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

[Haffrung]

Not sure this explains why watching other D&D groups is popular, but it may directly answer the question of why, as a DM, you SHOULD watch.

Great Authors voraciously read other authors
Great Filmmakers watch hundreds or thousands of films
Great Musicians listen to a variety of styles and composers
Great Painters study other's art
Great Video Game designers play other games

Before streaming and podcasts, the ability to expose yourself, as a DM, to a wide variety of other DMs work was difficult, if not impossible. With streaming, you can easily do it. And the games you watch whose playstyle you don't like personally can be just as important to improving your game as the ones whose style you do like. To a lesser extent, it can also help players become better as well, by watching how other's play the game and incorporating ideas that appeal to you that you'd never thought of.

Agreed that watching others DM can improve your craft - though that's an argument for watching lots of different streaming games, rather than watching one for 100+ episodes.

But I've been surprised to learn that most of the top boardgame designers, like Reiner Knizia and Martin Wallace, rarely play other people's designs. And many fantasy and sci-fi authors rarely read genre fiction anymore. Though in both cases they played/read lots when they were younger.

 

[embee]

I, for a long time, thought this wasn't for me. I couldn't get into critical role, I tried!

But recently I've discovered the Dungeon Dudes, and... well it's working for me This is something I do while doing something else - chores etc - a good way to make them a bit less tedious.

I'm pretty much in your boat.

CR doesn't really hold any interest for me. But I do enjoy listening to GM advice podcasts, partly as background noise at work and partly as a source of advice to improve my own GMing.

I think another analogy is this:

I find it often difficult to watch an entire sports match, be it an entire 9 innings of baseball, 4 quarters of football, or more than the last 4 minutes of any basketball game. But I do enjoy Sportscenter for the little highlight nuggetness with a soucant of snark.

Do I have it in me to watch an entire session of someone else playing D&D? No. Just like I don't have it in me to watch 18 holes of golf or three hours of football. But if you break it up into little chunks and offer commentary and analysis, that's something I can do.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I'm not so sure it breaks down entirely by generation. I also remember the days of the Atari and Commodore 64. I remember being able to remove the rubber controller cover and smack my brother on the forehead with it so that it would create an imprint of concentric circles, but I digress... As I said earlier in the thread, I don't watch Critical Role, but I do listen to shorter Actual Plays. For me the only barrier really is the time - I'm sure I'd love Critical Role if they released it in hour-long episodes rather than four hour ones.

It's generational.

I've been playing D&D for as long as I've been playing video games. And I've been playing video games since the days of the Atari 2600 and the Commodore 64.

I wondered about the audience for Twitch streams. When I was a boy (get offa my lawn), sitting there and watching your friend or sibling play a game was torture. I don't want to watch. I want to play. And yet, there's a robust audience to watch gameplay.

Nor did Greedo say "Maclunkey."

Han did not shoot first. That is a common misconception.

To say "Han shot first" implies that Greedo shot second. Greedo was dead before he could get off a shot.

Han did not shoot first because Han was the only one who shot.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Maybe "The World of Critical Role" book will help!

 

[Guest 6801328]

I think it would be interesting to learn what behaviors correlate. E.g., "People who enjoy watching others play D&D also don't like the taste of cilantro" or whatever.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I think it would be interesting to learn what behaviors correlate. E.g., "People who enjoy watching others play D&D also don't like the taste of cilantro" or whatever.

I like watching Critical Role but I don't like cilantro.

 

[prabe]

I like watching Critical Role but I don't like cilantro.

And I like cilantro, but I can't stand watching or listening to Critical Role. You know what they say about any two points making a line ...?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

*Which in the US is primarily shashimi with green-colored horse radish

This is vastly less true than it was ten years ago. If you are getting sushi at a place that doesn't have sushi as it's primary focus, maybe, but even then most places I go that aren't cheap or "Americanised jumble of foods" have a range of sushi and sashimi on the menu, and most of the menu is genuinely sushi, not sashimi.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

And I like cilantro, but I can't stand watching or listening to Critical Role. You know what they say about any two points making a line ...?

Sorry, cilantro lover here, also a CR lover.

More data needed! Someone make a poll!

 

[Galendril]

Ever go to a sporting event? Or maybe go to an improv show? I don't watch sports, but I do understand that not everyone is the same as me.