Critical Role.

PostCritical Role. by **Peter Crisp** » Sun Jan 08, 2023 4:46 pm

Does anyone on here watch Critical Role?

I've watched all of campaign 1 and am currently watching campaign 3 where I'm on episode 17.

I used to play D&D but haven't played in decades and have no groups around here so this is now my D&D fix.
I enjoy the fact that they aren't min/maxers and haven't all bought the monster manual so they know all the monster weaknesses and they just go with whatever shitty plan they have at the time.

I'm also enjoying the obvious progression of the group from begining with very basic pen and paper maps at the start to more and more impressive sets and models.
D&D can be played with almost zero money and also spending a small fortune on mini's, dungeons and buildings.

I like the entire cast and they seem to invite nice guests as well.

So, anyone else here a fan?

PostRe: Critical Role. by **jiggles** » Sun Jan 08, 2023 5:12 pm

I’d like to but I don’t know how anyone has the time. 300 episodes at 3-5 hours each? :dread:

PostRe: Critical Role. by **Peter Crisp** » Sun Jan 08, 2023 5:19 pm

jiggles wrote:I’d like to but I don’t know how anyone has the time. 300 episodes at 3-5 hours each?

Yep, it's an absolute monster to watch.
I only started watching about a year ago and it's taken me that long to watch campaign 1 and start 3.

They have made a cartoon of campaign 1 called Legends of Vox Machina which I assume will contain all the highlights from the start of campaign 1 so you may want to consider that.

It's on Prime so worth a try at least and has all the same cast members.

PostRe: Critical Role. by **Frank** » Sun Jan 08, 2023 5:48 pm

I've been listening to the podcast versions they've done of the vox machina stuff in the car on the way to and from work. It's alright tbf, but I'm a little worried that the longer it goes on for the more irritating the "we just need X more subscribers for a giveaway!" begging will get.

I'm not sure it really loses much by not watching the actual twitch streams of... just a bunch of actors sitting around a table. Every now and then he'll get some fancy miniature or model out that everyone will gasp over, but that's all that you really miss out on.

It's incredibly relatable when they concoct some elaborate plan and immediately roll a nat 1, though :lol:

PostRe: Critical Role. by **Imrahil** » Sun Jan 08, 2023 6:14 pm

I find 'D&D watching' can be fun in small doses. But I'd rather watch edited shorter videos of funny/unexpected moments that occurred.

When it comes to fully investing in a whole campaign there is an awful lot of filler I find. I've tried in the past to get into it but it's a huge investment and for me the return doesn't justify it.

It's similar to watching videos of others playing games. I need to be playing the game to get the enjoyment out of it. Otherwise it all feels rather second hand.

PostRe: Critical Role. by **Peter Crisp** » Sun Jan 08, 2023 6:26 pm

Frank wrote:I've been listening to the podcast versions they've done of the vox machina stuff in the car on the way to and from work. It's alright tbf, but I'm a little worried that the longer it goes on for the more irritating the "we just need X more subscribers for a giveaway!" begging will get.

I'm not sure it really loses much by not watching the actual twitch streams of... just a bunch of actors sitting around a table. Every now and then he'll get some fancy miniature or model out that everyone will gasp over, but that's all that you really miss out on.

It's incredibly relatable when they concoct some elaborate plan and immediately roll a nat 1, though

I'm watching on youtube so I don't get the begging.
The same guy does a advert though which has strawberry float all to do with whatever it is they're supposed to be advertising though and is just him making up new gooseberry fool every week and is actually funny.

For episode 1 of campaign 3 he did a full on musical about begging for sponsorship with one of the regular guest stars :slol:

.

PostRe: Critical Role. by **Peter Crisp** » Sun Jan 08, 2023 6:29 pm

Imrahil wrote:I find 'D&D watching' can be fun in small doses. But I'd rather watch edited shorter videos of funny/unexpected moments that occurred.

When it comes to fully investing in a whole campaign there is an awful lot of filler I find. I've tried in the past to get into it but it's a huge investment and for me the return doesn't justify it.

It's similar to watching videos of others playing games. I need to be playing the game to get the enjoyment out of it. Otherwise it all feels rather second hand.

One of the better segments is Grog and the Deck of Many Things which should be on youtube.

The deck is a classic item that's been in the game since its inception and can utterly destroy entire campaigns so giving it to those guys was always going to end in chaos.

PostRe: Critical Role. by **Robbo-92** » Sun Jan 08, 2023 7:21 pm

I know my younger brother watches it a fair bit, probably why he gets comparatively little gaming done these days if an episode can be between 3 and 5 hours!

PostRe: Critical Role. by **Pedz** » Sun Jan 08, 2023 7:33 pm

I have watched 1 episode.

PostRe: Critical Role. by **Peter Crisp** » Sun Jan 08, 2023 7:40 pm

Oh, one reason each episode seems so long is they include a 20 minute intro and 45 minute tea break which I skip.
The intro is just an add and a recap of the story so far and in the mid break they just show fan art.

PostRe: Critical Role. by **Peter Crisp** » Sun Jan 08, 2023 7:41 pm

Pedz wrote:I have watched 1 episode.

Of the show or the cartoon?

Thoughts?

PostRe: Critical Role. by **Pedz** » Sun Jan 08, 2023 7:43 pm

Peter Crisp wrote:
Pedz wrote:I have watched 1 episode.

Of the show or the cartoon?

Thoughts?

The Youtube show where they play DnD proper. It's seemingly good, but I need to watch more. It's just long :lol:

PostRe: Critical Role. by **Peter Crisp** » Sun Jan 08, 2023 7:44 pm

Frank wrote:It's incredibly relatable when they concoct some elaborate plan and immediately roll a nat 1, though

Some of the plans they think up are completely stupid to begin with.

One of the players gets her character insta killed by deciding to do the most stupid thing imaginable and the whole teams just laughs at her for doing so.
She could have done literally anything else but she chose suicide in comical fashion.

PostRe: Critical Role. by **Frank** » Mon Jan 09, 2023 9:32 am

I've just downloaded the first season of the show to see what it's like :toot:

Does the show follow the same story as the normal campaigns? Would probably be a good entry point if it does, without the immense time investment :lol:

PostRe: Critical Role. by **Hexx** » Mon Jan 09, 2023 9:48 am

Frank wrote:I've just downloaded the first season of the show to see what it's like Does the show follow the same story as the normal campaigns? Would probably be a good entry point if it does, without the immense time investment

The show starts before the "Critical Role" point in campaign to reflect where they were playing at home before streaming.

It also skips the first story arc in "Critical Role" that was streamed (going into the underdark) to tell a better ongoing narrative it eventually focuses on. So you're actually seeing about 50 episodes of the stream from story beat to story beat.

Liked Campaign 1, fell off wagon in Campaign 2. I found the characters largely less interesting (there's only so much of Liam's emo characters I can take) and it became more obvious that certain elements (largely which MM controlled) were manipulated to drive the overall narrative rather than organically during play like a regular game.

It's rapidly become a high quality entertainment (with required curation) product/narrative rather than "a streamed game of DnD" which I didn't overally like as much.

Their online fanbase is also horrifically toxic as strawberry float which I didn't like. (Caleb/Jester being one of the last examples I saw)

PostRe: Critical Role. by **Finiarél** » Mon Jan 09, 2023 9:48 am

I've been watching oxventure, been meaning to start CR but it's just so big haha

PostRe: Critical Role. by **Hexx** » Mon Jan 09, 2023 9:51 am

Finiarél wrote:I've been watching oxventure

I love the OxBoxes (never encountered anyone else who watches them? Who's your favourite? Andy/Luke/Mike are a tie for me) but I just really don't want to see them play DnD or Blades.

PostRe: Critical Role. by **Hexx** » Mon Jan 09, 2023 9:54 am

Pedz wrote:
Peter Crisp wrote:
Pedz wrote:I have watched 1 episode.

Of the show or the cartoon?

Thoughts?

The Youtube show where they play DnD proper. It's seemingly good, but I need to watch more. It's just long

Ahhh. It might be worth mentioning that you will be seeing a character Tiberius played by Orion Acaba. Let's just say he's pretty...egregious and tests most people's tolerances.

Without going into details he won't be there long if you find his sections painful/irritating.

PostRe: Critical Role. by **Peter Crisp** » Mon Jan 09, 2023 11:16 am

Hexx wrote:
Pedz wrote:
Peter Crisp wrote:
Pedz wrote:I have watched 1 episode.

Of the show or the cartoon?

Thoughts?

The Youtube show where they play DnD proper. It's seemingly good, but I need to watch more. It's just long

Ahhh. It might be worth mentioning that you will be seeing a character Tiberius played by Orion Acaba. Let's just say he's pretty...egregious and tests most people's tolerances.

Without going into details he won't be there long if you find his sections painful/irritating.

I almost forgot about that guy.
I must admit I wasn't a fan but I didn't hate him and he did seem the least friendly of the group.
It's telling that he doesn't show up again as a guest star though.

PostRe: Critical Role. by **Hexx** » Mon Jan 09, 2023 11:26 am

Peter Crisp wrote:
Hexx wrote:
Pedz wrote:
Peter Crisp wrote:
Pedz wrote:I have watched 1 episode.

Of the show or the cartoon?

Thoughts?

The Youtube show where they play DnD proper. It's seemingly good, but I need to watch more. It's just long

Ahhh. It might be worth mentioning that you will be seeing a character Tiberius played by Orion Acaba. Let's just say he's pretty...egregious and tests most people's tolerances.

Without going into details he won't be there long if you find his sections painful/irritating.

I almost forgot about that guy.
I must admit I wasn't a fan but I didn't hate him and he did seem the least friendly of the group.
It's telling that he doesn't show up again as a guest star though.

Critical Role.

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