D&D 5E What is up with the popularity of watching other D&D groups play the game?

[FitzTheRuke]

Aww, but it’s hilarious! Jeremy Irons absolutely chews the scenery every moment he’s on screen, Damadar’s blue lipstick makes any scene he’s in impossible to take seriously, the thieve’s guild sequence shamelessly rips off every Indiana Jones trap, the plot somehow manages to be both mind-numbingly inane and thoroughly impenetrable, Snails... Just Snails! What’s not to love?

But... I like beholders! That watchdog that they snuck past by throwing something... I just can't even!

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I’d heard of people watching Critical Role, and other tabletop roleplaying games streamed, and dismissed them because I likewise could not get what people would get out of watching someone else playing D&D and not just do it themselves.

I’m not playing for the social interactions with NPCs, but I I’ve being at tables when other players bring their A-game and ham it up. I’m the sometimes necessary “audience member” filling out the party, as long as we still get in lots of combat.

I only went to finally watch something of Critical Role’s episodes after I stumbled upon a Matt Colville “Running the Game” video on the climax to season 1. . It made me want to watch more, but seeing the vast number of episodes, and the 3-4 hour length, I’d never get finish.

I have too many other things to do, but I wanted to give a few more episodes a try, just not from the beginning of a season again. I tried watching some season 1 from the start, and couldn’t make it past a few. I instead just jumped a few months back as the characters were already about level 11, it’s been entertaining intermittently picking some up.

I still know I’ll never have enough time to catch up due to their prolific production.

 

[twofalls]

I feel you. I sometimes lament that I was a better DM thirty years ago than I am now (and I run multiple games a week and have done for decades). I just can't remember all my plot details or what I had planned, even if I work on it night-before. I'm still terrible at taking notes, because I used to be able to wing it to near-perfection. Worst is, my players always want to know the names of even minor NPCs, guards, shopkeepers, barmaids, etc, and I am great at coming up with names on the spot. Unfortunately, if my players don't write it down... no one will remember by next session. I've got to learn to jot them down, but I don't even usually keep a pencil or paper at my end of the table when I'm DMing (I can still track monster HP in my head, thankfully).

Get out of my head!

 

[wicked cool]

So I watched relatively little of this stuff.

how much die rolling combat is actually going on in these things? Seemed to be mostly narratives. Surely did not see anyone have to be revived...

its regular D&D meaning its dice rolling , character death and rolls where its all on the line. characters have died in both seasons and to be honest they were emotional. occasionally they have Hollywood actors/voice actors that are guest characters (1-4 episode arcs for an adventure) plus Chris Perkins was in an episode. The big difference is they are voice actors so they get into character more than an average D&D player and they maximize miniature combat

besides the entertainment its a great place for gaming ideas, creative ways of using spells, maximizing character development

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

If I were somehow forced (how were you forced btw? that sounds very odd) to watch anything, I'd be rather ticked off about it myself.
You're right, I don't care for it, but the creation of this post was to find out why others do, not to justify my personal tastes. There is no moral position I'm taking, I'm not scolding folks for liking something I dislike, that would be exceptionally shallow thinking.

When you were younger your parents/grandparents never forced you to watch anything? If so, I envy you.
Okay, nice to have the clarification. Maybe I should clarify my view now.

I am new to the hobby, I've been playing and DMing for just over 3 years now. D&D 5e is the first and only TTRPG that I have ever played (and for the time being is the only one I have any interest in playing). I did not get into the hobby through Critical Role, unlike a lot of other new players, but I see the draw that they have to the hobby. To be honest, if I had the time to do so, I probably would watch every episode of Critical Role as soon as it came out. I really like the show, and can see why people like it as much as they do. I have watched probably less than 10 episodes in all, but I like what I've seen and have made it a point to keep up with what's been going on through the Critical Role Wiki, as I can't watch the episodes when they come out.

What I personally like about the show is that it is D&D, but more than normal D&D. It's a show, they do it professionally, and the DM and the players are all very into the game. I would watch it for the same reason that anyone would watch a TV show, it's entertaining and fun for me. However, I can see why not everyone would feel the same way about it as I (like I said in my first post, I don't like sports or watching sports, but others feel differently). It's just a matter of personal preference.

 

[twofalls]

When you were younger your parents/grandparents never forced you to watch anything? If so, I envy you.

Never. Not a single time, but let's define forced. Were you sat down in front of the TV and told not to move until it was over and punished if you did? What does forced in this context mean? Sure my parents and grandparents had their favorite shows, and they watched what they wanted to watch. I was a kid, I didn't get to dictate to the adults what was playing on the tele, but I could go read books, play cards, play with my Star Wars figurines, or whatever else I wanted to do (within reason of course).

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Never. Not a single time, but let's define forced. Were you sat down in front of the TV and told not to move until it was over and punished if you did? What does forced in this context mean? Sure my parents and grandparents had their favorite shows, and they watched what they wanted to watch. I was a kid, I didn't get to dictate to the adults what was playing on the tele, but I could go read books, play cards, play with my Star Wars figurines, or whatever else I wanted to do (within reason of course).

Yep, sat down in front of the TV and punished if I left.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Thinking about this thread, I thought of one of the reasons that I've never watched Critical Role (I watched a few episodes of Force Grey. I thought Matt Mercer was a competent DM, even if his players were not great in FG): I have no idea where you go to watch it. Is it behind a paywall somewhere? I've seen that some of them are on YouTube, sure, but they're not all there are they? How would one start?

(I understand that if I cared enough, I could probably figure this out for myself, but I'm not big into the internet, social media, or computers in general. So far I haven't put in the effort to find out.)

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Yep, sat down in front of the TV and punished if I left.

Yikes. No judgement, but I don't understand why that would happen to you.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Yikes. No judgement, but I don't understand why that would happen to you.

I grew up in a sports family that was very, very serious about sports (on my father's side). It was basically blasphemy to dislike football or basketball.