended into. Some of the 2E stuff was acceptable: Bullywugs and stuff like that. But the whole "let's make it fluffy and harmless" thing was just too much. Plus Barbarians and Thief-Acrobats and Cavaliers, bleah!

The worst parts of the movie were based on 3E. Might make a good videogame, but terrible matieral for a movie, ick! At least Mortal Combat kept its iconic characters.

 

[jmucchiello]

The cartoon has one thing in it that will always make it my vote: The Dungeon Master as a character.

The movie on the other hand had lots of things that make it accurate for D&D, it had:
1) A group of people travelling together with no motivation to do so
2) Character wildly changing their stance on things, probably because of meta-game information that couldn't be seen in the movie
3) A battle in which the characters are meaningless (the big dragon battle) which shows how uber the DM is.
4) Amateurish acting
5) Anachronistic references
6) Dumb guards/monsters not helping out their fellows in the same location.
7) An obscure plot that could only be discovered by asking the DM afterward (or in this case, watching the DVD extras -- if you have not watched the DVD extras spend the $2.99 at Blockbuster and rent the DVD. They do explain 1 or 2 of the various egregous plot holes in the movie. The other 7-8 are left unexplained but these are the most glaring ones that are filled.)

Those things are D&D.

Of course the true winner of this poll should be "The Gamers" because it is too damned accurate a portrayal.

 

[Allanon]

"Now is your time to DIIEEEE!!!"...

I still use that when one of my players gets to much off-topic in a session, nothing silences my players (or a crowd of people on the street for that matter) than overacting that part of D&D the movie (and I do a bloody accurate job of it too, according to my players). That scene alone makes the movie the most horibble experience I have ever had in a cinema and that's saying alot.

I've been bombarded with cola, beer, popcorn (the sticky caramal version ), spit, been witness to domestic disputes being fought out with beer bottles (and got involved on one occasion ) and a whole slew of movie experience spoiling moments. Still sitting there with only twelve people watching D&D the movie is still the worst of them all.

 

[Algolei]

...been witness to domestic disputes being fought out with beer bottles (and got involved on one occasion )....

I said I was sorry!

 

[Scarbonac]

The cartoon was a better depiction of the game than the movie was, and here's why:

The worst parts of the cartoon were based on 2E, and the whole "no demons or violence" thing that they had descended into. Some of the 2E stuff was acceptable: Bullywugs and stuff like that. But the whole "let's make it fluffy and harmless" thing was just too much. Plus Barbarians and Thief-Acrobats and Cavaliers, bleah!

The worst parts of the movie were based on 3E. Might make a good videogame, but terrible matieral for a movie, ick! At least Mortal Combat kept its iconic characters.

Actually, it was based on 1e up to the original Unearthed Arcana; the reason that they couldn't have demons and violence was Network Standards & Practices, the same thing that emasculated action/adventure cartoons throughout the 70s and early-to-mid 80s.

Had it been made in the 60s, the era of Jonny Quest and Space Ghost, there would have been plenty of demons and violence. Jesus, the body-count in Jonny Quest alone was tremendous!

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

I have to say the cartoon. I'm still a mild fan of the movie, and "role playing wise" at least it didn't have a lot of anachronisms. I prefer a show that shows what a D&D world is like, not the game.

Plus, having read enough background information on how the movie was made, I can forgive a lot more than others, because I understand the circumstances behind it. Still, the script just sucked, so did the entire concept of "let's hire people to write the movie BECAUSE they don't know what D&D is."

 

[Algolei]

Actually, it was based on 1e up to the original Unearthed Arcana; the reason that they couldn't have demons and violence was Network Standards & Practices, the same thing that emasculated action/adventure cartoons throughout the 70s and early-to-mid 80s.

Hey, you're right!

I forgot UA was part of 1E.

I need some brain food.
*eats a fish*