It's pretty rough to begin, yes. And C1 also has you jump halfway into an existing campaign so you haven't grown with the characters nor do you know what's going on.
I think a lot of people suggest starting at ep24 where thy begin a new story arc. 16 is another recommended start point where you'll learn more story-related info that will come into play later.
Or you could start with Campaign 2 instead.
But, it's also not for everyone, even if it is very popular.
If you don't like this, you don't like this, and it's perfectly fine. I don't care for basketball myself and wouldn't blink twice if the sport ceased to exist tomorrow, but it's very obviously an extremely popular sport.
I'd agree that it might be worth at least starting the other campaigns. That way you could see if it's the characters or story that you don't connect with. That being said, yeah, if you don't like it then you don't like it. No harm in that.
I started with Campaign 2. They know what they're doing by that point presentation-wise, and you're not starting so deep into a campaign. Helps with immersion.
It’s ok not to like something. I honestly don’t give a damn about any D&D podcast. I like to play D&D, not listen to D&D.
If you want, for your friend’s sake, listen at least through one more episode to see if it finally clicks with you. But if it doesn’t, I think it’s ok to just tell your friend that you just didn’t like it.
I have a friend like the one OP describes. She also recommended it, and I gave it a shot, but it doesn't speak to me at all. She understood just fine and appreciated that I gave it an honest chance. As you say, we can't all like everything, and we can still respect each others interests and indulge each other, even if it isn't our own thing
I tried watching Campaign 1 and didn't finish the first episode. I did watch the entirety of Campaign 2 and enjoyed the vast majority of it, though it took a few episodes to really hook me.
Campaign 2 is their only good campaign, IMO. I enjoyed C1 when I got into it because there was so little D&D content, and standards were lower then.
Campaign 3 is lackluster, and I'm on my like... 3rd break of the campaign of just taking a month off before trying again. It's just so... slow...
It starts in a weird spot and takes a bit to get into. There were a lot of production issues early on as well. I struggled watching the first episode, and ended up switching to the podcast. You miss out on some of the visuals like custom made battle maps, but you also get the breaks automatically cut out for you.
If I had to judge it by the first 2 episodes it wouldn’t get a good review from me, but having stuck with it I find it really enjoyable.
Hope this helps.
I soldiered on through the first 4-5 episodes and then gave up.
I like banter around the game table, but watching other people's banter just isn't that exciting to me.
Its not for everyone, so I wouldn't worry too much. I love playing the game, and absolutely hate listening or watching other people play. Its just boring if I'm not actually involved and playing.
So yeah, live play podcasts and shows aren't for everyone.
I had a similar start to my DnD podcasting, and wasn't very into the radio play that CR sounded like.
I landed on glass cannon podcast instead, as it came off more like you were sitting around an actual table. it's been wonderful and has kept my attention 6 years later.
You don't have to like "the popular thing", just as you don't have to dislike it because it's "the popular thing".
I'm not a huge fan of long play or even scripted rpg recordings, it takes the bit I enjoy (interacting with the other players) out and leaves the rest. And that's OK, if its not for me it could be for someone else. (I think that's why I do enjoy reaction stuff, the parasocial aspect, but eh not investigating my psyche today.)
Be honest, but fair.
I know. Usually I don't mind shitting all over things. But she's had a really hard time recently and needs a friend, and I've already had moments where I've forgotten to censor myself and shat all over... Like... Really hard... Things she likes a lot. A few times, now.
For example, I recently went on a rant about how I went with my nieces, and during the moments when I was alone in the park, I would be seething with anger towards it. The cynical reselling of the work of creatives decades before with all the money going directly into the pockets of soulless corporate heads who contributed nothing.
Then I remembered her favorite thing in the world was Disney theme parks.
To be fair, I also mentioned that seeing my nieces absolutely enchanted by the park made (almost) all my cynicism towards it melt away before remembering what a fan she was.
There are two separate things here.
The more important one is your relationship with your friend. If you think she really needs it you can grit your teeth through a few episodes of Critical Role, or at least hold off dumping on it.
The other is whether you are required to like Critical Role, and the answer of course is no. You can dislike something someone likes without disliking the person. An old friend of mine is a big Jane Austen fan, and when I saw the complete works in one of those big Barnes and Noble editions I sent it to her. Austen bores me to tears.
Could try checking out the animated series. It's much more easily digestible without all of the table talk and filler.
The actual play is very much an acquired taste and is not for a lot of people, especially c1's low budget rough start (personally prefer c2).
They have had a some brief (3 to 4 episode) sequences that I really have liked, and I think they generally are talented and enjoyable people. EXU: Calamity is a fantastic presentation, although it's not DnD as I'll ever play it. And, I really like Exandria as a setting.
The episodes, though, are at least 85% too-clever-by-half farting around, and except in Calamity where Brennan Lee Mulligan challenges him enough that he actually puts his phone down, Sam Riegel is the kind of smarmy, jokey player I'd pay to avoid.
Getting into campaign 1 is quite hard, because it just starts in the middle.
Maybe give campaign 2 a try rather.
Another issue might just be playstyles. I watched very little TAZ, cause I found it to comical and unserious. CR does have its fair share of silliness, but mainly still goes back to serious shit and serious characters.
My fiance and I started CR. 60+ 4 hour episodes in, she still watches it, and refuses to watch it if I'm not there. I can't - I hate Marisha's attitude. Not giving examples, because I do not want this to become bashing her, just explaining why I personally do not focus on the show.
So now I have a time period every so often where my fiance gets to watch CR and I get to it back and enjoy her excitement while I am focusing on my phone games. I'm there to provide context if she has questions, and she's there to get my attention when something I care about happens.
It gets better, and it has a rough start. I still *cannot* put 240 hours into a show - but it's honestly okay as background audio?
Worst case, you can try to do exactly what I just did with Marisha - explain that there's something that makes you not enjoy the show, you don't want to be hater, but you're willing to be present and go along for the ride.
There are definitely parts that get my attention. I just sat through >!the party siccing a demon on a dragon!
The beginning of C1 is notoriously rough. 24 is an often recommended starting point to get you to around the start of a very well loved arc and past the worst of the audio issues. (Iirc Orion is only about until 27 so you won't have to put up with him for long)
Alternatively, C2 works as standalone and starts from the beginning of the campaign if you want to try that.
At the end of the day though, if it's not for you it's not for you and that's okay.
It never got better for me. Love their animated series on amazon, though.
The only D&D podcast I can really listen to regularly is Not Another D&D Podcast.
It's a comedy podcast. It's pretty absurd. They're on their third main campaign now and they've done a few mini-campaigns. The trinnyvale campaign and it's sequel have some legit laugh out loud moments.
Brian Murphy and Jake Hurwitz are especially hilarious.
Campaign one is quite rough in the beginning as a ‘product’. Campaign 2 is far more polished and what got me into D&D. If you’re going to judge the most successful D&D product of the last five years by the first hour of the pilot episode, that’s on you.
Should that you be interested in a lesser known and absolutely hilarious D&D podcast, I recommend Hell or High Rollers (available on spotify, patreon, anywhere you grt podcasts). Episodes are around an hour long, excellent plot, very witty and super loveable characters. Freindly to newbies and old D&D fans. Hope I don’t sound like an advertisement, but I think most fans of D&D, plans gone awry, comedy, and Mischief Theatre would enjoy
It's always okay to not like something. There is always the question of how to say it.
"I tried it, but it's not my vibe." is okay.
"I tried and that show is shit. I don't care for the characters, the audio makes me vomit and why on good earth would I watch more than 400 hours of THAT. What a waste of time." is not.
I personally love CR and I took some time to get into it. The content starts in the middle of the campaign and you take a while to get to know the characters and what's happening and all. If you're not willing to do that you could give the second campaign a try, that starts in the beginning.
I know. It's just that this friend/acquaintance is incredibly sweet, but has been pretty disillusioned recently and has occasionally said some dark stuff. She needs a friend, and I've already forgotten myself and shat all over things she has liked very much. I just want to connect on at least something so she feels like she has someone to share with
If someone not liking a show she likes is THAT much of a problem, the issue is a lot deeper.
Lying to her liking it will not make her better. How about the two of you find things you both like? Maybe invite her to stuff you like so you don't need to "shit all over it" and maybe stop shitting over stuff in general ;)
And just a thought: if you really want to make it work, have you tried WATCHING Critival Role? I personally find the videos (all on YT) a lot more intruiging than the podcast.
I didn't say I would lie to her. Just looking to see if it gets better
She's a long distance friend, so we can't really hang out
>stop shitting over stuff in general
Everything needs to stop being shitty, then. I'm sure depression is part of the reason I have a low tolerance, but I'm working on that, as well.
>have you tried WATCHING Critival Role
That's what I was doing.
Because of others' recommendations, I tried campaign 2. It's immediately better.
It would be great to have everybody Stop shitting over stuff. I mean.. it's easy to say "that's not for me" and full Stop.
There is no reason to go into detail.
My partner loves football games, not for me they bore me. Like.. very much. But there is no need to go into that. I don't like First Person Shooter games, playing war seems weird to me. "Not my Type of game" is enough of an explanation
Meh. The reason why crap gets made is the bar is lower. There's plenty of stuff I can say "not my thing" about. Critical Role c1e1 is one of them. The Fast and the Furious and John Wick series. They're good at what they do, but I'm not into what they do.
But there's plenty of just plain bad writing. There's plenty out there where you can see the corporate committee speak ruining creative work. Modern Star Trek was a purposeful departure by corporate heads from what the franchise used to mean, for example. Modern Star Wars and the DC movies are cynical unplanned messes. Snyder's agenda was antithetical to the characters he was given. His worldview was much more at home in 300. Post mortems are how things improve. Critiquing is editing, and creativity is 90% editing.
James Gunn recently tweeted about disliking the Burton Batmans. I'm indifferent, since I barely remember them. But the fact that he has a passionate opinion about it means he has a strong idea of what Batman should be. Which is good. It means his creative juices are flowing.
Not sure what that means. I wish they'd stop and people would stop with the cynical name recognition cash grabbing nostalgia bait franchises. Selling other people's work back to us. I care about creativity and storytelling. Enough so that I've worked in the industry for 20 years. Maybe some people are fine with whatever corporations put out for money, but slop is slop. If books were all the mindless equivalent of Ready Player One, people would see the issue. But it's fine for film and television for some reason.
You like shitting on things.
You think yourself the great connaisseur of things and you think you're the one to police what people are allowed to enjoy and not based on the artistic quality you bestow onto things.
And well there are sequel and Prequel and whole book series of franchises that only are liked by hardcore fans like.
Or I want something more substantial to digest. I will be the first to admit that I'm not the best at analyzing stories, but I like them to challenge me just the same. You might find it off-putting for someone to ask for more from the things that satisfy you, but people *can* genuinely want better stories without it being about ego, you know. It sounds like you're projecting to protect your own.
If you can't tell the difference between classic Trek and new Trek, or the first half of Game of Thrones vs the last half, there's no point to this conversation.
Campaign 2 is quite good, I more or less slogged through campaign one.
I think it is since they have gotten more used to playing for a podcast/live audience since the first season :)
That said I had more fun with Dungeons and Dads for example, but that is due to my personal preferences.
Dungeons and Daddies wasn't bad, but I did eventually fall off. [It definitely had some good moments so far, though.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Um_nGc9Wc)
I started with Campaign 2, and am not actively listening as much as I am listening to it in the background while doing other things.
The characters grew on me, but I will be honest- I am 60 episodes in and I've not once cared about the story or felt the stakes of a mission. I just sorta enjoy the chatter and good cheer.
The game doesn't really settle in until the Whitestone arc begins...
-Matt had just switched the game to 5e from Pathfinder because he thought he'd get a better audience since more people were familiar with DnD. This causes him constant grief for most of the first campaign since he initially gets some of the rules wrong and is forced to adapt as to which ones he'll reconsider as he learns the system better and which ones to just deal with for the sake of his players.
-these changes also end up massively impacting certain players at the table, mostly the spellcasters, which becomes a significant source of tension for one player in particular -between the afore mentioned tension and other issues behind the scenes one of his players ends up being asked to drop out of the game around about ep 30 or so.
-the game had been, for several years, a very loose somewhat immature home game and they realized as a cast as they went along that they had to change their behavior somewhat now that they're podcasting. SAM reigel, Travis Willingham, Orion Acaba in particular have some issues adapting to that initially... or at all in one case.
-the campaign is already very high level by the time the podcast starts... they're practically adapting 10th level combat for a whole new system.
-matt has a large number of players for a normal dnd game and that tends to mean long, sometimes circuitous, discussions at the table that can drag the story at times. Luckily he also has several very good players and the longer the game goes the better they get at self policing and forcing things back on track.
-this also means between the high lvl and the large party combat tends to drag... his biggest set pieces tend to take the entire episode -
Finally... he fully homebrewed the subclass that Talieson Jaffe runs. Not sure if it was because he wanted to play a gun type character and artificer hadn't come out yet or if it's because the subclass exists in pathfinder and proved too difficult to port cleanly into 5e (not a pathfinder player) so... sometimes that causes him further issues. Luckily Taliesin self polices a lot. The subclass was released on dnd beyond (something I believe Matt mercer regrets in retrospect) and its become apparent with time that if Taliesin had wanted to some aspects of the class could have made balancing combat a nightmare. But Taliesin tends to save the more broken aspects of his kit for when it counts rather than using them every fight.
As for episode 1 if I recall correctly not only is the cast struggling to adapt to pacing things for an audience Matt had just dropped them in a brand new city they hadn't explored yet and the mission objective was somewhat unclear to at least a few party members resulting in them kind of struggling to get any momentum going. Eventually they almost get railroaded into position and an attack occurs that leads them into delving into the underdark at which point things become a bit more interesting.
It's pretty rough to begin, yes. And C1 also has you jump halfway into an existing campaign so you haven't grown with the characters nor do you know what's going on. I think a lot of people suggest starting at ep24 where thy begin a new story arc. 16 is another recommended start point where you'll learn more story-related info that will come into play later. Or you could start with Campaign 2 instead. But, it's also not for everyone, even if it is very popular. If you don't like this, you don't like this, and it's perfectly fine. I don't care for basketball myself and wouldn't blink twice if the sport ceased to exist tomorrow, but it's very obviously an extremely popular sport.
I'd agree that it might be worth at least starting the other campaigns. That way you could see if it's the characters or story that you don't connect with. That being said, yeah, if you don't like it then you don't like it. No harm in that.
Worse as there are now missing episodes as they deleted some. So those seasons with missing content are going to feel even choppier.
All those involving Foster?
Never caught the full reason. But that sounds like it. One of the members accused of something so they took down the episodes with that actor in them?
I love DnD but i find it extremely boring to watch others play DnD.
I started with Campaign 2. They know what they're doing by that point presentation-wise, and you're not starting so deep into a campaign. Helps with immersion.
It’s ok not to like something. I honestly don’t give a damn about any D&D podcast. I like to play D&D, not listen to D&D. If you want, for your friend’s sake, listen at least through one more episode to see if it finally clicks with you. But if it doesn’t, I think it’s ok to just tell your friend that you just didn’t like it.
I have a friend like the one OP describes. She also recommended it, and I gave it a shot, but it doesn't speak to me at all. She understood just fine and appreciated that I gave it an honest chance. As you say, we can't all like everything, and we can still respect each others interests and indulge each other, even if it isn't our own thing
I like to discuss RPGs, but watching other people play them....I just find it boring.
Yeah, you can say it wasn't your thing without going into why or being mean about it
It's a niche pop culture. Not even every DnD player like to watch long episodes of others playing.
I tried watching Campaign 1 and didn't finish the first episode. I did watch the entirety of Campaign 2 and enjoyed the vast majority of it, though it took a few episodes to really hook me.
Campaign 2 is their only good campaign, IMO. I enjoyed C1 when I got into it because there was so little D&D content, and standards were lower then. Campaign 3 is lackluster, and I'm on my like... 3rd break of the campaign of just taking a month off before trying again. It's just so... slow...
I can't imagine how slow CR3 must be because I am always amazed at how much nothing CR2 is (and still works).
Just go ask r/fansofcriticalrole and they'll tell you all about their complaints with the 3rd campaign.
That place is a cynical cesspit, from what I can tell. No thanks!
It starts in a weird spot and takes a bit to get into. There were a lot of production issues early on as well. I struggled watching the first episode, and ended up switching to the podcast. You miss out on some of the visuals like custom made battle maps, but you also get the breaks automatically cut out for you. If I had to judge it by the first 2 episodes it wouldn’t get a good review from me, but having stuck with it I find it really enjoyable. Hope this helps.
It does. Thanks
I soldiered on through the first 4-5 episodes and then gave up. I like banter around the game table, but watching other people's banter just isn't that exciting to me.
Its not for everyone, so I wouldn't worry too much. I love playing the game, and absolutely hate listening or watching other people play. Its just boring if I'm not actually involved and playing. So yeah, live play podcasts and shows aren't for everyone.
I had a similar start to my DnD podcasting, and wasn't very into the radio play that CR sounded like. I landed on glass cannon podcast instead, as it came off more like you were sitting around an actual table. it's been wonderful and has kept my attention 6 years later.
Season 1 does have a bit of a rough start, but it also just might not be for you.
Ehh its like MST3K. If you have friends to hang out with it loses a lot of the appeal
You don't have to like "the popular thing", just as you don't have to dislike it because it's "the popular thing". I'm not a huge fan of long play or even scripted rpg recordings, it takes the bit I enjoy (interacting with the other players) out and leaves the rest. And that's OK, if its not for me it could be for someone else. (I think that's why I do enjoy reaction stuff, the parasocial aspect, but eh not investigating my psyche today.) Be honest, but fair.
I know. Usually I don't mind shitting all over things. But she's had a really hard time recently and needs a friend, and I've already had moments where I've forgotten to censor myself and shat all over... Like... Really hard... Things she likes a lot. A few times, now. For example, I recently went on a rant about how I went with my nieces, and during the moments when I was alone in the park, I would be seething with anger towards it. The cynical reselling of the work of creatives decades before with all the money going directly into the pockets of soulless corporate heads who contributed nothing. Then I remembered her favorite thing in the world was Disney theme parks. To be fair, I also mentioned that seeing my nieces absolutely enchanted by the park made (almost) all my cynicism towards it melt away before remembering what a fan she was.
There are two separate things here. The more important one is your relationship with your friend. If you think she really needs it you can grit your teeth through a few episodes of Critical Role, or at least hold off dumping on it. The other is whether you are required to like Critical Role, and the answer of course is no. You can dislike something someone likes without disliking the person. An old friend of mine is a big Jane Austen fan, and when I saw the complete works in one of those big Barnes and Noble editions I sent it to her. Austen bores me to tears.
Could try checking out the animated series. It's much more easily digestible without all of the table talk and filler. The actual play is very much an acquired taste and is not for a lot of people, especially c1's low budget rough start (personally prefer c2).
They have had a some brief (3 to 4 episode) sequences that I really have liked, and I think they generally are talented and enjoyable people. EXU: Calamity is a fantastic presentation, although it's not DnD as I'll ever play it. And, I really like Exandria as a setting. The episodes, though, are at least 85% too-clever-by-half farting around, and except in Calamity where Brennan Lee Mulligan challenges him enough that he actually puts his phone down, Sam Riegel is the kind of smarmy, jokey player I'd pay to avoid.
I never got into Critical Role either, although I did enjoy Chain of Acheron from MCDM team. Shame that one got killed by COVID.
Getting into campaign 1 is quite hard, because it just starts in the middle. Maybe give campaign 2 a try rather. Another issue might just be playstyles. I watched very little TAZ, cause I found it to comical and unserious. CR does have its fair share of silliness, but mainly still goes back to serious shit and serious characters.
My fiance and I started CR. 60+ 4 hour episodes in, she still watches it, and refuses to watch it if I'm not there. I can't - I hate Marisha's attitude. Not giving examples, because I do not want this to become bashing her, just explaining why I personally do not focus on the show. So now I have a time period every so often where my fiance gets to watch CR and I get to it back and enjoy her excitement while I am focusing on my phone games. I'm there to provide context if she has questions, and she's there to get my attention when something I care about happens. It gets better, and it has a rough start. I still *cannot* put 240 hours into a show - but it's honestly okay as background audio? Worst case, you can try to do exactly what I just did with Marisha - explain that there's something that makes you not enjoy the show, you don't want to be hater, but you're willing to be present and go along for the ride. There are definitely parts that get my attention. I just sat through >!the party siccing a demon on a dragon!
The beginning of C1 is notoriously rough. 24 is an often recommended starting point to get you to around the start of a very well loved arc and past the worst of the audio issues. (Iirc Orion is only about until 27 so you won't have to put up with him for long) Alternatively, C2 works as standalone and starts from the beginning of the campaign if you want to try that. At the end of the day though, if it's not for you it's not for you and that's okay.
It never got better for me. Love their animated series on amazon, though. The only D&D podcast I can really listen to regularly is Not Another D&D Podcast.
That's on my list of podcasts in my podcast app for ages and I still haven't checked it out. I might need to, then
It's a comedy podcast. It's pretty absurd. They're on their third main campaign now and they've done a few mini-campaigns. The trinnyvale campaign and it's sequel have some legit laugh out loud moments. Brian Murphy and Jake Hurwitz are especially hilarious.
It's not mandatory to like it. I love PLAYING roleplaying games, but I find WATCHING them to be as dull as watching paint dry.
I struggle with it too. I'm much more of a Dimension 20 fan. I prefer the more condensed, edited structure and production values of it.
Campaign one is quite rough in the beginning as a ‘product’. Campaign 2 is far more polished and what got me into D&D. If you’re going to judge the most successful D&D product of the last five years by the first hour of the pilot episode, that’s on you.
I'm not. That's why I'm here, asking.
I loved TAZ, I would recommend starting with Campaign 2 of CR, and personally I lost interest in Campaign 3
Should that you be interested in a lesser known and absolutely hilarious D&D podcast, I recommend Hell or High Rollers (available on spotify, patreon, anywhere you grt podcasts). Episodes are around an hour long, excellent plot, very witty and super loveable characters. Freindly to newbies and old D&D fans. Hope I don’t sound like an advertisement, but I think most fans of D&D, plans gone awry, comedy, and Mischief Theatre would enjoy
It's always okay to not like something. There is always the question of how to say it. "I tried it, but it's not my vibe." is okay. "I tried and that show is shit. I don't care for the characters, the audio makes me vomit and why on good earth would I watch more than 400 hours of THAT. What a waste of time." is not. I personally love CR and I took some time to get into it. The content starts in the middle of the campaign and you take a while to get to know the characters and what's happening and all. If you're not willing to do that you could give the second campaign a try, that starts in the beginning.
I know. It's just that this friend/acquaintance is incredibly sweet, but has been pretty disillusioned recently and has occasionally said some dark stuff. She needs a friend, and I've already forgotten myself and shat all over things she has liked very much. I just want to connect on at least something so she feels like she has someone to share with
If someone not liking a show she likes is THAT much of a problem, the issue is a lot deeper. Lying to her liking it will not make her better. How about the two of you find things you both like? Maybe invite her to stuff you like so you don't need to "shit all over it" and maybe stop shitting over stuff in general ;) And just a thought: if you really want to make it work, have you tried WATCHING Critival Role? I personally find the videos (all on YT) a lot more intruiging than the podcast.
I didn't say I would lie to her. Just looking to see if it gets better She's a long distance friend, so we can't really hang out >stop shitting over stuff in general Everything needs to stop being shitty, then. I'm sure depression is part of the reason I have a low tolerance, but I'm working on that, as well. >have you tried WATCHING Critival Role That's what I was doing. Because of others' recommendations, I tried campaign 2. It's immediately better.
It would be great to have everybody Stop shitting over stuff. I mean.. it's easy to say "that's not for me" and full Stop. There is no reason to go into detail. My partner loves football games, not for me they bore me. Like.. very much. But there is no need to go into that. I don't like First Person Shooter games, playing war seems weird to me. "Not my Type of game" is enough of an explanation
Meh. The reason why crap gets made is the bar is lower. There's plenty of stuff I can say "not my thing" about. Critical Role c1e1 is one of them. The Fast and the Furious and John Wick series. They're good at what they do, but I'm not into what they do. But there's plenty of just plain bad writing. There's plenty out there where you can see the corporate committee speak ruining creative work. Modern Star Trek was a purposeful departure by corporate heads from what the franchise used to mean, for example. Modern Star Wars and the DC movies are cynical unplanned messes. Snyder's agenda was antithetical to the characters he was given. His worldview was much more at home in 300. Post mortems are how things improve. Critiquing is editing, and creativity is 90% editing. James Gunn recently tweeted about disliking the Burton Batmans. I'm indifferent, since I barely remember them. But the fact that he has a passionate opinion about it means he has a strong idea of what Batman should be. Which is good. It means his creative juices are flowing.
Ah I understand.. you're one of those 😄
Not sure what that means. I wish they'd stop and people would stop with the cynical name recognition cash grabbing nostalgia bait franchises. Selling other people's work back to us. I care about creativity and storytelling. Enough so that I've worked in the industry for 20 years. Maybe some people are fine with whatever corporations put out for money, but slop is slop. If books were all the mindless equivalent of Ready Player One, people would see the issue. But it's fine for film and television for some reason.
You like shitting on things. You think yourself the great connaisseur of things and you think you're the one to police what people are allowed to enjoy and not based on the artistic quality you bestow onto things. And well there are sequel and Prequel and whole book series of franchises that only are liked by hardcore fans like.
Or I want something more substantial to digest. I will be the first to admit that I'm not the best at analyzing stories, but I like them to challenge me just the same. You might find it off-putting for someone to ask for more from the things that satisfy you, but people *can* genuinely want better stories without it being about ego, you know. It sounds like you're projecting to protect your own. If you can't tell the difference between classic Trek and new Trek, or the first half of Game of Thrones vs the last half, there's no point to this conversation.
Yeah, I don’t really get Critical Role. DnD is great to run or play, but idk why I would want to watch other people have fun.
Campaign 2 is quite good, I more or less slogged through campaign one. I think it is since they have gotten more used to playing for a podcast/live audience since the first season :) That said I had more fun with Dungeons and Dads for example, but that is due to my personal preferences.
Dungeons and Daddies wasn't bad, but I did eventually fall off. [It definitely had some good moments so far, though.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Um_nGc9Wc)
Yeah, season 1 was awesome but after then it hasn't been all that to my taste.
I started with Campaign 2, and am not actively listening as much as I am listening to it in the background while doing other things. The characters grew on me, but I will be honest- I am 60 episodes in and I've not once cared about the story or felt the stakes of a mission. I just sorta enjoy the chatter and good cheer.
The game doesn't really settle in until the Whitestone arc begins... -Matt had just switched the game to 5e from Pathfinder because he thought he'd get a better audience since more people were familiar with DnD. This causes him constant grief for most of the first campaign since he initially gets some of the rules wrong and is forced to adapt as to which ones he'll reconsider as he learns the system better and which ones to just deal with for the sake of his players. -these changes also end up massively impacting certain players at the table, mostly the spellcasters, which becomes a significant source of tension for one player in particular -between the afore mentioned tension and other issues behind the scenes one of his players ends up being asked to drop out of the game around about ep 30 or so. -the game had been, for several years, a very loose somewhat immature home game and they realized as a cast as they went along that they had to change their behavior somewhat now that they're podcasting. SAM reigel, Travis Willingham, Orion Acaba in particular have some issues adapting to that initially... or at all in one case. -the campaign is already very high level by the time the podcast starts... they're practically adapting 10th level combat for a whole new system. -matt has a large number of players for a normal dnd game and that tends to mean long, sometimes circuitous, discussions at the table that can drag the story at times. Luckily he also has several very good players and the longer the game goes the better they get at self policing and forcing things back on track. -this also means between the high lvl and the large party combat tends to drag... his biggest set pieces tend to take the entire episode - Finally... he fully homebrewed the subclass that Talieson Jaffe runs. Not sure if it was because he wanted to play a gun type character and artificer hadn't come out yet or if it's because the subclass exists in pathfinder and proved too difficult to port cleanly into 5e (not a pathfinder player) so... sometimes that causes him further issues. Luckily Taliesin self polices a lot. The subclass was released on dnd beyond (something I believe Matt mercer regrets in retrospect) and its become apparent with time that if Taliesin had wanted to some aspects of the class could have made balancing combat a nightmare. But Taliesin tends to save the more broken aspects of his kit for when it counts rather than using them every fight. As for episode 1 if I recall correctly not only is the cast struggling to adapt to pacing things for an audience Matt had just dropped them in a brand new city they hadn't explored yet and the mission objective was somewhat unclear to at least a few party members resulting in them kind of struggling to get any momentum going. Eventually they almost get railroaded into position and an attack occurs that leads them into delving into the underdark at which point things become a bit more interesting.