Critical Role Slate feature on Matt Mercer

[wedgeski]

Wizards should just ask him how to monetize D&D properly.

Switch entirely to digital, produce one book a year in its most profitable genre, and focus on merch and tie-in's for secondary income? I'm sure the community would be right behind them!

 

[jgsugden]

When I got to the line, "Dungeons & Dragons is essentially an exercise in collaborative storytelling," I started cracking up. I could almost hear the howls of outrange coming from my ENWorld browser tab, where that very statement is hotly contested. Somehow.

EDIT: $9.6million between 2019 and 2021 in Twitch Stream revenue alone?! Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaang.

Role-playing is collaborative storytelling by definition. We play roles in a story. We all contribute. I don't think people often contest that basic idea... just the importance of the storytelling versus the gaming mechanics.

 

[Oligopsony]

When I got to the line, "Dungeons & Dragons is essentially an exercise in collaborative storytelling," I started cracking up. I could almost hear the howls of outrange coming from my ENWorld browser tab, where that very statement is hotly contested. Somehow.

It all depends on how precise you’re trying to be, and on what kind of game (another loaded phrase) the table wants to run. Even as someone who prefers more sim and less narrativist play, it’s a fine first pass description for someone who knows nothing.

And regardless of whether it serves as a useful guiding anchor for any table, “collaborative story telling” is absolutely a correct description of a recorded actual play, which is a different medium than home games altogether.

 

[Oofta]

It all depends on how precise you’re trying to be, and on what kind of game (another loaded phrase) the table wants to run. Even as someone who prefers more sim and less narrativist play, it’s a fine first pass description for someone who knows nothing.

I think it's a general description that for the most part only grognards will complain about. It's close enough.

And regardless of whether it serves as a useful guiding anchor for any table, “collaborative story telling” is absolutely a correct description of a recorded actual play, which is a different medium than home games altogether.

I don't see how. According to the article and everything else I've every read it's still their home game. Of course all the group is voice actors and far more polished than anything you'll likely see in most games, but that doesn't mean it doesn't reflect their home game before they started streaming.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Critical Role is doing very well for itself. It's a wonderful story. It's not a business lesson for Wizards

Nothing is because they don't learn them.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Role-playing is collaborative storytelling by definition. We play roles in a story. We all contribute. I don't think people often contest that basic idea... just the importance of the storytelling versus the gaming mechanics.

It's a four legs good, two legs better kinda deal.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I don't see how. According to the article and everything else I've every read it's still their home game. Of course all the group is voice actors and far more polished than anything you'll likely see in most games, but that doesn't mean it doesn't reflect their home game before they started streaming.

Critical Role is a "home game" in the same sense that reality television is a fair and accurate representation of reality.

This is not a criticism, by the way. They are doing a great job with an entertainment product.

But they are entertainers. They have skills. There are hours of work put in by Mercer, alone, for every hour of work that you see (or hear). And every one of those talented performers is quite aware that they are bring recorded, and are making decisions not just for the game, and not just for the character, but for the audience as well.

 

[Reynard]

Critical Role is a "home game" in the same sense that reality television is a fair and accurate representation of reality.

This is not a criticism, by the way. They are doing a great job with an entertainment product.

But they are entertainers. They have skills. There are hours of work put in by Mercer, alone, for every hour of work that you see (or hear). And every one of those talented performers is quite aware that they are bring recorded, and are making decisions not just for the game, and not just for the character, but for the audience as well.

THIS. Just because something isn't "fake", doesn't mean it is "real."

 

[Reynard]

Role-playing is collaborative storytelling by definition. We play roles in a story. We all contribute. I don't think people often contest that basic idea... just the importance of the storytelling versus the gaming mechanics.

RPGs generate stories better than they tell them, but then I am pretty sure I am one of the people @CleverNickName was talking about.

 

[Oofta]

Critical Role is a "home game" in the same sense that reality television is a fair and accurate representation of reality.

This is not a criticism, by the way. They are doing a great job with an entertainment product.

But they are entertainers. They have skills. There are hours of work put in by Mercer, alone, for every hour of work that you see (or hear). And every one of those talented performers is quite aware that they are bring recorded, and are making decisions not just for the game, and not just for the character, but for the audience as well.

Of course they're entertaining and acting. That's a big part of D&D for me. I make decisions that I think will be fun and entertaining for the other players all the time. As DM entertaining the players is kind of why I'm there.

But everything I've read said that the game is not scripted, the players respond in the moment as they think their PC would, etc.. Calling it a reality TV show? That's insulting to their ability to act in character; most reality shows are heavily scripted and edited. Either the entire cast is lying (possible I suppose) or they're telling the truth and they're just playing the game. Being very entertaining and charismatic while they do it, but playing the game nonetheless. Is there target more than just the other players? I assume. Are they doing what they do to entertain the others involved in the game just like I do? Yep.