I watched 1300 hours of DND Live-plays: Here's what I learned

[@Tooopper]

It’s why I keep saying that you have to take CR as it is. It is a DND group full of TRAINED actors and storytellers. They’re trained. They know how to pick up cues. They have an actual familiarity and vision for their characters. They know that no character is an island and work actively with each other. You can emulate their energy to an extent and add your own by learning the techniques they do. And most importantly, they know the story is a joint project. This mindset is why one of my characters ended up as a de facto MC for a game I played in. I didn’t do anything special. I was just active in engaging. Any one of the other players who had 10 times my creativity can eclipse me easily if they engaged more mindfully….and some eventually did.

[@ShavedTomato]

The last few sentences hits hard for me. I have two characters that somehow ended up more as the group's "face", and the supposed face of the group ends up stepping back. It's not that I'm trying to hog the spotlight, we're just polite to let each other speak first... only it ends up in dead silence. I don't want to make the DM feel like he's failing and I know the others have really cool stuff they have planned, so I try to engage or get others to... but we can't build a world when nobody speaks up.

[@Frothmeister]

This is sort of why I find Critical Role so hard to watch. It's so far flung from what I want from a D&D session with friends.

[@cedarsnell9554]

@@Frothmeister wait what’s far from what you want to do? Because what I took from OPs comment was like teamwork and knowing your character? Are you like more of a combat heavy/dungeon crawl person?

[@gen1exe]

Agreed. It can be fun sometimes to toss up ideas other players can run with too like "oh, you could do this..."

[@majorlazor5058]

@@Frothmeister I’m with you. I’ve never found it all that interesting. The only upside is they tend not to have players who are murder hobos.

[@nightstar6179]

I feel dimension 20 is easier to get into due to the shorter seasons and variety of worlds. You will find something you enjoy. Critical role is what you watch when you want to be with characters for a long while. I like both in their own ways.

[@PlayYourRole]

To be honest, the reason Dimension 20 doesn't go quite as far (in my humble opinion) is their content is just a lot harder to get ahold of. That's really it

[@nightstar6179]

@@PlayYourRole Thats a definite downside. Its hard to recommend seasons to a friend because they cant find them online without paying.

[@Sanya6496]

@@PlayYourRole Yeah. Like, D20 content just isn't accessible in the same way CR is. CR I feel is a lot easier to get invested in and then be inspired by due to being both on KZbin and Twitch whereas D20 has all these paywalls. I remember that I was genuinely excited to watch and be invested with Court of Fey and Flowers, but everything after the first episode is exclusive to Dropout. At some point it's yet another barrier and something I think creates a huge barrier for people to recommend that cast(even though they're an excellent group)

[@risperdude]

@@Sanya6496 I specifically subscribed for a "Fey and Flowers." I was hooked, and they were running a special.

[@morrigankasa570]

My issue with Critical Role is they allow player deaths F**K THAT!

[@leadingblind1629]

I need to go back to watch D20. Brennan is so good that I recognized his Bill Seacaster just from you playing a muted clip.

[@PlayYourRole]

You're 100% correct! That's the scene of him confronting Fabian in jail if I recall correctly

[@Salt_Mage]

Bill Seacaster was the highlight of that series in my opinion.

[@leadingblind1629]

@@Salt_Mage Bill & Ada

[@bigbendasteppa171]

@@Salt_Mage when he made a ship out of a dragon body!!!!

[@DMLoosey]

At the end of the day, your addiction becomes our learning experience.

[@PlayYourRole]

I'm happy to supply!

[@LocalMaple]

Example of that difference in who the game is made for: “How do I want to do this?” Matt Mercer was the home game mentality. The game is for the players. If they don’t take the win, they feel bad. Laura Bailey (and the others) were the live streamers. They were playing for each other. They engage in roleplay not to put their character in the spotlight, but to bring out the best of each other. Laura hugging Matt was telling him “I’m so glad you had your moment, you deserve fun too.”

[@Middleman_93]

I just hit that moment a week ago, loved how excited everyone was for him!

[@Kijinn]

Where was that "Matt Mercer had his *fun* moment" event? I'm not up to date on CR. Could you give me a hint which episode that may have been in?

[@Rated314]

CR is entertaining due to long format complex story telling. Deep characters with interwoven backstories. D20 is entertaining because it is nonstop zany antics. Wild play mechanics tested to their breaking point. Critical Role is "Murder She Wrote", while Dimension20 is "Golden Girls". Both are awesome and entertaining in their own unique way, even though they are technically the same thing.

[@paulunderhill550]

I like that comparison.

[@sophiemoconnell]

I love that you used 'Golden Girls' and 'Murder She Wrote. I was such a huge fan of those growing up. Used to watch them whenever I went to my nan's house.

[@Paddster]

At first I thought "damn, 1300 hours is A LOT". Then I started to count the hours I've watched Live-plays ... All of CR (campaigns, one shots, mini-campaigns) alone is roughly 1000-1100 hours. Plus a solid chunk of adventure zone, some Highrollers D&D, wizard of the coast one shots and recently Dimension20 and I feel like I'm in a similar ball park :O truly crazy how much time that is^^

[@MorinehtarTheBlue]

I've been watching quite a few different ones lately. And I had started with a few beforehand. I almost shudder to think what my watch time would be on that scale.

[@biggrayalien4791]

As far as I can tell, they're both as authentic as one can get with a show. D20 is limited by its runtime and so it has to constantly have shit happening--there isn't a moment of gameplay that isn't setting up for the next thing, there is no meandering or downtime. This can be a good thing--most of the greatest shows out there are relatively short compared to others, who tend to drag on and on when its welcome is long overstayed. CR isn't limited by any runtime, other than what the cast want to do in the in-game time they've slotted for themselves. Their episodes can meander a bit but generally that downtime adds to the action hype, worldbuilding, and general attachment you get towards characters. You're with them for longer so you want to see what they're capable of. Exceptions include death but that's sort of what D&D is all about. D20 is more akin to a one-shot, where the DM lets a lot of shit fly because it's a short story and you wanna tell it over playing mechanics. CR is more like an actual game of D&D but with theater nerds. There's stakes, glory, comedy, drama, but it eventually heads into a plot development. People bitch about the runtime of CR but will happily binge every episode of Friends, Seinfeld, Lost, among several soap operas. The perspective is lost on me, it doesn't make a ton of sense to complain about the show.

[@arhalts]

I like the long episodes, I am not against them. That said they are not the same thing as binging your favorite series for multiple reasons. 1 length this is the crux of the issue and the main thing. Friends from start to finish is 86hours 57 minutes let's call that 87 hours. Campaign 2 alone is 556 hours and change we will call it 556 hours. That is 6.3 back to back binges of friends . I know alot of people who will binge a show, I know a few that might binge 2 or 3 shows of that length back to back. I don't know anyone who has binge watched 6 shows of that length and change back to back. 2nd point effort. Usually re binging a show is a low mental effort affair. It takes zero mental energy. It's something you do when your so beat you can't even handle a new show. Comparing that to watching a new show isn't fair. Again I like it but it seems extremely fair to not want to take on that beast.

[@undeathghost5627]

@@arhalts As a long time, huge critical role fan, I agree with this point completely. It should be compared to shows you watch for its quality and content, but the time is a huge factor as to why people get this opinion of it being daunting. After all, it's a lot of content. I think the biggest thing though is the length of a single episode by comparison. If you tell someone that binging Friends takes 87 hours, they are less likely to do it. If you tell them "lets watch a few episodes" of something thats 20 minutes or so each, and they happen to watching 15 of those episodes, they won't really notice potentially. Whereas Critical Role for 1 episode is somewhere around 3 - 5 hours. It's harder to binge until your invested completely in the story/cast and WANT to commit that time.

[@vampirelogan]

One thing people wanting to watch a whole campaign of CR or any longer actual play, really, is that it is easily some thing you can do while doing other tasks since there is very little visual bits you need to see. So you can mostly just listen like a podcast, stop and start at any time. I often watch/listen while doing dishes, laundry, yard work, making meals, and any time I have to wait somewhere, on bus, commuting, grocery shopping, etc. There is plenty of time that is otherwise wasted as far as occupying your mind and imagination. Fill it up with CR or another show, it will make the time pass more pleasantly. I actually look forward to some of my chores now because that is CR or D20 time!

[@MorinehtarTheBlue]

@@vampirelogan That's certainly a way to go but I do watch for facial expressions. There are plenty of people that do go the podcast route and that's fine. But when I watch I am definitely keeping track of the visual.

[@vampirelogan]

@@MorinehtarTheBlue I still watch as video but I only look up occasionally when there is an intense scene, a great physical joke or to see the minus but most of the time I infer the rest. Sometimes I have to rewind just to get a detailed description I missed or why something was so funny that all the cast laughed for a long time.

[@davidmc8478]

I have had similar thoughts. I think a live play is actually a radio play. That’s why the most engaging live plays have professional actors with distinctive and recognisable voices. I had a theory that D&D was a performance, the DM performs for the players and the players perform for the DM. Intermittently, a player shows off (not really performing but hamming) to the other players. From your video, I am extrapolating that if the players can elevate their game to performing not just for the DM but also consistently for the other players that improves the game. I think that theory matches my experience.

[@starshiptempest]

Totally agree.

[@sasugashogun]

This reminds me of the thing I heard about Galaxy Quest, '... Tim Allen got really choked up and emotional and had to step away for a moment, at which point Alan Rickman said "I think he's experienced acting".'

[@AndyReichert0]

nice! at 3:22, i didn't know where you were going to take it, but i had a hunch it was because altruism is a mathematically better strategy than selfishness, and i'm glad it was confirmed. suppose there are 5 people at the table. if each person prioritizes their own fun, they each have 1 person prioritizing their fun. if each person prioritizes everyone else's fun, then they each have 4 people prioritizing their fun. therefore, everybody prioritizing fun for everybody else gives everybody the highest chance of fun.

[@dannyacevedo174]

Check out the Oxventure series. Their DM is amazing and their episodes are shorter and broken up in parts which I find great for people who don't want to sit through hours of CR episodes. Also their campaign is also episodic in nature and you can jump into any Part 1 and follow along without needing to have much if any previous knowledge of prior episodes. Additionally their players are completely new to D&D and later in the series, one of players takes over as DM.

[@roguebarbarian9133]

People sleep on Oxventure, just because they're not professional D&D players, but their show has given me more milage than most of the professionals I've watched.

[@dannyacevedo174]

@@roguebarbarian9133 same here. They're honestly my favourite d&d show and I wish they'd do it more often

[@mediumvillain]

@@roguebarbarian9133 Its actually more entertaining that they start out as total noobs and learn the game as they play. But all the live stage shows ive seen kinda fall apart by the end bc theyre so pressed for time, all the game rules go completely out the window and half the time johnny is literally like "just roll all of the dice" so they can finish the planned encounters. his setups are funny and clever but hes also one of the most generous DMs ive ever seen lol. i havent even gotten to a point yet where theyve been legitimately challenged by a combat encounter, and the majority of rolls are pretty much like 'just dont roll a 1 and you're good'

[@roguebarbarian9133]

@@mediumvillain Because it's supposed to be fun and stupid? There are plenty of hardcore campaigns out there, but Oxventure is not one of them. The odds of any of them dying from bosses is slim to none, but that's counterbalanced by incredibly high odds that they get themselves killed through their own stupidity.

[@Rymthe]

@@mediumvillain Just a head's up, Johnny's pronouns are they/them. I would say that the Oxventurers tend to play what one of their PC's said is "comedy dnd" they tend to bend the rules a bit for entertainment sake. It sounds like they are looking to exploring other games as they made a channel just for their TTRPG stuff and that was one of the perks mentioned.

[@toasterenthusiast8023]

To this I add that having anxiety produces the same effect because your always worried about wether or not the entire table is having fun. So a full table of people with anxiety is the ideal homegame

[@jameswhitehead9697]

Nice post. Kind of represents my way of playing. I play D&D to have fun with my friends. I also want everyone's characters have their moments of awesome, not just me. I hate being bored at a game where certain players are always center stage at the expense of everyone else. I am also a big CR fan. I know they are actors & great with voices & are playing to an audience but I also see that their goofiness, from running jokes, breaking into songs, to making fun of NPC names is similar to the games I've played in. So while they are professionals, they are still just D&D nerds like the rest of us. Which is nice to know, honestly.

[@Ailieorz]

I've recently switched over to Dimension 20. Started really strong with Crit Role (after getting hooked by Relics and Rarities on Geek and Sundry) but the past two campaigns have just been either too serious or just plain boring. Campaign one was definitely a group of nerdy-ass voice actors having fun and it was great. The last two... I don't know it just doesn't connect. Most of the characters didn't appeal, those that did just kinda sat in the background and have been overshadowed by others trying to be the main character. There's 7 people at the table but it always seems to be the same ones taking the spotlight, and often feels like some players are holding back. I might tune in for the occasional one shot, they seem to have a lot more fun with those, but the main series is just starting to feel like they're trying to be serious actors and keep everything under control rather than just have fun. (except for Fearne, they should absolutely have given her a gun!) It changed with ExU, both series were great. Unlimited with Aabria was just so much fun, even if the story didn't quite hold together for me. Aimee Carrero was a breath of fresh air and getting to see Matt play was great. Then Calamity... holy shit that was incredible. It was a near perfect combination of fun and kick you in the guts drama all in a neat package. Brennan has a way of letting the players roleplay their hearts out but keeping the story moving. Where the main cast can sit for two hours talking about what to do and still not having a plan (mostly because a few keys players always want their plan to be the plan even when it sucks), Brennan gives them about 10 minutes before punching them in the guts. I've watched D20 almost exclusively since. Had a few more eps of C3 but I stopped a few weeks ago. D20 just has a completely different feel. Everyone is there to have a good time, together! There's no main character syndrome, no one trying to one up or passively control each other, it's absolutely "Yes, and!" in it's purest form. The players are genuinely chaotic and there isn't someone trying to crap on someone else's ideas (it's there critters) or pouting when things don't go their way.

[@GoodGoga]

Yep. This is the exact sentiment i arrived at after diving into D20 and then CR over the past 2 years. Matt Mercer effect on DMs is much maligned and doesn't fit every table, but the mindset of trying to be better players for each other just like the DnD shows has little to no downside.

[@toxictaro]

I've been listening to various DnD campaigns while I work and personally I love Dimension 20 because of all the crazy characters they end up making. I do love how Critical Role will get into so many details about a character's life. I started watching IO and that guy made super cool raid bosses. I love watching all of these awesome live shows and it really got me into wanting to play DnD.

[@Mary_Studios]

Your not wrong about people being aware of the camera I've seen it be said by the players of Oxventure that they always go with something that's the most funny and entertaining rather than what may be practical because they know they have an audience.

[@roguebarbarian9133]

People sleep on Oxventure, just because they're not professional D&D players, but their show has given me more milage than most of the professionals I've watched.

[@Mary_Studios]

@@roguebarbarian9133 totally I don't play that way in my home games but I love seeing them enjoy themselves and doing the must ridicules things.

[@MorinehtarTheBlue]

I love Oxventures but it's a very different beast. I wouldn't call it a live or actual play. The game is very much a medium for comedy. It does make it a breath of fresh air compared to most of the others I watch but I wouldn't want to play like that in a real game.

[@IncendiumRPGs]

I feel like what you’re also touching on here is “serving the drama”. It’s something I’ve heard Matt Colville talk about too, that when you play D&D for the story you should do things that enhance the drama - these could be dark, serious, or entertaining actions. I think that’s something Critical Role’s actors have pulled off very well, even though I don’t watch them often. Great video!

[@AJ-wh1tw]

Something we’ve brought to our home game for a while: play your role to make the person across from have fun. If everyone at the table is trying to boost the other players enjoyment, then everyone is going to have great time because you get to focus on GIVING an enjoyable experience rather than trying to TAKE that fun.

[@michaelpinkston2602]

After the live play, home play comment, you're dead to me. I'm kidding of course. 🤣🤣

[@elbruces]

"When you're streaming, you all know you have to give each other respect." *Orion Acaba has entered the chat.*

[@Ambers128]

At least the professional live streams, also have a budget. I'd honestly like to record my games, but more so I can go back and review so I can improve my DMing skills.

[@PlayYourRole]

I do it for that reason, and so I have notes if I can't write something down in the moment. It's incredibly helpful

[@Ambers128]

@@PlayYourRole my group plays every other week. I spend about an hour jotting down session notes for a recap at the next session. There are times when I literally dont even have time to review or think about the game between sessions. But DM notes help so much when creating a vibrant world for the players to explore.

[@synashilp]

It's very helpful to have videos assist in keeping track of the party's progress. I would say that's why I upload my group's sessions, but the reality is that we only go back to give credit/ridicule to whoever made the worst jokes/sh*tposts in each session.

[@seanbunce4303]

one of my favorite dnd groups to watch is High rollers from the yogscast. I love Mark Hulmes as DM

[@pintpullinggeek]

"Demon" cows!!!😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@seanbunce4303]

@@pintpullinggeek when the one cow rolls out of the way it made me laugh so hard

[@nicholas6836]

4:40 I completely agree with this point and have nothing to argue about, but I figured I’d comment anyway to help the algorithm. Have a good day! 😊

[@sloandog]

I need the humor in dimension 20 I can’t get into CR because I don’t think I’ve ever done more than a chuckle from anything i’ve seen from them. I’ve tried watching it’s just not for me.

[@sloandog]

also brennan’s particular worldbuilding and dm’ing style is just. irreplaceable to me idk

[@emperortime4380]

I definitely have carried a really similar sentiment. I think that in home games the fun for me is entertaining my friends. Like yeah it’s about my immersion too, but I usually craft characters and voices with my fellow players at the forefront of my mind. Maybe that’s why I have a tendency towards tank or support characters; part of me wants to facilitate their big moments because it’s really fun celebrating with someone after they pulled off the cool thing they’ve probably been fantasizing about for days.

[@SigfriedTrent]

I think you are spot on here. I tend to GM as an entertainer and my players really enjoy that. In a home game, sometimes I slip out of that as I get tired, which is also why I tend to run short sessions now that I'm older and have less energy. I don't ask it of players though, some folks just don't want to do that, and that's OK. But when players are trying to entertain their fellows (and the GM) it always makes for a better game for everyone.

[@SerialGufator]

I'm currently running a campaign on a Discord server (because we live very far from each other), and I see the same thing you mentioned: players respect more the others, don't talk over each other and just try to have fun Of course there's the player who isn't doing anything and is playing Heartstone on the PC pretending to pay attention, but we all know that when all need to be focused, they all are. And as a GM I'm quite happy about that. In a way, it's like having a microphone in the middle of the table, or cameras all around you And of course, the fact that some other friends/partners sometimes come to watch our session is helping that

[@ssfbob456]

There's one thing I've learned today: There's an old cringey D&D live show we must find.

[@timespaceanomaly]

You continue to be a shining beacon of wholesomeness in the online TTRPG creator community. :)

[@Spiceodog]

One thing that I like about nights of evening star is that it feels like a home game . Yeah they’re recording it, but they’re making it for the players . It’s especially clear when Mark made a obvious Pokémon spoof episode for Nate because it was his birthday . It usually won’t have you gripping the edge of your seat in excitement,( though it does sometimes)but it’s chill, fun, and lighthearted while still having amazing roleplay and interesting stories. Good for laughs and chill

[@lukebeforeyougame145]

Same with high rollers, I think that is very much Marks style. It's why I really enjoy Aerois, but couldn't get into crit role.

[@Spiceodog]

@@lukebeforeyougame145 yeah aerois to a lesser extent . I love them both equally, but aerois is a bit more professional and nights of evening star is a bit more casual, though yeah marks style in general is pretty casual

[@DMingThoughts]

Great video! Really hot take but you managed to handle it flawlessly. Tea and cookies for ya!

[@bigmansmallboy]

Personally, the only D&D show i can enjoy watching is JRWI/Just Roll With It. Their blend of humor and they way they play is almost exactly like my home game(s). Also, the community is REALLY tight knit which is always fuckin amazing.

[@PlayYourRole]

Oh man I feel that tbh. There's not a ton of emotional through lines in it, which is of course my niche, so I don't talk about them a bunch but what I've listened to has had me rolling

[@xena3722]

Gillion!

[@bigmansmallboy]

@@xena3722 GILLIONNNNNN

[@cosmicbrownie7783]

Been a fan since 2019 😎

[@Kotenekrazy]

Y'know, I'm decently new to dnd as a whole. I took interest in it because I like fantasy rpgs and was an actor. I think because I was an actor in my past, I always approached my character and their interactions from a similar mindset as presented in live games. I believe my intentions have always been to try and entertain everyone at the table and have fun myself. Last weeks session though, left me actually malding at my group because due to their choices the session ended up being: We were transported to a different plain (were we knew a point of interest was), ran away from the only encounter we saw (a single displacer beast, we are group of 5 level 10s), and then left. A few individual things of foreshadowing happened to certain players, but in the end it was a boring session because of them. I didn't know why that rubbed me so wrong, until this video. I can definitely see that the majority's actions are more self-driven and their choices were mostly made from meta level previous trauma (apparently their last dm was a bit sadistic although nothing bad ever really ended up happening in that campaign) despite the fact we've pretty much steam rolled every encounter thus far. My character is a bit stupid so I could always go do something stupid to progress things in an interesting way, which would be completely in character, but I've held off from doing that all but once because I don't want to selfishly act or steal the spotlight of the session. I definitely think I'm going to pass this video on to my dm to see if there is anything we can do because if nothing changes, I might just bite the bullet and end up looking like an ass to the rest of the party.

[@Docsfortune]

You’re not wrong, no one tantrums at the DM during live plays.

[@jamiedorsey4167]

I'll recommend Viva La Dirt League D&D. They're actors (I think?) but pretty new to D&D, so the game feels a lot like a home game much of the time but the characters and the jokes are top notch entertaining.

[@isaacthimbleby8926]

I believe they all have some acting credits. But I think of the core group only Rowan had much success making a career of it rather than just some occasional money to support what was their main job pre vldl (e.g. he was an extra in avatar). Some of the ‘extras’ like the bald dude whose name has temporarily escaped my memory have had more acting success - e.g. he had a minor speaking role in ragnarok.

[@isaacthimbleby8926]

That said, they all have quite a bit of acting experience in their own series.

[@dakotarussell3282]

You are 100% right, I did this with one game with the intention of podcasting it but the group fell apart because of different views and schedules. But this focused us a lot more on the fun.

[@DarkeportProductions]

Jay, our D&D goup came up with the same conclusion. Your are not alone!

[@michaelforsyth1924]

A fair point I suppose but I would also like to point out a potential pitfall with this logic. I was part of a group where the dm and a couple players wanted to stream, ok no big deal. But then it started to twist into turning a fun hobby with friends into a job with co workers attempting to catch the Roll20 lightning bottle. Would be cool to hear your thoughts and advice on that and to help others avoid it

[@apokefan]

Dungeons and Randomness is the show I go back to again and again. The cast are so obviously just people but are still creating incredible things

[@peterclose1545]

Great Advice, nicely put. Thanks.

[@douglasphillips5870]

A friend started recording a game session, and we all got self conscious and quiet.

[@dgargoyle]

When you go back to cr1 you can see they have become a lot better at the things Jay talks about. Moral: this takes practice. (And makes you a better person irl)

[@QueerChangling]

This really explains why I bounce off of being a player rather than a DM. I’ve had a few tables that take this up and do fun stuff but the slow pace and narrative insignificance of session has killed many games I’ve played in. And I think playing to “the room” is so much more important to playing to yourself!

[@gen1exe]

"playing to the room" sums it up perfectly.

[@HonestAuntyElle]

Live plays are better then home games. The best DnD games I've had, is when I've poured my heart as a player trying to entertain people new to the hobby, instead of getting distracted with friends. The 2nd best is just when we had a passive mic recording, because the players tried harder.

[@JoyWheeler1981]

I must say, as a double decade DM, PYR I really feel you hit the nail on the head with this video. keep the great content coming!

[@vernontwinkie]

Love all of your content. Keep it up!

[@Gromhyr]

Gotta say I kinda disagree with this to some extent. I'm running a strahd campaign and its one of the most fun games i've ever run. The reason being, i as the dm, make sure that each of my players has a chance to shine each session and each of the players gives each other the room to shine. You don't need a microphone to be able to respect other players at the table.

[@Max_G4]

Yeah, but the microphone standing in the middle of the table is still a more constant reminder to everyone to keep conversations etc. less chaotic. That's why he brought it up as an example that can be inplemented pretty easily. Of course the GM and the other players giving their fellow players their time to shine is a big part of that too.

[@TWShadow]

You should finish the video

[@anathema1828]

Nice work on the video!

[@Cyberwarlock6133]

I try to give my players the effort of a live game in a home game session. My players know that we are all apart of it and I have all my players put in effort. Let it be characters, rp, or adding to the world itself. So I have done that change in mindset where it’s more about the players fun and the story making them buried deep in emotions and investment.

[@HarmonicHewell]

When talking about D&D there’s an understanding which I don’t think everyone new to the community knows intuitively that actual-play shows like CR and D20 are extremely different to how d&d looks out in the wild. Critical role and D20 as shows are very aesthetically impressive, they have great cameras, well made battlemaps (especially D20) and beautiful minis (especially CR). Not only will your games not LOOK like an actual play show, unless you and your friends have a lot of time and energy to spare, they also won’t play like one. Brennan plans the series months in advance, the maps are built before the players even sit at the table. Everything is finely tuned with trained improvisors and actors manning the helm, taking acting cues to bring the story where it needs to go. For campaign 3 of critical role, Matt has brought on a team of world builders who are helping him to craft Exandria and flesh out the world. If you’re a DM, there’s a close to 100% chance you don’t have that. D&D as a game is very different to being “good” at any other game. “Good”ness is entirely subjective when it comes to d&d. When a person is good at video games, like being a speedrunner or a pro player, we can see their skills plainly, acquired through practice and effort. With a narrative game like d&d it’s harder to see the skills being employed by the players and it’s easy to look at how good they are and by comparison how bad you might feel and be discouraged. But seriously, d&d isn’t about doing the coolest voice or having the most beautiful storyline, it’s about having a good time with your friends. These shows are made to entertain us. They’re a hybrid between improvisation and writing and aren’t a standard you should hold yourself to or hold your friends to. Just play and have a good time.

[@Blungarde]

Totally agree ! I think it's one of the thing people could improve by doing theater or improv !

[@mattlazarus2489]

My group already plays this way, lots o respect and everyone gets their time to shine without mics and cameras so I guess we're doing well!

[@northernkoschei]

This is a really interesting angle that I haven't considered! (of the non-obvious effect it can have on one's home game)

[@Micaerys]

Such a great video!! 👏🏻👏🏻 It made me think quite a lot

[@coreyjameswood]

Yet another wonderful deep dive into a section of this game we all love! To me, live plays are a double-edged sword. They are exciting and tons of fun to watch, but they can be daunting at times with the amount available out there and even moreso, remind me how much I miss playing D&D with my friendos (haven't played in a little over a year at this point.) I do really enjoy the engagement factor of live plays that I believe should be somehow incorporated into home games as well.

[@gen1exe]

I like the takeaway! Liveplays are entertainment for an audience, but we can learn a thing or two from them to help everyone playing our game "be entertained" and having fun. Its collaborative storytelling so think about contributing things, and working together, to create a fun, entertaining story (without stressing). Imagine, what if nonplayers were watching or what if you were going to write this down and turn it into a book.

[@katherineweaver382]

I was introduced to D&D by stumbling on and falling in love with Acquisitions Inc. Then I found Critical Role a few years later. I agree completely, live play is the most fun.

[@zeplin8971]

Not Another D&D Podcast is my favorite dnd post cast. I don’t think the others compare even though they’re more popular. Just my humble opinion

[@chrismoss7163]

how dare you!!!!! but good video. I completely agree with your point about making all players be engaged. So many people forget that when you highlight and embrace your fellow players it's often so much more fun for you and the others. I still forget this as a player even though I feel it's one of the most important aspects of playing.

[@mattpkc34xx]

Critical role by itself is nearly 1200 hours of dnd currently, not including side content like the player battle royales, or exandria unlimited, or the games DMed by other people. Purely just campaign 1-3 is 1200 hours.

[@carlwilkerson9722]

Good work this time, insightful and very thorough. However, in a video about the volatile effects of distractions in D & D, you distracted me from picking it all up because of the massive, massive distraction that was the sword through your head in every single shot.

[@PlayYourRole]

It's a medical condition please me considerate of my struggles

[@aaronghunter]

Necessary Damocles reference.

[@Lostangel1000]

Hmmm Now that I count... Having watched all of and catch up to and followed HighRollers and there current campaign, all of the first 2 Campaigns of plus the little Side campaign and am listening to the 3rd official main Campaign of Not Another DnD Podcast (NADNDPOD), Dungeons and Daddys Campaign 1 and am foillowing the 2nd one, Finished TableStorys Rime of the FrostMaiden, am current with Rustage's OnePiece DnD (57 Episodes) and Isekai DND (15) campaigns, Starlost Seas Campaign (58 eps) as well as The Drakkenheim series up to the current part of the third campaign/arc.... I think I am pretty close to that amount of hours of listening to DnD podcasts/lets-plays without even listening to any the big ones like Critical Role or Dimension 20 . Or ever getting to play a game yet even though I REALLY want to.

[@celesteelka]

I watched live plays for a long time and finally had a chance to play in a game myself. I couldn't understand why I wasn't fully satisfied. But then hearing you say that players in home games are out for their own fun, it made so much sense. I played the way I'd been taught; engaging the other players and trying to be entertaining to everyone. Everyone else just did their murderhobo thing lol.

[@GA-eh4nl]

A'ight, I got your message, I'm off telling my group that we are streaming our next session!

[@xanpeepo]

If you’re a fan of the D20 style DnD episodes I really recommend checking out Superquest Saga. It’s so good and the guys that run the table are hilarious. :)

[@fsKarrena]

I’m playing with some really good groups (DM two, play in two) and all are pretty fun and we laugh and stuff. I even started recording some of the sessions 😂

[@risperdude]

Great advice, had not thought of that. All my games are online, everyone is scattered across (or out of) the state. There are certainly challenges but also opportunities, using discord or google meets really helps emphasize letting someone finish or there is chaos, (most of our players don't like the chaos) so we mostly slow down. Also most folks in my Wednesday games have known each other for years, bur that is a whole other issue. I can see space for this shift in focus.

[@holyheretic3185]

I really like viva la dirt leagues DND channel. It's nice to see someone else have terrible luck :D

[@vernonschmidt6514]

It's actually a just a little more. They have some agreement on what type of entertainment to make for everyone. That's something that actors know how to move in.

[@PlayYourRole]

Thanks for watching everyone! Don't forget to check out Only Crits if you'd like to support the channel! www.onlycrits.com/PlayYourRole (use code PLAYYOURROLE for a discount!)

[@roee1881]

Hey man, the same link in the description is broken and won't refer people with your referral code!

[@jonathanskinner7647]

Great video man, been wanting to talk about this for a while. I’ve been put of a position of teaching people D&D for what most of them will be their first time playing. With some players who instantly take a shine to it playing alongside those who are a bit slow to warm up it can lead to those who are already ahead getting more fun while those who aren’t enjoying it as much can end up enjoying it even less. While I don’t think live shows for new players is anywhere near the right answer, but it’s always important to bring everyone up to the same level. Also check out dungeon and daddies pls. They’re my favourite D&D podcast and seem wholly unique and fun.

[@Van-dq4sw]

I think this is a fantastic video, and especially loved the comment about how you're less likely to interrupt each other if you want everyone to get heard by a microphone or an audience. It's been a running problem in the game I'm in currently - partially because discord makes it hard to see when someone else is gonna start talking - and I think your conclusion is ultimately correct. The one quibble I have is something that I probably know the source of - you made the thumbnail seeming to pit Dimension 20 and Critical Role at odds with the Check and X marks as a clickbait to drive views, didn't you? Not a bad thing on you, just sucks that the KZbin system is currently such that creators HAVE to clickbait in order to have a chance, even when it's. Well. Not in the content. At no point in the video do you directly contrast CR and D20 or imply one is better than the other, which is what the thumbnail implies.

[@russellewelchiii]

Tell me I’m not the only one who looked for those VOD’s

[@russellewelchiii]

Disclaimer: I didn’t look for the unlisted videos

[@zormarrivaks8257]

From what I hear it looks as if you discovered something that, among others, PbtA games have been described a long time ago, ie: Be fan of other player's PCs and Play to see what happend. This is by no means a reproach or something, but an observation of how players and game designers notice different aspects of the game (e.g. how to improve the attention of players at the table) and what they do to improve their sessions.

[@melinnamba]

1300 hour? Wow! That's an achivement. I only recently discoverd live plays and I don't even want to know how many hour I have racked up already, but I am sure I have a long, long way to go untill I reach 1300. Also, I totally agree with you on why live plays feel diffrent for a lot of people. I have always loved to sit back and let my friends enterain me if my pc wasn’t in the scene. We didn't record our sessions, but we did try to tell entertaining storys.

[@roguebarbarian9133]

I'm sitting at about 50 hours of Dungeons and Ale 40 hours of Oxventure 20 hours of Dimension 20 and 5 hours of Viva la Dirt League. So over about a year-and-a-half of me watching D&D channels, I've only racked up roughly 115 hours.

[@melinnamba]

@@roguebarbarian9133 I've probably been through more already. I currently make it through one episode of Critical Role per day on average and have been doing so for a couple of month. I finished the Vox Machnia campaign about two weeks ago.

[@roguebarbarian9133]

@@melinnamba Yeah, my biggest turnoff from Critical Role was the episode lengths and sheer volume of content. Considering there's over a dozen really good D&D shows, it's just too much of a time commitment.

[@melinnamba]

@@roguebarbarian9133 Originally, all I wanted to do was watch a view episodes to check out that dm everyone is raving about. I didn't expect to like watching live plays as much as I do. I also didn't realize that c3 was still on going and by the time I did I was hooked. Fortunately I can let the episodes run in the background while working and doing chores.

[@thevoid6756]

side note: we really didn't need that super-long edit from breaking bad. I bet at least 30% of your viewers clicked away right there. keep up the pace mate ;)

[@starshiptempest]

I’d agree. And like others said in the comments, Live Plays usually involve actual actors, right? Whereas Home Games are for everybody, regardless of performance ability. Right?

[@sweebos]

I've watched Critical Role campaign 2 three times 👀 Well really 2 times as I'd watch the live streams on Twitch, for chat 😄, then watch the episode again on KZbin to really watch the players reactions and let the story sink in. And then I went through the campaign again this year. 👀 I've really enjoyed watching EXU and C3 just on KZbin since their release. I really get more immersed in the world and story, especially with the new set, without the chat experience on Twitch. And like others have said D20's shorter form stories are novel and interesting for that reason. Have also recently been looking into other lesser known TTRPGs to watch. Suggestions anyone 😀 Love you nerds ✌️💙

[@CrymsonNite]

I listened to "critical hit" and "max's minions" and still listen to "Acquisitions Incorporated" Acq Inc is very crowd based, but CH and MM are both home games that became podcasts.

[@bonusactionheroes]

We had some established games and started steaming. Overall I'm glad we did but some words of caution about not being firm with ground rules if you start. Some players will adapt to streaming can definitely up some players RP other may not have the self awareness and might even refuse to do anything differently. Most of my players accept decent sound is crucial to streams but the odd one will just ignore requests and carry on being barely understandable on their laptop potato mic. It can put pressure on friendships if you aren't all aligned and it can only be as good as your weakest link to a degree. That said I'm glad we did and we will continue to improve as best we can 🎉

[@Madchef8u]

Aye. In short try to get everyone to have the mindset to keep the ball rolling and pass it around. Sometimes number crunching to the extreme happens, try everything to streamline that. Casually confront Mary Sues, engage in an RP fashion the timid or bullied. But yeah, even the GM should be having fun as well! “Human Kind, Be Both” 💜

[@guamae]

I think you have the cause-and-effect backwards. The CR cast acts like they do, because they ARE Performers (Dimension 20 too). I was a theater-kid in high school, and people who are driven to create careers in entertainment do so because they have Loud-Bombastic personalities, and have a Need to Perform. So whether they're in Matt's dining room, or on a set, Sam is going to be doing crazy stunts to get a laugh out of Liam, and Liam is going to do his Shakespearean asides to the "camera." In recent episodes, there have been instances where Laura would Burp, because she forgot they were on camera; or Liam and Talisen would stand to get a better view of the table, and Travis had to tell them to sit down so they were in their "shot"... because they're not constantly aware of the cameras anymore. They're Performers playing D&D. They're not D&D Players Performing.

[@Anonymous_Eyeballs]

My man just admitted to his group he was using loaded dice lmao nice

[@charlesbauswell459]

What is live play and home game? Isn’t it the same?

[@fleurcode]

To me i understand CR is made by professionals and all, but i somehow am very aware of how the character relationships aren't... great. At certain points it feels like the players want to hog the camera spotlight and that causes conflict with other players who were intended to have that spotlight. (Bard's Lament, The temple being disrespected). I feel like Dimension 20 has a good understanding of being together and joyful with each other, each character gets a moment to shine and each member gets to care for each of them respectively, building a great group dynamic

[@Zimzuni2980]

I submit the idea that the audience at home are the other players at the table. It is sloppy to forget this & to check out when your character isn't in the spotlight or "doing anything" in those moments the others at the table are moreso an audience and everyone should be trying to tell a story that anyone might want to experience/relate to

[@kelpiekit4002]

There is a term in polyamory that seems applicable for cultivating in groups. Compersion, which means your happiness from other people being happy. In the live plays with audience comments, art, players discussions with each other on reflection shows, internet recaps, and so on they see others enjoying their enjoyment of their character and play. This makes them encouraged to share that joy more in their playing. Compersion at your table starts with being a good audience to others in your game.

[@TheShepherdFilms]

3:40 seconds in...you drop the hammer...and agree...but I personally try to entertain while playing or dming...I also attempt to curb myself because occasionally I can take over through force of personality...so I make a concerted effort to ask, my players as a dm or fellow players...questions about there backstory...try to get them to engage...etc...but try to make them feel more like the star...while also entertaining...I've surely taking over a game or two, but not without attempting to throw that spotlight...but yes I agree with your assumption at 3:40 seconds...still watching lets see if you say anything similar to what I said.

[@kingsfan2099]

This is genius and looking forward to trying it...

[@Vagabond820]

Alot of your point reminds me of Seth Skorkowsky’s Rpg Social Contract.

[@BigmanDogs]

I think some people can be more selfless and care about making sure everyone has a good time if they know that strangers are watching them.

[@jacksparrowismydaddy]

I think a good way to cut down on offensive jokes is to find out what everyone's boundaries are and the dm saying "okay we won't make a joke about this but we can joke about this, this, this, this and this."

[@arkron81]

Mmm... not gonna lie. I'm a bit disappointed. When I saw the video title and thumbnail, I was expecting to see a video discussing the differences between Dimension20 and Critical Role. Nice video, just... not really what I expected.

[@meghan3306]

I agree 💯! I think games will flow better and people will have more enjoyment if the focus is shifted to caring that everyone is involved and having fun. It is a game and fun should be had of course lol ... but too often I see a big lack of shared respect at the table. Some people I play with disengage as soon as the focus isn't on them. They are immediately in their phones and sometimes even talking across the table about a meme they found... while others are trying to play their character. And I don't mean that their character is out of the scene or not involved. No unfortunately they're just not the active speaker or the star of the moment. They're character is still there with everybody else their player has just checked out. Sometimes, like you said, people just want to have some goofy fun but it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to find players that all share in the idea of being invested in the game. Do you have any tips for encouraging better tabletop care and courtesy? Honestly, I don't want to ruin someone else's good time but I don't want to feel like I don't matter either because someone laughing really loud about an unrelated thing while I am having a plot breakthrough moment with another player's character and an important npc that has taken actual irl months of gameplay to reach makes me feel like a fuzzy ball of lint on their sleeve rather than a friend I've been playing with for years now. So sorry for the massive comment but your video really resonated with me. ❤

[@AaronQ64]

Does anyone do a darker more serious group game? CR is hardly dark and is pretty joke filled and that seems to be most of the group shows out there. I like grit, character death's etc..

[@katecritt]

Wondering if I should put a microphone down in front of my group. Several of them have verbal diarrhoea, but I have sensory processing issues so the pain centre of my brain lights up like a Christmas tree when people talk over each other. They've gotten better about it, but if they get excited enough they just forget/don't care.

[@transmaddie]

I have a player who definitely plays with that liveplay mindset who had planned a bunch of stuff for their character's backstory and the Kingdom they're from, and then 2 other players who had been barely paying attention in that session just went and killed the queen, they didn't plan it very much but they didn't really need to. They had assumed she was evil cuz she was a queen in a fantasy world (and to be fair I had done a little misleading to make her seem bad) and it just completely derailed everything! The party got run out of the Kingdom cuz there wasn't much else to be done when the entire kingdom is against them and now that one player who put a TON of effort into their story just can't really do anything with it. I've been trying to figure out a way to let it work but there's just not really anything I think I'd be able to do without undermining certain parts of the world and people's characters

[@archersfriend5900]

That's d&d don't plan story arcs, it takes away player agency and adds plot armor. Also don't put someone important to your story where the party can kill them.

[@transmaddie]

@@archersfriend5900 to be fair, I was prepared for the queen to die, it was my other player who wasn't. I have so many back-up plans for when anything I plan goes off the rails. I'm prepared for this campaign's end goal to go from saving the world to making Bob's Bakery run by Bob the goblin the number 1 bakery in the world

[@mechanussunrise]

Good thoughtful video