Why We Talk About Tiberius

[@DungeonDragon18]

Matt clarified in a Tweet at some point that Allura was interested in Tiberius until he killed that old lady. Prior to that, he did have a good chance at successfully romancing her.

[@magicrainbowkitties1023]

Very fair tbh

[@alftuvik3820]

Wasn't that the last time he ever saw her and several episodes after her and Kima was already established? I know Tibs didn't give up even though he was the first to realize that Allura and Kima was a thing, but I didn't think he ever really had a shot with her.

[@Doople]

@@alftuvik3820 She could have been interested in both but closer with kima. Though completely agree that there was no way Tibs had a chance in the long run with the way he acted

[@thespankmyfrank]

​@@alftuvik3820 Allura and Kima weren't established. All they did was hug and Tiberius' (actually Orion's) fragile ego took that as them being romantically involved (yelling something like "come on, Matt, really?!?!" as if he had earned a romantic relationship in game). That's even though he and Allura had a "date" booked, and things were going his way until he fucked it up by murdering an old lady while she was running away. It wasn't until ages later, long after he had left the show, that Allura and Kima was confirmed, (and I wonder if Matt got the idea from that exact moment tbh).

[@benjaminlabarge4899]

I always felt that situation with the old lady was very unfair. I get what Matt was doing, but up and to that point, extreme violence against human enemies was framed in a fun and adventurous way. The person attacked him and he responded in the way DnD expects. Matt's descriptions could easily apply to other enemies they've killed.

[@femke_b]

Your videos don’t just help players recognize their own problematic behavior. It also helped me, a relatively inexperienced dm, realize what had been bothering me about one of my own players behavior. I used some of your videos to help me point out the things that were bothering me and it really helped. The conversation ended up solving the issues we had in a pleasant and respectful way. So, thanks a million!!

[@SupergeekMike]

I’m so glad to hear that!! 😁

[@AuntLoopy123]

Lots of times, just having a rational conversation, where you are able to SPECIFY "This is what bothers me AND WHY," the person will be able to say, "Oh! I didn't realize. Thanks for showing me," and make the necessary changes. In the case of long-standing habits, you can set up a reminder word, so that you don't have to have the long conversation all over again. You just say, "Jenga," or whatever, and the person goes, "Oops! Sorry." And then they stop doing the thing, and move on. We can all use that kind of conversation from time to time. The most difficult part is putting the WHY into words, in the first place. I have learned that if a person understands WHY something is an issue, or something is changing, they are almost always willing and able to make the changes needed. WHY is the key.

[@WestCero]

​@@AuntLoopy123 While true, it does also depend on said person WANTING to change. Which is most people, but not everyone.

[@xXDDKJefferyXx]

AND THATS HOW A DM IS SUPPOSE TO HANDLE THE SITUTATION .....YOU DONT DEMONIZE AND TOSS AWAY YOUR FRIENDS ...shame on crit role and shame on teh fan base for the awful way they treat orion and the horrible way matt handled that situtation

[@wootalicious5939]

@@xXDDKJefferyXx a little over the top, but I basically agree that all of the items people point at **on the stream** are very easily solvable with simple conversations and agreement on rules and world-building. That said, I have no idea what was happening between streams, off-screen and in their personal lives. And actually, maybe they did have those conversations off screen and it just didn't work to get everyone playing the way they wanted to play...

[@AGrumpyPanda]

Frankly I'm impressed that Matt managed to get through all of Orion's errands in 13 minutes.

[@samfielding9335]

You’re not wrong, even when my party of 5 players does something like that can make one player take around 20 if it’s super weird and I have to look stuff up, and that’s by saying “I buy X, X, X in X amount for X” mainly because my players usually have to math, and I have to estimate the costs, but still

[@whensomethingcriesagain]

He probably could've just asked him to write up a list and then gone down it making rulings in a more concise fashion

[@EmaRussoUltra]

I have a player that takes 20 minutes to do a single errand and it makes me feel bad that I have to literally talk over him to make him stop talking otherwise we wouldn’t go anywhere. He’s one of my best friends, but this thing has literally killed a campaign before, when the master wasn’t me, but another friend who was an unexperienced GM, unlike myself, and didn’t know how to limit him. Recently I just said to him that the way he played that character was what killed that campaign, and that’s why now I have to limit him more than I’d done in the past.

[@RecklessFables]

In another game system a lot of the requests might have been reasonable. Trying to weaponize a mist spell with holy water might be something I'd allow in a system that is less tied to videogame-like constraints as D&D. I could totally see someone like Harry Dresden to it in a Jim Butcher novel, so why not in game? edit: Thinking more about it, OSR would be more like that as well. Thinking outside the rules is usually encouraged since the rules are more open.

[@thecognitiverambler8911]

@@RecklessFables I agree that creativity is great, and should be welcome. But it needs to be balanced with reading the room, and understanding the situation. For example, this scenario was *clearly* Percy's scenario. It was his past they were reckoning with. So if Tiberius wanted to try *one* thing that'd be cool. But trying 25 ways to cheese the encounter that another PC's entire backstory is based on is just extremely tone-deaf. And again also, moderation. Don't try to invent 6 different weapons / items in a single shopping outing lol.

[@MySqueezingArm]

I never realized Orion posted on your first video. I agree, that's awesome he was able to speak up and explain/defend himself in a very appropriate way. It must be challenging when some people treat him like Voldemort.

[@AggroJordan86]

Which video... Can't seem to find the post...

[@amandadeoliveira333]

@@AggroJordan86you can see his comment at 32:20

[@evetobe]

Dude never apologized to women he abused and to Kickstarter backers he doxxed. Fuck him

[@ProperlyGaming]

Yeah, like dude definitely was a problem at the table, but the way folk talk about them youd think je devoured there new born baby ij front of them. Like dude just has what tons of people had, main character syndrome and the desire to win to the point he would cheat. Now these two things could easily be addtessed when its just a house game for fun with friends but they were trying to put on a show and that just didnt meld so orion had to go, but if i had never seen the episodes and behavior for myself id have thought dude was a mass murderer eith how some folks describe him.

[@ashleyjohnson9651]

​@@ProperlyGamingpart of that stems from him apparently being very shitty to romantic partners and evidently stealing proceeds from a gofundme he set up to help someone, and a couple other non-game related things

[@MrOdrzut]

"People like to invent monsters and monstrosities. Then they seem less monstrous themselves. When they get blind-drunk, cheat, steal, beat their wives, starve an old woman, when they kill a trapped fox with an axe or riddle the last existing unicorn with arrows, they like to think that the Bane entering cottages at daybreak is more monstrous than they are. They feel better then. They find it easier to live." - Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher.

[@SupergeekMike]

♥️♥️♥️

[@Wav03]

He’s a Witcher

[@Dracobyte]

Toss a coin to your Witcher.

[@Ares99999]

Geralt of Rivia, who thinks he knows far more than he actually does, and thinks he is far wiser than he actually is.

[@hails.bells99]

@@Ares99999 lol you must not know the Witcher very well lol

[@JadeZsiros]

Dude, you are a class act. You are doing videos about one of the most overanalyzed, demonized figures in tabletop gaming, and you never cease to treat him with unwavering empathy. You make me feel like the That Guys of this world really can turn their act around. Excellent video and thanks for doing this.

[@calibcarmichael6356]

I was also one of the "that guys" trying to be in the limelight and your videos have seriously helped me learn and get better at being a friend in general

[@SupergeekMike]

So glad I could help ♥️

[@flandomaltrizian4603]

As a sidenote, I do actually like a lot of ideas that were set up about Draconia, and how things play out after it is destroyed. The Wildemount campaign guide has some cool things happening there related to ongoing humanitarian issues as well as the former underclass setting up of a new state. I would imagine there might be some discomfort returning, but I hope one day we're able to revisit it.

[@BigKlingy]

I feel like the whole situation between the Draconbloods and Ravinites after Draconia's fall was supposed to be Tiberius' spotlight arc, and putting his player aside, it would've been interesting to see how Tiberius the character would've reacted to coming to terms with the society he was part of being built on slavery. Played by someone who could've handled that gracefully, it might've been an interesting humbling moment and could've altered the trajectory of his arc.

[@tomb1686]

Seeing you comment a non-timestamp-guide comment is like seeing a famous actor eating at a sandwich shop

[@BlackOwl1997]

@@BigKlingy actually, Tiberius knew about the slavery thing and actively spoke out against it. It’s just that no one in his family took him seriously, hence why he went out to collect specific magical items he learned about as a way to impress and build some respect in his family.

[@BigKlingy]

@@BlackOwl1997 I'll have to look back at some of the episodes, but I seem to remember someone high-up in Tal'dorei being a Dragonborn without a tail. They had a lot of animosity towards Tiberius and he acted in a way that implied he didn't fully grasp the implications. But I haven't seen those episodes in a long time so I could be wrong.

[@BlackOwl1997]

@@BigKlingy same here but In fairness, Tiberius tended to get overly defensive the second someone talked back at him Examples: Allura with the old lady, Kima with that Clarota(I think that’s how you spell his name.) So even if he was on someone’s side, he’d still defend himself regardless of his personal beliefs. I’m mainly basing my knowledge off two things: 1. Those tidbits they did for characters in the first couple episodes which basically spoiled backstory’s, mainly Percy’s. 2. And when Vox Machina requested a statue be built of Tibs due to his support over the enslaved Dragonborn

[@MollymaukT]

I a way, I think no episode lives up to “demystified” more than this. Fans tend to put CR on a pedestal, "they have amazing players", "Matt is peak DM world-building", "the Briarwoods Arc and Calamity were the best D&D storylines ever" etc. but for a while they had That Guy on the table, perhaps the most famous That Guy in the world...in the end as much as we glorify them for the contributions to the hobby we gotta remember they’re just a bunch of nerdy-ass voice actors who sit around and play Dungeons and Dragons.

[@mkang8782]

Obligatory: [deep Travis voice bellowing] "We play Dungeons and Dragons!"

[@KnightoftheRose98]

I have been both the Orion player, the player at the table with the Orion, I have been the DM dealing with that, and to some extent witnessed a player being labeled as a problem player when the issues lied partially with the DM/players. Having watched the episodes with Orion and then these videos. Orion did display a lot of problematic behaviours. I also think there was some things that Matt didn't handle well.

[@Ares99999]

"we gotta remember they’re a bunch of nerdy-ass voice actors who sit around and play Dungeons and Dragons" ...so that... what?

[@bludfyre]

​@@Ares99999 I think OP was trying to say that, as amazing as Critical Role is, they are still human beings playing the same game we all do. They aren't gods, or avatars of perfect D&D.

[@caffeinedelusions]

Having to deal with a That Guy is one of the most humanizing parts of the Critical Role experience.

[@JonathanScruggs]

I really respect Orion for posting on your first video and admitting what he went through. It's difficult to admit stuff like that, and to do so where thousands can read, is even more difficult. I hope with all my heart that he is doing well and turned his life around, and I hope that he made up with the cast of Critial Role to make amends. Orion, if you read this, take care of yourself.

[@Hey-Its-Dingo]

Because the fight against Vorugal takes place in Draconia, it would be really fun if they bring Orion back and make Tiberius a guest character for that part of the Chroma Conclave arc, but obviously, CR doesn't have to do that if they aren't comfortable with it.

[@MaxxCoyote]

See, now I'm gonna want to find Orion's comment, and I'm not going to be able to.

[@henrymartinvo]

@@MaxxCoyote I looked, didn't find it. Was it just not pinned or did he delete it?

[@MaxxCoyote]

@@henrymartinvo No clue.

[@Vulpix298]

I don’t believe it. He has a history of “admitting wrong and apologising” and then just doing it all over again. That was one of his big issues.

[@Grizzledgamer]

As someone who has watched your whole Demystified series, seeing how you apply analysis, reflection and criticism to not only the CR's VM series but also to your (past) self is really refreshing and shows how much your content and you as a content creator has grown in over a year. Thanks for the amazing content

[@SupergeekMike]

Thank you!

[@AuntLoopy123]

Yeah. I have to admit, seeing your "Critical Role" clips, which were actually clips of YOU doing the thing you were just talking about, was pretty boss!

[@Feetareleghands]

When saying you once were the Tiberius in your own games, it helped me understand why this would be a topic to speak about, and why you went so in depth with it.

[@SupergeekMike]

Thank you, Dustin ☺️

[@LelouchVDK]

If you’re watching this Orion and Reading through the comments. I just want to say congrats on overcoming not only your health issues, addictions, and trying to own up to your mistakes in the past. I may not know what it feels like to be under all of it. But what I do know is that pain and addiction changes people and can bring out their worst traits. It takes strength and lots of self-reflection to not only see you have problem, but also knowing you made bad decisions and decide to learn from them rather than just trying to forget about it. So congrats for that. Hope you’re doing well dude.

[@guamae]

I think the "why we talk about it" question is very important. I've been playing for decades, but almost all of it as a DM, and was horrified to realize that I was a "problem player" in the most recent campaign I played in... And I was very grateful (and embarrassed) when the DM contacted me between sessions to go over what I was doing and why it was a problem. My "trying to be helpful" was stepping over the DM, and getting in the way of him making rulings, and I needed to learn how to only talk on my turn. (something that never comes up when DMing :P)

[@testfire3000]

Same here. Former DM just trying to have fun and be a player. But when our DM hesitates on a question I have to really restrain myself from offering every answer. This is his game, not mine. I was "very helpful" when we got our campaign started but now I have learned to STFU and let everyone else, DM included, to just play the game. I still struggle with it though.

[@justinelliott7827]

​@@testfire3000I think it's a curse of many DM turned players, myself included. We get so used to HAVING to be the ones with the answers, that it's hard not to revert to that, especially when we know definitively what the answer is. We all struggle with keeping our mouths shut and ears open.

[@dziooooo]

One of my tables is literally me DMing for three experienced DMs, and one player who DMed a few times too. They all have the green light to let me know when they notice I messed up the rules. But they are also VERY good at immediately accepting my ruling and moving on, even if it seems to be out of line with RAW. And when it's not deliberate but actually a mistake, I'm always grateful to have this safety net.

[@guamae]

@@dziooooo yeah, I play in a game closer to that too... it's literally one of my long term players running for me and the rest of our normal group when I'm feeling burned out. So in *That* game, giving rules advice is much appreciated, and the expectation... Which made it Much harder to avoid with a different group 😝

[@nursebee-vomit5058]

Two of the people in my group of 4 currently do that to the dm. It gets demotivating trying to be a smart player when my ideas cause a debate :')

[@datona9174]

I think giving details about Tiberius and giving this part of critical role the same respect as any other part is essential for the series this is. I've used multiple episodes to improve my own campaign and its kinda surprising how unique your type of DnD education content is and I love it ❤.

[@pokemonmusiclover5]

I have family members that deal with substance abuse issues and don't want to get better, don't even want to make an effort to. So much so that my mom and stepdad had to adopt their kids with fetal alcohol syndrome because they couldn't take care of them. So I'm VERY happy to hear orion was able to find the strength and courage to not only make an effort, but actually beat his addictions.

[@Werelord22]

You're an awesome guy, takes a brave person to own up to past mistakes and reflect humanely on another's actions in a constructive manner. Massive respect, found you recently, staying for more content. Thank you.

[@SupergeekMike]

Thank you!

[@seseaghito]

Hear hear

[@Dracobyte]

Like Alex "RoboCop" Murphy said at the end of RoboCop 2: "We are only human"

[@steveadams4942]

I appreciate how you humanized Orion by giving examples from your own game -acknowledging that no matter how bad his behavior may have been, it's not far outside of what any given person might have done. No one is below any of us and no one is unworthy of compassion and empathy

[@lisawiesenhaan]

I've been really enjoying the critical role breakdowns, it's really interesting to hear your perspective!

[@SupergeekMike]

Thank you!

[@groofay]

Lots of respect, both to you for addressing Orion's behavior as respectfully as you did, and to Orion for owning up to his fuck-ups in the early episodes of campaign 1. As a fellow addict, I wish him only the best.

[@jadaw644]

Thank you for expanding on this. Your first Tiberius video was my first time getting most of the story behind why he left. Before, I assumed the DnD Fandom was being toxic as usual when they celebrated him leaving because he 'annoyed' them. Since then, I've learned he himself had very toxic behaviors, albeit somewhat because of the bad mindset he was in at the time.

[@Gurianthe]

"toxic as usual"? seems like I've been missing on a lot of things since I stopped watching after campaign 1

[@martophrenia]

@@Gurianthe most of them were in C1, noticeably less in C2 and C3

[@kazeboiii]

@@Gurianthe As martophrenia said, vast majority of the toxicity from the D&D community--at least the most vocal--was from C1. Namely the toxicity surrounding another player on the cast who was subject to a lot of online abuse, only for many of those people to change their tone once said player began to play a very different character in C2. The toxicity hasn't gone away, to be clear, but it was certainly at its most vocal and visible during C1.

[@jadaw644]

@@Gurianthe Two months late, but I was also referring to the fandom's toxicity in general, not just in regards to Critical Role. The "if you don't play the way I do, you're playing it wrong" mentality they often have with almost every actual play show.

[@swede85]

Sam made a character that he other players knew was going to say something inappropriate, sexual or otherwise, so they where ready for it to happen. Tiberius joke came out of left field. It wasn't something his character was known for, so it caught everyone off guard.

[@joshkorte9020]

Additionally, Scanlan's jokes are typically self depreciating or targeted at npcs. If he does say something crass about the girls, he gets his cumupits. Tiberius's "joke" was just I'm horny. He hadn't established a romantic plot with Vex to have it be a somewhat serious statement, nor did he establish himself as a perv to be made fun of like Scanlan.

[@bmprelude]

To add on, Orion said the joke out of character which I think added to everything above, whereas most of Scanlan’s are delivered in character and fit his character.

[@Bloodanna]

​@bmprelude This is the biggest problem to me. A lot of the off-colour Scanlan jokes are IC words or actions. They are things that can be reacted to IC. By presenting this information as he does and then saying the other characters don't know he prevented them from being able to react without "metagaming". It ends up just feeling gross and something being forced into the game vs a piece of a character/story that the others could also have fun with.

[@felix-antoinemorin3049]

I think its linked in some way to his main character complex. With the popularity the streaming got and the gifts and praises some characters/players got (Sam), I think he wanted that, but instead of gaining it in his own character's way, he copied a little bit of everyone and his character stoped to hold his place in the team. At the end, he was not just annoying and innapropriate, he also filled no particularly role anymore.

[@LtSprinkulz]

@@joshkorte9020 comeuppance*

[@OneTrueBelmont]

If anything, these videos show the value of being able to accept constructive criticism. If someone at the table is doing something problematic, there's a chance they may not be aware it's a problem. A good player would accept that they messed up, learn from it and be thankful someone pointed it out so they can improve.

[@Eladelia]

These videos are definitely good for that, and they're something that the critical role community especially badly needs. I think part of the reason people end up being so frustrated by critical role's effect on the larger D&D/TTRPG community is that the critical role community is extremely anti-criticism on the whole. Parasocial relationships can turn bad in any online setting, but their particular version of bad tends to lean toward a kind of toxic positivity where criticism is taken as a negative whether it's constructive or not, and that's not great thing to have going on in the context where a lot of viewers are developing their understanding of how TTRPG's work and how they ought to be played. It's a service to all players to compose respectful criticisms of where critial role missteps, to help people who are trying to learn from the show take the kind of messages away from it that lead to being a good player (in the sense of a player other people will actually enjoy playing with).

[@tiredandangry2480]

Orion was a great example of how a player should NOT act at a table. I'm really glad that he got the help that he needed and potentially seems to be doing better for himself now. It's great that you show a personal example of yourself acting that way to show that it's possible within anyone. The best thing to do is try and grow as a person and keep yourself in check. This video's got a great message.

[@TekharthaMondatta]

Big ups for keeping it classy with not only including Orion's response, but also wishing him well. I've also been/been on the receiving end of that kind of player, and seeing it pretty thoroughly dissected by you has been both cathartic and informative. To anyone who see these traits in a player, whether you be their DM, their adventuring partner, or the player in question, please point it out. It will ultimately lead to a healthier game, and hopefully a healthier friendship. ...and if you're the player with these traits, I urge you to self-reflect. Take a step back and consider the fun of others and how your enjoyment of the game might effect theirs. D&D is a collaborative game, not a single-player adventure, and the players are your friends, not your NPCs.

[@SilentOmenx]

I think the key take away to remember is that, like us, the Critical Role team are human. Orion had growing to do. Marisha had growing to do. Sam had growing to do. Laura had growing to do. We forget that a handful of them at the table (like Sam) were new to the game, were playing by new rules (5e vs 3e) or hadn't played for some time. And the key is to learn if your energy matches the table. Orion had a different energy and expectation of the game. If I'm being honest, I would struggle to play in a game with Sam. While it doesn't excuse some of the things he did, it's important to remember he is a human that made mistakes and lost chemistry with another group of people. And this is why I like your approach. It humanizes people. Should we forever condemn Orion for the stuff done as Tiberius? Would it be fair of me to condemn (and probably face the critter community wrath) Sam because I find his humour in poor taste? I always look back and wonder why I didn't enjoy Campaign 1 as much as Campaign 2. And it's honestly as simple as finding the growing pains uncomfortable. I honestly had to revisit Campaign 1 after the second campaign started to give it a more fair chance. I'm glad I did. At some point, I realized the characters (and their players) grew in ways I didn't give them the chance to do. I dropped Campaign 1 just before the Briarwood Arc. Revisiting it, I still found some scenes difficult... but I'm glad I soldiered through it.

[@danjal87nl]

The interesting part in this conversation is that while so many have issues with Orion/Tiberius' behaviour - perhaps more than anything it was a dynamic mismatch (on top of whatever issues he had going on in his personal life). Interestingly Sam/Scanlan bothered me more early on, there were just aspects that rubbed me the wrong way. But unlike Orion/Tiberius due to the parting of ways. I feel that the character grew over the campaign. Funny enough by the end of it Scanlan was doing some of the multi-step tactics that Tiberius used to do early on. But generally doing them in such a way that it wasn't constantly hogging the spotlight away from other characters.

[@franzfanz]

Yeah, Laura wasn't a saint in those early episodes. More than a few times, Matt got visibly frustrated with her trying to negotiate a better outcome for an action, after he'd already ruled on the skill check. Of course, Laura quickly changed her behaviour and became way more accepting of when things didn't quite go according to her plans. Not to mention that it was a relatively minor issue compared to what Orion was doing.

[@bessieburnet9816]

Considering what Orion was like as a person out of the character, both on the table and out of it, how he treated the fans, and his partners. Yeah, it's fair. No excuses, Orion is terrible person.

[@tutumazibuko2510]

@@bessieburnet9816 *was a terrible person.

[@Mr0Bob]

I once DMed for a player who was a lot like Sam. He lacked the deeper aspects of the roleplaying, so it often felt like he didn't care about the story beats of the game, which made it hard to care for his character genuinely, since it seemed like just a joke character

[@stefanjentoft8107]

Your care for the betterment of players shines through. There is a humility and unvarnished honesty to what you say that I appreciate. You say every intro that this series is to discuss things that we can learn from CR as DMs or players, and I think that the focus on Tiberius grows out of the fact that in his episodes, he often seems to provide the most things to learn from, not that you are bashing him either as a person or a player. Thank you for this attitude, and keep up the good work!

[@that_one_guy8161]

I'm a DM, I had a That Guy at my table we talked and he didn't know how to change what he was doing because he wasn't doing it on purpose. I showed him your video bc we were both relatively new to the space and were asking about Tiberius and getting nothing. We saw all your points and it really helped. He's been in that same campaign since and we've had no issues.

[@ilfardrachadi2318]

A problem I've always had with the "We don't talk about Tiberius" thing is that it made it really hard to find out how Orion is doing now. It's really good to hear his health has improved.

[@dubbingsync]

He made himself seem like the kind of person no one wanted to get to know… it’s not our fault that we never wanted to see if he was better or not.

[@thespankmyfrank]

I agree! I've heard the CR cast are on better terms with him now though, which is nice. He was in a terrible spot for a while and I'm glad he's doing better.

[@evetobe]

Why should we care about him?

[@brooklyn113]

I'm sorry, forgive me if I'm wrong but isn't Orion an abuser? Why would I give af about what he's doing?

[@caramel7050]

@@brooklyn113 he is? im not surprised but can u elaborate?

[@violetnightmare9216]

When someone is just, consistently being disruptive/shitty your tolerance for little things that are only very slightly annoying (or that would even be endearing from someone else) evaporates. I think in that circumstance it is pretty normal to get annoyed at those things and it can actually be cathartic to complain about those little things.

[@RonquixoteDIII]

30:24 I know this is mostly a serious video but the thought of Mike looking at Orion and going “That Stupid looking Vest, I hate it!!!!” Is a little chuckle worthy lol

[@boxie13]

I think the vest thing isn’t annoying because of the vest. It’s annoying because it felt like him “getting his way” once again instead of respecting the groups wishes.

[@RevRaak]

Thanks for wrapping up this material this way. Your opening with self-reflection is such an exemplary approach to a difficult topic. Also, I have to say, your writing is excellent, I love your wit.

[@SupergeekMike]

Thank you!

[@johannematheaangelsen1695]

I really, really appreciate how you’ve spoken about this whole situation around Tiberius and Orion. As someone who started out really identifying with and liking Tiberius at the start, who also got a little of the “We don’t talk about Tiberius” vibe coming into the fandom, I honestly felt a little guilty researching the topic, and your videos have truly helped with understanding and coming to terms with some of my feelings on the subject. Also, as someone who will sometimes feel like people react to me the same way the cast react to Tiberius and Orion during the game, it’s very comforting and nice to know that you can recognize the behavior from your own games, and have you look at the behavior fairly and without just resorting to “this behavior sucks and we all know why”. You have such a balanced, fair, kind, understanding, welcoming and open view on DnD and its TTRPG siblings in general, and I really look forward to seeing what another year brings!

[@AlmondLBD]

I got into Critical Role quite early. And initially I really enjoyed Tiberius. And then the Kavarn fight happened (I was still catching up at that point first live ep was somewhere in the early 20s) and I got really upset with both Tiberius and Orion because to me it was blatantly obvious that he was crippling the party and abandoning his friends by not joining in the fight. And that deeply upset me because clearly what he was doing wasn't working and he was powerful and could have helped fight the actual monster. Looking back I can now confidently say that this tainted my view of Tiberius for the rest of his time on the show. What didn't help is at the time I was playing with a guy who definitely suffered from main character syndrome and was 100000% THAT GUY which was deeply unpleasant. And the fact that he idolised Tiberius didn't help. Thank you for these clear and concise videos they have made me reflect a lot on how I play DnD and how I can be better as well without letting past experiences colour my behaviour

[@Stray7]

What annoyed me is that he was clearly trying to avoid entering a Beholder's Lair to avoid Lair Actions, which is clearly a mechanics-based mindset and, yes, damaged party cohesion and effectiveness.

[@motorcycleboy9000]

Yeah, going in blind, that Beholder fight really pissed me off and it's weird no one makes a bigger deal about it. And then when he caught flak for it, didn't he mute Scanlan? That's jerk player 101.

[@mARTYR2010]

yeah, this was the thing that put a really gross taste in my mouth from that point forward. and there were just consistent things throughout with his interactions others.

[@swagamemnon22]

I really appreciate your levelheaded approach to this topic. No backpedaling , just respectful discussion and owning up to mistakes and misunderstandings

[@Hicksbilt]

Well done. I didn’t realize that your first Tiberius video needed more nuance but it absolutely did and highlighting your own struggles paints your perspective and intentions perfectly.

[@SupergeekMike]

Thank you ☺️

[@MinecraftLovesSteve]

That intro was beautiful. It had me questioning your motives and guessing what you meant by putting in those clips and it led to say what the whole video said in a matter of minutes. Subscribed

[@SupergeekMike]

Thank you so much, Matt.

[@iamKyotokami]

I'm one of the people that found out your channel because I was trying to learn more about Tiberius. Thank you so much for all your videos and the hard work you've put into creating them. I feel like I've learned so much through your discussions and perspectives, not just when it comes to that character but also DnD in general. So thank you, you are one of the best DnD creators. Keep up the good work. :)

[@thefissers194]

Congrats on one year, Mike. I’m proud to say I came in shortly after you posted the first four videos, and I’m happy I subscribed. You’re cultivating a community based on respect first, and that’s rare on KZbin. It’s common as an attempt but rare as a success, and you’re succeeding. More power to you, brother.

[@supernerdlove4979]

I definitely came to your channel because of the original Tiberius video. Over the past year I feel like I’ve learned a lot watching you. Thank you for your time!

[@SupergeekMike]

Thank you!

[@ani_anonymuncle]

Your transparency takes a lot of bravery and heart and I hope you know just how much we admire and appreciate it. It's hard to show off ways you've failed or fumbled but you're able and willing to do it so that all of us can learn how to be better players and people. Congratulations on the one year anniversary, Mr. Rogers of D&D

[@dragonkamehameha]

Damn, it's really been a year huh? Honestly you've made such a high quantity of videos that I thought this channel has been around for more than a year. Thanks for making all these top quality vids, there's always something here to encourage some critical thinking in either how I run my games or how I make my characters. Here's to another great year! 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@SupergeekMike]

Thank you!

[@bristowski]

So, sometimes I'll just pop in drop my usual "I like Mike comment" and save the video for when I have time to actually pay attention. That was the case for this one. Well done, Mike. This is a FANTASTIC followup to the original Tiberius video. I'm especially impressed with how critical you are of yourself. It's been great watching you and your channel evolve over the past year and I can't wait to see what you have in store.

[@SupergeekMike]

Thank you so much, Austin! I always appreciate your comments, by the way :)

[@caffeinedelusions]

There is a big difference between wearing a costume piece and wearing a LITERAL FLAMETHROWER.

[@commondognut]

*cough* fire starter at best *cough*

[@Mr12th]

@@commondognut It might have been relatively harmless but In my opinion it doesn't matter because it made his fellow cast members/ friends at the table very uncomfortable and they repeatedly asked him not to wear/use it at the table.

[@user-tp9gy8kt2q]

Sure, caffeine (sarcasm), you say that so easily, because you don't OWN a flamethrower.. Perhaps you would view the situation differently if you did actually own a flamethrower.. Are there any flamethrower owners out there that would like to chime in on this..?! ..c'mon, I mean there's gotta be somebody..

[@TheDegenerate666]

@@user-tp9gy8kt2q I can use a regular bic lighter and do something similar to his wrist worn flame poof thing did, but bet your ass if I owned that wrist worn flame poof thing I'd wear that mother fucker every game lol.

[@LostFoundling]

Arguably, Marisha had a more dangerous character thing at the table when she was throwing hands and elbows at Liam all campaign 2 /s

[@Sgtspork]

I think this video is definitely a crowning definitive video for Mike's channel. I don't always see eye to eye with Mike on various subjects but I absolutely respect him and his choices as a straight and fair shooter who will add his own unadulterated objective self reflection to the conversation as well.. He takes the humanist approach, argues in good faith, considering the many sides objectively as possible and I fully respect that.. Keep up the good work sir and here's to another year! Cheers!

[@Nav_123]

I've been looking forward to the episode 27 demystified and plan to watch every episode you upload, i've recently started listening to the campaign 1 critical role and am struggling to stay ahead of your video's I look forward to all your comments on the other episodes as well. I hope you're doing better financially and keep growing

[@violetnightmare9216]

When I watched the episode with the mirrors I felt like Tiberius was trying to build some kind of invention out of the mirrors and sort of, stepping on Percy's area of expertise? Like I get that Taleisin doesn't necessarily need to own the idea of building inventions, but it felt a bit weird.

[@mr_jyggalag]

I think his plan was to reflect sunlight into vampire. Of course, with Telekinesis.

[@dahliarose6024]

It was like when (I think) Laura rolled a crit and he jumped in and said he assisted with his magic. He kinda put himself into other people's schticks and situations.

[@ViscountAlexOfTheHorsePeople]

He was also trying to train an animal to infringe on Laura's specialism, and was creating a melee weapon which presumably he wanted to buff in order to rank alongside Travis and Liam as a close combat heavy-hitter. Without Orion, we got more uninterrupted character moments like Scanlan as a triceratops.

[@financiallytrained]

Learning from others mistakes or bad behavior is an incredibly useful way to grow, I appreciate your take on a constructive way to discuss this!

[@timburbagereads]

I am only a few minutes in, and I think it is both brave but also really great to show clips of yourself. No one is perfect. You grow and you learn. Also there is probably some context that is missing. Good on you

[@deszeldra]

I think I found you pretty early on because I was trying to figure out what happened with Tiberius. And I stayed because at the time you were the only thing I could find that discussed it openly, honestly, and fairly. Thanks for that! It’s probably why that video went so viral. A lot of us were very confused.

[@smoogieboogie1694]

Treating this as a sort of epilogue to this era, I wanted to give my two major thoughts about the whole affair: The first is, I just wanted to thank you for your videos covering this time. For many people who get into Critical Role by asking Critters how to start, the common response usually involves "The first 27 episodes have a player who is awful in them, so just be aware that things get better from there." or a recommendation to skip those episodes entirely. It's resulted in the whole beginning of the campaign having this air of drama over it, with many just insisting they're borderline unwatchable. So it was nice to see your videos just taking each episode as it came and not hyper-focusing on what most people do. Because of your videos, I went back to rewatch these early episodes, and I honestly came away with far more positives than negatives. They're a fun time. You get a lot more of a glimpse into what their home games would have been like than you do with later episodes that fully know they're being made for an audience. So I appreciate your measured takes on it all. Second will be maybe controversial. I want to be clear that I ultimately do not think Orion was a good player. The accusations of metagaming, main character syndrome, and uncomfortable behavior are true. I even said in a previous comment section how uncomfortable and angry the telekinesis arrow scene made me. But with all of that in mind, I do truly miss Tiberius among Vox Machina. In the good times (which were more prevalent than many would like to believe) he brought a fun and unique dynamic to the team. There are plenty of entertaining scenes or relationships established that gave me some great laughs. And separating the character from the player with something like the first volume of the Vox Machina comic that included Tiberius, just shows how great his dynamic within the team could be. Without spoiling anything, I always think about what great storytelling could have occurred had he been around during the Chroma Conclave arc. The personality and background established about Tiberius was clearly the inspiration for the story Matt created in Draconia later, and I would have liked to have seen what changes would occur because of that. I'd also like to say that I feel sad for the players themselves. Many fans of Critical Role love to jump to the side of the players like they know them intimately, and so it's created this general environment among the fanbase of disdain for Tiberius and Orion in every aspect of his time with them. But largely, we see that's not the case with the actual cast. They were clearly friends with him. They invited him to their first ever game. They had inside jokes throughout the early episodes. And they warned against speculation after his departure likely because they didn't want this personal matter to constantly be thrown in their faces again. Again, no spoilers, but the later trip to Draconia has another huge indication of how much he meant to them. To this day, they will still reflect fondly on some events that involved Orion. So the departure was tough on them but also had the misfortune of being under public scrutiny. We're seeing a similar thing with Brian Foster now, with many fans theorizing about the reasons behind his departure or claiming they never liked him despite social media clearly showing that they are all still friends. So finally, as an epilogue to your great videos covering all this time, I just hope some people can read this comment and decide to put speculation to rest and take both the good and the bad like you have done.

[@raized943]

I've watched the entirety of the first campaign 4 years ago. Never knew about the drama until afterwards. To me, the first 27 were a bit worse due to Tiberius but nowhere near "unwatchable". 27 was the only episode that made me think of him as an idiot.

[@jandiqar]

Oh, ooh, oof, the Brian Foster part of this comment didn't age well.

[@RyanZibell]

As someone who struggles with insecurity and anxiety, table top is one of the few forums where I don't feel it at all, where I can 'feel myself' because I know the people around me are having a good time. But what if I wasn't sober and I couldn't tell when that changed? It's a humbling thought.

[@Inthepotwithdiogenes]

This video has inspired some mad respect for you, and it's well deserved. It takes a lot of growth, integrity, and humility to make a video like this that uses your own experiences as examples for Orion's behaviors and actions that negatively impacted the table. Not only are you respecting his privacy, but it really speaks to your moral character that you feel more comfortable airing your own dirty laundry rather than bludgeoning Orion over the head with all his mistakes, as I've seen many in the community do. Yes, his actions were harmful, disruptive, deeply questionable, and uncomfortable. But we all know that by now. Some of the newer tiberius-centric videos feel a whole lot like beating a dead horse. Videos like this make the distinct and vital choice to build problem players up and give them the perspective and resources they need to better themselves and recognize their issues rather than humiliate and shame them into denial. It helps players to feel safe, rather than defensive. And that is the environment where we will see real change and growth, to all our benefit. We've all had a tiberius at the table. And odds are, we've all been the tiberus, ourselves, at times. Keep up the good work, I'm so proud of how this channel has grown!

[@allynickle025]

I’m grateful that you created that first video talking about Tiberius. Since then, I’ve learned a lot of lessons from you that have made me feel like I’m a better DM and player. I find more joy in helping others at the table have their own spotlight and I feel I’ve become less selfish in my real life as well. I hope you continue to make these insightful videos for as long as you can ❤

[@Keyatzin]

Absolute respect for your approach to these kinds of topics. Not just as abstract lessons, but also personal experience, showing how we can all fall short at times. We can all learn, and we can all improve, and if we can do it ourselves, we can for sure give that grace to others. It's definitely worth talking about, and your perspective is very appreciated.

[@oceanwinds255]

These videos help remind me to be open to learning new things from different people in the TTRPG community; I wouldn't have been able to engage as deeply with DnD and develop as a player and DM without this insight. Thanks for helping people like me learn more about the context behind these events, ensuring we're up to speed, and telling us why these things are discussed. It's saved more than a couple sessions from going sideways, can't thank you enough for it

[@HoneyedPeachhes]

I loved Tibbs so so dearly when I first started watching and the return to draconia later on in the campaign it did break my heart, He was a genuinely likeable and funny character in the earlier episodes.

[@jamestuttlebee2498]

once again you’ve shown that you can deliver such a clear and well worded video about such a difficult and combative subject. you did such a great job at treating Orion, the rest of the cast, and all of the fans (the ones that are for Orion and the ones that are against him) with the upmost respect. and even though i started watching these videos for the critical role recap and the fun little memories without having to rewatch VM for the 4th time; every other week i learn more things about DMing and playing that i hadn’t considered before even though i’ve been playing for years now. thanks for your hard work and can’t wait for the next video. you deserve all the success that’s come your way. (april babies for the win too!)

[@SupergeekMike]

Thank you so much, James!!

[@toa_zohaku6]

Thanks for going into this topic with such care and nuance. I think it's important for we as a community to be able to discuss the context of the situation so old and new fans alike aren't spreading misinformation (intentionally or not) while still respecting Orion and the cast's privacy. I myself barely knew anything about Orion's departure before your video as I had been watching Critical Role on and off since it came out. From my perspective, he just disappeared after a couple of tense episodes. So sincerely, thank you!

[@ZenBearV13]

I really appreciate the introspection and honesty of this video. You've had my respect for a long time, this has only cemented it. Thanks for all the great work. :)

[@MikeMakesGames]

I'm really glad you made these Tiberius videos. I started watching critical role with campaign 2, and when I tried to go back and watch campaign 1, I was incredibly confused about who this person was, why he was on the show when he didn't fit very well (although I was comparing him to who the cast were by campaign 2) and why he was no longer with the show. It was frustrating to not find any information about him because of the community culture, and while the "we don't talk about Tiberius" attitude comes from respect for the cast and even Orion, it really makes those of us coming late into the series assume the worst about him. Talking frankly about him in the way you did helped me to feel better about the way things turned out. I think him leaving the show turned out to be the best decision for everyone involved.

[@Monstein]

I started in c1 not long after Tiberius was gone. When rewatching from the start when I was sick I was excited to see this character that so many I saw talked about missing him. All I was seeing was a "dad that had to always be right, in charge, and felt they could do everything better then anyone else." Edit: Ultra happy he is doing better and got the help he needed.

[@jenikawimmer8498]

As a very very new DM who’s been trying to do research and prepare to start creating sessions for my friends, these videos have been incredibly useful for me to see what other people are learning in their games. This distilled version of the early CR sessions is also deeply appreciated since that is a LOT of content to go through. The personal applications this video series is based on is truly inspiring to me, and makes me more excited to learn how to be better at my own table. It has helped me realize that Dnd is as much about having fun as it is about showing love/respect to the people we play with, and creating that space that feels safe for everyone. (Or at least that’s what I hope for any games I have part in will be like). Thank you so much for all your hard work on this series 🙏

[@Stevedaburninator]

I've been playing and running dnd for over a decade. Though I never taped or recorded the sessions, I still have the privilege to have friends who reminisce about our old adventures. I have a few constant reminders of bad choices that have left a bad taste in my mouth, both as a player and as a dm, but I believe wholeheartedly that me and my friends have come a long way in creating a better space to play and enjoy the game together. My advice to anyone is to look back after sessions and talk to your players or dm. Create a space where it's okay to give feedback and get advice for how to better run or play the game. Not all problems are resolved that way, but just getting those issues out in the open is a huge step forward.

[@coolman4202]

Can't wait to watch this. Excited to see extra long-form doc content coming from you!

[@dionysues7449]

Honestly, this is the perfect episode to encapsulate the fact that you and your channel are far more than just a "Critical Role" channel. You have shown a good bit of care and respect when talking about a subject that can easily just be turned into drama farm bait. In fact, that is exactly what I thought the first Tiberius episode was going to be; however, I was then presented with a level headed examination of some really poor events for any fandom to deal with. There were no personal attacks, there were no childish jokes in other people's expense, but it was just someone trying to give a good, non bias retelling of events as someone could. You aren't perfect, but the level of respect and decorum you showed goes a long way. This is honestly why I keep coming back to your videos over and over again. You have a great way of presenting your passion to an audience without feeling haughty or holier than thou that is very common place in TTRPG and alike. I hope you continue this trend to furthering the growth of this awesome channel because it is sorely needed in the TTRPG space. Additionally, if anyone is seeing this that only really watches Mike's Critical Role video's, please give his other content a watch because it is honestly some of his best work. I personally recommend the evil ancestry video. Stay humble and keep up the good work.

[@waltwhitmansbeard]

first of all, i want to thank you for your original tiberius video and for this one. i'm coming up on my one-year anniversary of being a critter, and you're right, it was so hard to find any information about why tiberius/orion disappeared into thin air, and i don't think the critter community is doing anyone any favors by pretending that what we saw play out at the table didn't happen. i've been in fandoms for a long time, and i know that the healthiest ones are the ones where people feel empowered to talk about what they don't like about the source material, what makes them uncomfortable or what they wish were different. this isn't to say we should all be dunking on orion all the time or that we constantly need to be rehashing shit from eight years ago, but sweeping difficult topics under the rug isn't a good use of our time or community, either. second, in general, your videos have been an enormous help to me in my preparation for first-time dming. i'll be starting soon and i am extremely nervous, but in particular i find your commentary on some of matt's decisions in these early cr episodes to be incredibly useful in framing my priorities and attitudes for my table. not saying i'm gonna be anywhere near matt's level when we start playing (god, who is???), but you've helped me put language to the ways i already loved matt's style, helped me identify his traits and choices i wish to emulate. i'm grateful for what you've given back to this community and i'm excited for everything that's to come! happy anniversary!

[@hitchikerspie]

It’s weird I watched your vids in the reverse order of popularity, regardless it’s been fun to re-experience what the mood was at time of airing, vs retrospectively viewing the livestreams. Many thanks Mike!

[@deoncameron333]

I love that you start by showing examples of when you have made faux pas, I have been watching this series of videos specifically to learn how to improve myself, and I appreciate that that is clearly the point. It puts the Vox Machina review videos into a context that makes them more than just entertainment.

[@SupergeekMike]

Thank you ☺️

[@superfilms8]

you already made your point within 4 minutes. Well done! Still going to enjoy the rest though

[@GregMcNeish]

Fantastic video, Mike. I discovered your channel a few months ago and I've watched most of your videos since then. I was impressed start to finish with this one; you took it to another level. Something that has drawn me to your channel from the start is how you approach everything - everything - with humility and understanding. You frequently bring up difficult topics in the TTRPG world, often involving situations at tables that are uncomfortable, and you consistently do so in a gracious, respectful manner that really shows off your humanity. You're unmistakably a good man. I paused to read the comment from Orion, and it looks like that's the impression he took from it, too. You said he didn't have to comment in such a respectful way. This is why he did. Most of all, and specifically with regards to Orion, any time you bring up potentially problematic behaviour, it's always with the intention of offering advice on how we can recognize it in ourselves and others, and how to learn from it to improve our games. And frankly, one important lesson is that sometimes the way to improve our games is for someone to leave the group and play in a different game. I went through that a couple years ago, when I started playing with a bunch of college friends, none of us having played together and several being brand new. There was some friction, some healthy communication, attempts to make it work, but I recognized that if I were to make all the changes necessary to fit the game they wanted to play, then I wouldn't be having very much fun. So, I respectfully bowed out, wished them well, and found a different game. Because of that - because of how ALL of us approached it with grace and understanding - the whole experience only brought us closer as friends. To this day, I get together with the same group to play classic board games. But no more D&D :p Thanks for having such an awesome channel, Mike!

[@timothyribis6110]

I have honestly never seen anyone else speak more calmly and respectfully about ANY kind of controversy than you have. It is inspiring and fills me with hope that one day people will actually be able to talk kindly to each other even if they have opposing views. Thank you for all the content man, I'll be sure to share this and your other videos. I know a few up-and-coming dungeon masters that could use your channel as a good tool to help them develop.

[@spectralumbra1568]

It never would have worked out, but now I'm thinking about how cool it would have been if Tiberius's father agreed to send an army to Whitestone, sent back a letter saying, "They're on the way!" and when the party gets to Whitestone, they find out that the army had been destroyed by the Briarwoods and now they have an army of undead dragonborn and wyverns to deal with. It would have been too antagonizing to work, since it would have been an overly dramatic way of shutting Orion down from trying to take more of the spotlight in the arc and, in the process, would actually have given Tiberius even more of a motive to do so, but the idea of fighting against an army of undead wyverns is just so cool.

[@EvilLobsterKing]

There is certainly part of my brain that also thinks about the cool possibilities of an army of wyvern riders getting involved. Because wyvern riders are cool. It would certainly change a lot of how the arc went. But imagine this army of draconic knights clashing against a seemingly endless undead horde, a thunderous siege of this once great city, while the party infiltrates the city to cut off the head of the snake.

[@brendanmcnassar4565]

Thanks for the deep dive into Tiberius. I think an honest and open discussion about problematic behavior is truly the best way to amend it.

[@racheljost6277]

Hello Mike! Thank you so much for making this video series. I've truly enjoyed them and always strive to like them to help your channel grow. I think you do a great job at recapping the episodes and bringing to light what lessons we can all learn from them. I especially appreciate you discussing the character Tiberius and shedding light on the "mystery" about him and Orion. I think you have done a great job being true to your self and your thoughts and opinions on Tiberius and Orion while also being respectful and mindful of both the character and the player. I look forward to seeing more of your content on D&D and am rooting for your channel to continue to grow!

[@soniakernel754]

For those of you who are wondering, Orion is doing so much better now. I'm really proud of him and I'm glad he's okay now.

[@coreyshumaker8230]

Another great video. I for one applaud you for making these recaps and all of the other videos that you have been making as well. As a very long time CR fan and someone who lived through the Tiberius episodes as they were happening I very much enjoy your takes on the situation. I think you did a great job at being fair and balanced. And as you said, its not being done to call out one person or defame them. Its a good way to highlight certain behaviors and issues. Its a way to help people recognize subtle issues that may be effecting their own tables. A way to put a mirror up to our own behaviors , ones that we may have been blind to, so we can fix those problems before they become serious. Well done.

[@CalKale]

I love that you never backed down talking about Tiberius. You made me realize that I was starting to show some of that behavior in retaliation to others doing it and I shouldn't do as they do, because it wasn't fair to those having to ensure as well. Thank you, for helping make me a better player and a better friend.

[@stevenclark1662]

Your point at the hour mark made this recovered drug addict feel strangely good. Ive done some horrible things, but at least I was on drugs at the time. Sober me never would have done that, and sober me is who I am NOW. I still bear the responsibility for those actions, but it's strangely comforting to think this. Thank you.

[@megglytuff]

as someone who never took the game seriously as a 15/16yr old, learning about the game through your videos and through critical role has given me a whole new perspective, and a whole new want to experience a dnd campaign. my first time was very bad, we didnt know our dm very well and my friend group was a bunch of 14-16 yr olds just taking the shit out of a game we knew nothing about. learning about the living, breathing world and how to respect it (and the other player's/dm's time) is very valuable to me. i feel sad for orion, as i know he had alot to deal with, but i am also grateful to learn from his mistakes.

[@hannahb.9749]

Incredible video talking about a very human subject. I think for a lot of groups playing D&D, things like a zero session AND reoccurring check ins are important and can help mitigate these issues. Specifically things like "the joke", the main character syndrome, taking up too much time etc. Talking things out with your group, letting them know what you do and do not find fun in a game is so important! And then checking in maybe every 20 play hours or so to make sure everyone still has the same boundaries, and is still having fun with the direction and style of play. Really appreciate the way you talk about things, and help us all grow as members of this community and lovers of this game! Thank you!

[@Jaqilordoffire]

I had a lot of reluctance go into watching this, but I think you've done a great job. This is very poetic and the first five minutes are beautiful.

[@damonmendal3096]

It's been a great year so far, Mike. I think one of the first things I saw actually was the original Tiberius video and I was very much someone who wondered just what happened there. So, thank you for that, thank you for this, and thank you for all of the work you do for this channel.

[@briandalke5946]

Reading the room can be difficult, but when one of the players is looking at you as if he wants to murder you, it might be a hint.

[@Wesrulez69]

Congrats on the 1 year! Thanks for these videos and your honesty about how you (and likely all of us) have missed the mark at some point in time!

[@Yumeinikki]

Somethings I'd like to add. -A woman going on a coffee date with a guy doesn't mean automatic romantic interest. Sure something could bloom. But Allura going out once with Tiberius doesn't guarantee a romance. -For me personally a big red flag about the vest was that Orion was very vocal in requesting it. I'm not entirely sure atm, but I believe he tweeted about how perfect it was for Tiberius, but how he couldn't afford it, or something. Cue the fan gifting it to him. While the other CR members often have little trinkets from their characters none of them have openly requested it as far as I know. And now to get a little deep. My biggest issue with Orion seems like a refusal to learn. While I have understanding for his situation I find it hard to believe that his substance abuse did not influence his behaviour at the table. Which pains me because they were friends. Of course I don't know what happened behind the scenes, but I find it hard to believe that the rest of the cast wouldn't try to help him. But speaking as that friend who refused to get better. In the end you're the only person who can improve yourself. And putting that burden on your friends will ruin friendships. Plenty of guest actors proved that you don't have to be the best, most all powerful, super skilled player, as long as you're just having fun together. And you respect the other players and their choices

[@acetrainersylph7953]

Yeah those were the same things I felt were kinda off putting while watching this video. - The KZbinr is very lenient with this, and kind of displays that very same toxic male belief that romance is guaranteed. Fans have explained why Allura wasn't really reciprocating the romance, but he's so willing to say that there was romance because "ohp tea date that must mean romance" it feels kinda.. gross to me? In that he heard "Tea Date" and automatically assumed that meant that Alura was reciprocating Romantic feelings. - And the KZbinr is also seeming to blatantly ignore the fact that the vest that Orion got was only gifted because he used his parasocial powers to essentially beg for it, and use his social status to get a fan to buy it for him. Whereas the other cast members prop items were only ever gotten from genuine gifts, they didn't ask or plead for fans to buy it for them, no they did none of that, they never asked fans for anything, and were gracious whenever a fan did gift them something. Idk this whole video just comes off as an Orion fan trying to play all the problematic and troubling behavior of Orion off as "oh it wasn't that bad"

[@perfectlyse9859]

​@@acetrainersylph7953did... did you watch the video. Genuinely did you watch the whole thing or this guy's channel at all. Even in this video he talks about how alot of what Orion does kinda rubs him the wrong way. But does want to be respectful in the end I think this is a horrendously bad take man

[@acetrainersylph7953]

@@perfectlyse9859 I've watched the entire video and a lot of the videos, and I just disagree. Everytime something Orion did gets brought up, he finds someway to lighten it and make it seem lesser than what it really was. He framed Orion using his status and greed by cohercing a fan to buy him that robe as "a gift" it wasn't a gift, it was something he pleaded for and coherced a fan into buying it. The content creator also tried to compare origins greedy "gift" to the genuine gifts that the other cast members got, however unlike Orion the other cast members didn't beg and plead for their fans to get them gifts. He also glossed over a lot of the other horrible and problematic things Orion did and pretty much downplayed them.

[@tonysherrod2350]

I'm thankful for your discussion of tiberius because I couldn't find anything on why he left when I first watched it 7 years ago so thank you very much.

[@sarashort5379]

As a younger woman in the tabletop space, I understand your reasoning for not including the section on the jokes made for fear of them being used in bad faith. However, I think explaining how context and individuals change the meaning and interpretations of jokes from someone like you would be helpful. I think there are a lot of tables that could benefit from that discussion but I also get protecting your interpretation and Orion himself.

[@malachaineider260]

I always find these sorts of videos interesting. The accountability for the way things were taken in the previous video that you mentioned is admirable. Most people wouldn't do that. While I can't become a patron, I definitely look forward to more of your things and will be subscribing. I'm hoping to catch the livestream too, since the 5th is my birthday ^_^

[@3thhackz531]

Wow really awesome writing and use of a hook in the beginning of this vid. I found this channel looking for the juicy detailed examples about Acaba seemingly missing from the internet. I wanted clips of cringe but I’m really glad I found your channel instead.

[@tonyzacker8946]

What a way to celebrate a year of amazing work! My congratulations, I wish you only the very best for what ever is yet to come!

[@bristowski]

This is a good channel. I like Mike.

[@crazyshortguy2200]

I concur

[@jordanforberg4384]

Some of the moments from this fantastic video that I really loved were how Mike talked about his own thoughts and about his own prior actions. Both the end discussion about why he makes videos about Tiberius and using this platform as a way to help others understand when they at be engaging in problem player behavior, but also how he planned his first 4 videos, how and why he filmed them, and how he stands now. I really think both of these show the growth Mike has had as a player and content creator but emphasize that the lesson that his channel was founded on-play fair and have fun-isn’t an end goal or a suggestion, but is encouragement to keep growing at what playing fair and having fun means for you and your table. Mike is such a good model at this. (For Mike, if he sees this) Thank you for putting so much time into such a great video and sharing it with all of us!! We appreciate you!!

[@joemcdonough8318]

I remember when I started playing dnd last year after watching a lot of critical role campaign 2, I was using information I had learned from the show that my character wouldn’t have known about. The group I was playing with didn’t say anything directly but eventually they moved where the game was played, and surprisingly they didn’t have enough space for everyone. After I saw your first video about Tiberius, I realized I was doing a lot of meta gaming as well. I went back and started watching campaign 1 and recognized a lot of other attributes in common with Orion. I have tried to correct my behavior and I feel like I’m a better team player with my new group. Thank you for helping me be more fun to play with.

[@aaronghunter]

Through absence, I think this indicates the importance of communication. The group, particularly the DM, should have discussed your metagaming with you long before they moved the game. You're a new player, new players often metagame - external knowledge is socially valued in geek circles, and the separation between player knowledge and character knowledge isn't necessarily intuitive. I'm happy you landed on your feet and figured things out. Your old party could have, and should have, helped.

[@foolishsparky]

Honestly I'm so glad I found this channel way back in the beginning. A lot of the advice and insight has been extremely helpful in helping me learn and grow as a dm and as a player. A lot of them also give me great inspiration on how to toy with certain rules and try to give some of the more difficult ones (i.e. chase rules) a different spin to try and make them a bit more fun. The breakdown of Tiberius has also, in a large part, alleviated some of my anxiety a bit. When everyone puts CR as the peak of all table top gaming, some little part feels relieved to know that even such supposedly perfect players can still make mistakes, fall into pit falls, and have the same strife and party conflict as the rest of us. It's comforting in a way. Anyways, to make a long ramble short, thank you for all the hard work you've done in all these videos! Always excited and looking forward to the next one!

[@xathlak]

The reason the criticism of him wearing a vest doesn't really land is because he was doing it to show he appreciated the fans who gifted it to him. Who knows if he was wearing it for himself or to show gratitude. I mean, Sam kept drinking from a comically oversized mug that was hard to drink from multiple times. I don't think he did it because he was high on being Scanlan, i think it's because he wanted to show fans that their gifts matter.

[@michaelrussell1672]

Your first Tiberius video was my first on your channel. I really enjoy you’re insight even if I don’t always agree. I appreciate that you take time to ensure that your audience feels welcomed and respected. Congratulations one your 1 year mark. Can wait to see what the next year brings.

[@M3WT-va]

It's interesting to think about how different CR would be today if Orion was able to beat his demons and stay with the show. Imagine the "Death of Tiberius" scene but instead of it being Percy finding Tiberius, it being Tiberius finding his father. Tiberius vs Vecna could have been an amazing spell slinging bout. Perhaps he could have counterspelled the disintegration ray that led to Vax's unfortunate fate. What would the Mighty Nein have looked like with an 8th member of the group, or Bell's Hells even? Would Draconia have a more involved place in the narrative? Would Tiberius have been with Caleb and Beau when they attacked the Key in the Shadowfell or during the Solstice? I loved Tiberius' character, he was a goofy mage that was funny and super clutch in the underdark for teleporting everyone out. Orion had his problems and it's always sad to see someone's darkness consume them.

[@ababblingbrooke3340]

It really feels like this video is the "Avengers" of the series. Like the whole channel has been leading up to this video lol. Always excellent work. You continue to give well put, engaging, and well meaning insight, and I'm so happy we have another million episodes of Crit Role to go, so I can keep looking forward to your videos haha

[@SupergeekMike]

I had real “season finale” vibes when I was writing this video lol