I really enjoyed season 1 but I fucking hate Percy.
(full season spoilers)
So I've played in a group with a guy whose character literally was "I invented the first gun in the world and secretly I'm a Warlock but nobody knows that and I'm out for revenge because vampires killed my whole family here's my 20 page backstory in our first session; hey DM how does this random event interact with my backstory? does this enemy know anything about my parents? I'd like to interrogate this random-encounter-table orc because I suspect he knows something about the vampires why am I not the center of attention It's Been Ten Minutes". I've also played with two other people who were a grab bag of those things, so from episode 1 I was very, "Okay, Percy is the asshole character. Please let's not focus on him".
I just hope season 2 is less Percy.
So like in your spoiler, were your players inspired by critical roll, or was this just a weird coincidence?
The latter. This was... probably 15 to 20 years ago at this point. Which just goes to show how much that player apparently scarred me in that I watched the first episode and had immediate flashbacks and anger.
Anybody else think they kind of glossed over Percy shooting off a carriage driver's fingers a bit too easily? Even if Percy wasn't in his right mind when it happened and the real bad guys ended up defeated it would have been nice to maybe have a short scene where Percy asks Pike to restore that guy's fingers or something.
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Nova_CI have the needThe need for speedRegistered Userregular
Anybody else think they kind of glossed over Percy shooting off a carriage driver's fingers a bit too easily? Even if Percy wasn't in his right mind when it happened and the real bad guys ended up defeated it would have been nice to maybe have a short scene where Percy asks Pike to restore that guy's fingers or something.
Kinda/sorta, but Vox Machina are presented as a pretty morally grey outfit, and they did talk about it in a 'wtf, you were not in control, don't do that again' kind of way. Them being clear good guys will probably come later with some character growth.
Interesting tidbits from the episodes 10-12 Q&A video (plus concept art):
- One of Percy's ancestors grew a garden of poisonous plants behind Castle Whitestone, which the Briarwoods ended up using when they showed up.
- If I understand correctly, Delilah's voice actress Grey Griffin says that Delilah's last words promising to wreak havoc were just an attempt to convince someone to kill her after Percy spared her rather than something she was actually planning.
- Unused concept art for an Orthax/Percy fusion:
It's been awhile (I know what I wrote, get it out now). I'm dead tired, so this'll be quick. Season 2 was announced at New York Comic Con. It's set to air sometime in January of 2023. We pick up right where we left off with goddamn dragons. Also they've greenlit season 3.
Tonight’s Crit Role is…not streaming! Cause of the premiere tomorrow. I’m attending an early showing of it at a Cinemark. I’ll be watching from the last few remaining seats in the right hand side of the front row. My neck will be killing me tomorrow.
Update: It was fucking awesome seeing the dragon attack on the big screen.
I watched first season of Vox Machina and thought it was just a little too much at first. Just a little annoying but then they got to Percy's arc and I was blown away with how well done it was.
Then I tried to do the podcast and all I felt was 'Holt shit every episode is four hours long and goddamn they need a fucking editor'.
Anyway, while working on my daughter's doll house my phone shuffled into some random Critical Role season 3 episode. I had no idea what was going on or who was who, but the voices made it clear there was a very BIG DEAL going down. At some point, some PC stabbed another PC in the back and there was this massive inhalation of every other voice in the scene followed by a chorus of 'What THE FUCK?!'
And that's when I realized you're not listening to a well curated game. Critical Role is just like the games when I was a teen. Sometimes somehow the smallest story hook becomes a massive thing and you just roll with it.
Critical Role is great, but definitely needs an editor. I started season 3 at the beginning to find out what's going to and there's a lot of dead air, but this Fresh Cut Grass fella seems interesting.
I am in the business of saving lives.
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webguy20I spend too much time on the InternetRegistered Userregular
I watched first season of Vox Machina and thought it was just a little too much at first. Just a little annoying but then they got to Percy's arc and I was blown away with how well done it was.
Then I tried to do the podcast and all I felt was 'Holt shit every episode is four hours long and goddamn they need a fucking editor'.
Anyway, while working on my daughter's doll house my phone shuffled into some random Critical Role season 3 episode. I had no idea what was going on or who was who, but the voices made it clear there was a very BIG DEAL going down. At some point, some PC stabbed another PC in the back and there was this massive inhalation of every other voice in the scene followed by a chorus of 'What THE FUCK?!'
And that's when I realized you're not listening to a well curated game. Critical Role is just like the games when I was a teen. Sometimes somehow the smallest story hook becomes a massive thing and you just roll with it.
Critical Role is great, but definitely needs an editor. I started season 3 at the beginning to find out what's going to and there's a lot of dead air, but this Fresh Cut Grass fella seems interesting.
I can't deal with the dozens of unedited episodes per season, but I did love the Prequel episodes with Brennan this season. That was a fun little interlude. I've also loved the one offs they've done over the years. They've all been great.
There's so much dead air and whole scenes that could be cut for a tighter and smoother show, but I get why they don't.
I'm rewatching season one before season yet and wow, the leap in quality between episode two and three is huge. Scanlan figures out his character and we get some nice establishing motive with Kayleth.
I don't want them to edit it. It's very much not supposed to be a production-quality product, like Vox Machina the show is, or like many podcasts or programs or whatnot. It is a "live" session of D&D, and the tangents and sidetracks and whatnot are often pretty fun. It's not live anymore, technically, but that only changed during Covid (and they kept it 'cause it was easier).
I can see a demand for a "production quality" and edited and polished version of a D&D session, but that's not what I'd really like. (Obviously to some extent they know they are releasing this to hundreds of thousands of people and whatnot, but the intent is for it still to be genuine.)
Now they just have to keep making Vox Machina (and eventually one for the second season) and never stop and then we get the best of both worlds
DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
edited January 2023
A DnD game definitely does not need an editor.
That kinda defeats the entire purpose of what it is. It is not a written show. The entire idea is just watching people play DnD. They just happen to be voice actors and entertaining individuals.
That would make it an entirely different thing than what it is.
Oh and first 2 episodes of the new season are great so far!
DemonStacey on
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webguy20I spend too much time on the InternetRegistered Userregular
That kinda defeats the entire purpose of what it is. It is not a written show. The entire idea is just watching people play DnD. They just happen to be voice actors and entertaining individuals.
That would make it an entirely different thing than what it is.
Oh and first 2 episodes of the new season are great so far!
I want to listen to the story they tell together with the highlights of the rpg being used, not all the dead air, ummms and time spent figuring out rolls or rules.
I think its safe to say they both styles of RPG shows can be successful, but it certainly doesn’t defeat the purpose, one just cleans up some of the chaff, and one doesn’t.
scherbchenAsgard (it is dead)Registered Userregular
oh, I entirely disagree.
with actors, and ones not entirely averse to improvisation in particular, the breaks in conversation and communication can be essential to the eventual joke.
some setups will need hours if not several episodes of buildup for the pay-off.
season 1 of the live game works because of that. Also it was a relatively new format at the time and people gave it time to breathe. Personally I would say that the more professional it has gotten a bit of charm has been lost.
This would also be one of the few critiques I would give to Dimension 20, they are too professional and too set up "properly".
I think the animation does a fine job as a cleaned up version of the tabletop experience. I doubt there is a huge audience for a 3rd in between product.
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webguy20I spend too much time on the InternetRegistered Userregular
with actors, and ones not entirely averse to improvisation in particular, the breaks in conversation and communication can be essential to the eventual joke.
some setups will need hours if not several episodes of buildup for the pay-off.
season 1 of the live game works because of that. Also it was a relatively new format at the time and people gave it time to breathe. Personally I would say that the more professional it has gotten a bit of charm has been lost.
This would also be one of the few critiques I would give to Dimension 20, they are too professional and too set up "properly".
Editing and having long setup jokes isn’t mutually exclusive. Its not like there is just one kind of “editing”.
I love the idea of watching the live game, I just wish I had the several hours necessary to devote to it.
The Prime show is about as close si can get.
I submitted an entry to Lego Ideas, and if 10,000 people support me, it'll be turned into an actual Lego set!If you'd like to see and support my submission, follow this link.
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Nova_CI have the needThe need for speedRegistered Userregular
There's plenty of edited podcasts out there for D&D play, like Greetings Adventurers and The Adventure Zone. Critical Role is livestreamed (Well, pre-recorded now, but "live" in that it's unedited). They don't all need to conform to one thing.
I love the idea of watching the live game, I just wish I had the several hours necessary to devote to it.
The Prime show is about as close si can get.
I think this is where I finally land. I started season three because a random episode like twenty shows in played and some real dramatic stuff happened.
I want to know what happened but...there's twenty plus episodes four hours in length!
I am in the business of saving lives.
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webguy20I spend too much time on the InternetRegistered Userregular
I enjoy the unedited stuff when it’s shorter. Like i loved the prequel series Brennan ran for them. Like 6 episodes and only 24ish hours. I can make that work without getting behind.
with actors, and ones not entirely averse to improvisation in particular, the breaks in conversation and communication can be essential to the eventual joke.
some setups will need hours if not several episodes of buildup for the pay-off.
season 1 of the live game works because of that. Also it was a relatively new format at the time and people gave it time to breathe. Personally I would say that the more professional it has gotten a bit of charm has been lost.
This would also be one of the few critiques I would give to Dimension 20, they are too professional and too set up "properly".
A good example of bits that take full episodes to fully form, and was mostly done during rules discussions, is the metagaming pigeon re-occurring bit from the second campaign.
never die on
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Nova_CI have the needThe need for speedRegistered Userregular
I enjoy the unedited stuff when it’s shorter. Like i loved the prequel series Brennan ran for them. Like 6 episodes and only 24ish hours. I can make that work without getting behind.
For sure. I wasn't familiar with Brennan's DMing until the Calamity mini series. That was, honest to god, some of the best storytelling I've seen in the medium. So it's definitely an easier entry into Critical Role, being shorter and also excellent.
I love the idea of watching the live game, I just wish I had the several hours necessary to devote to it.
The Prime show is about as close si can get.
I just do the audio version on podcasts (or minimized Youtube or whatnot). Pop in on in the car/bus and during boring times while working, and I can get through a couple episodes a week usually.
How 'bout that series? Reactions thus far seem to be as follows:
Episode 1: "Holy shit they go hard!" and "Are we sure we didn't click on the season finale by mistake!?"
Episode 2: "Nice RP episode." Also, shoutout to the artists/animators that snuck Caduceus into the Wildmother temple.
Episode 3: "What the shit is that cliffhanger!?"
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webguy20I spend too much time on the InternetRegistered Userregular
Its felt a little stilted so far, like some oddly framed exposition dumps. I'm still having fun with it though. Better than the first half of season 1, but not as good as the 2nd half.
I watched first season of Vox Machina and thought it was just a little too much at first. Just a little annoying but then they got to Percy's arc and I was blown away with how well done it was.
Then I tried to do the podcast and all I felt was 'Holt shit every episode is four hours long and goddamn they need a fucking editor'.
Anyway, while working on my daughter's doll house my phone shuffled into some random Critical Role season 3 episode. I had no idea what was going on or who was who, but the voices made it clear there was a very BIG DEAL going down. At some point, some PC stabbed another PC in the back and there was this massive inhalation of every other voice in the scene followed by a chorus of 'What THE FUCK?!'
And that's when I realized you're not listening to a well curated game. Critical Role is just like the games when I was a teen. Sometimes somehow the smallest story hook becomes a massive thing and you just roll with it.
Critical Role is great, but definitely needs an editor. I started season 3 at the beginning to find out what's going to and there's a lot of dead air, but this Fresh Cut Grass fella seems interesting.
I can't deal with the dozens of unedited episodes per season, but I did love the Prequel episodes with Brennan this season. That was a fun little interlude. I've also loved the one offs they've done over the years. They've all been great.
Calamity may be the best actual play content I've ever seen.
I watched first season of Vox Machina and thought it was just a little too much at first. Just a little annoying but then they got to Percy's arc and I was blown away with how well done it was.
Then I tried to do the podcast and all I felt was 'Holt shit every episode is four hours long and goddamn they need a fucking editor'.
Anyway, while working on my daughter's doll house my phone shuffled into some random Critical Role season 3 episode. I had no idea what was going on or who was who, but the voices made it clear there was a very BIG DEAL going down. At some point, some PC stabbed another PC in the back and there was this massive inhalation of every other voice in the scene followed by a chorus of 'What THE FUCK?!'
And that's when I realized you're not listening to a well curated game. Critical Role is just like the games when I was a teen. Sometimes somehow the smallest story hook becomes a massive thing and you just roll with it.
Critical Role is great, but definitely needs an editor. I started season 3 at the beginning to find out what's going to and there's a lot of dead air, but this Fresh Cut Grass fella seems interesting.
I can't deal with the dozens of unedited episodes per season, but I did love the Prequel episodes with Brennan this season. That was a fun little interlude. I've also loved the one offs they've done over the years. They've all been great.
Calamity may be the best actual play content I've ever seen.
Added benefit there of it only being 4 episodes so a lot less of a commitment to see the story.
And it had Purvan Sol in it! Who I googled and thus
knew what was gonna happen in ep 3 of this.
Still, love it.
Man an animated version of Calamity would rule.
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MonwynApathy's a tragedy, and boredom is a crime.A little bit of everything, all of the time.Registered Userregular
I watched first season of Vox Machina and thought it was just a little too much at first. Just a little annoying but then they got to Percy's arc and I was blown away with how well done it was.
Then I tried to do the podcast and all I felt was 'Holt shit every episode is four hours long and goddamn they need a fucking editor'.
Anyway, while working on my daughter's doll house my phone shuffled into some random Critical Role season 3 episode. I had no idea what was going on or who was who, but the voices made it clear there was a very BIG DEAL going down. At some point, some PC stabbed another PC in the back and there was this massive inhalation of every other voice in the scene followed by a chorus of 'What THE FUCK?!'
And that's when I realized you're not listening to a well curated game. Critical Role is just like the games when I was a teen. Sometimes somehow the smallest story hook becomes a massive thing and you just roll with it.
Critical Role is great, but definitely needs an editor. I started season 3 at the beginning to find out what's going to and there's a lot of dead air, but this Fresh Cut Grass fella seems interesting.
I can't deal with the dozens of unedited episodes per season, but I did love the Prequel episodes with Brennan this season. That was a fun little interlude. I've also loved the one offs they've done over the years. They've all been great.
Calamity may be the best actual play content I've ever seen.
Added benefit there of it only being 4 episodes so a lot less of a commitment to see the story.
And it had Purvan Sol in it! Who I googled and thus
knew what was gonna happen in ep 3 of this.
Still, love it.
Man an animated version of Calamity would rule.
See I think changing the media would necessarily remove a lot of the stuff that made Calamity stand out so much.
"Please describe your character, with the understanding that your mouth is full of blood."
"Where is your arm weakest, at the elbow or the shoulder?"
"Brennan, you gotta cut this shit out, man. You can't, I can't, you gotta stop."
"You already saved against magic, now you're saving against physics."
Lou just straight-up walking away from the table
"HAS IT BEEN A SECOND YET? ONE SECOND?!"
[Any given instance of Aabria and Travis freaking out]
"Oh you cast Remove Curse? He effortlessly dispels it with a 9th level spell slot, then kills you again."
"Why you rolling so many dice? WHY ARE YOU ROLLING SO FUCKING MANY DICE?!"
Posts
The latter. This was... probably 15 to 20 years ago at this point. Which just goes to show how much that player apparently scarred me in that I watched the first episode and had immediate flashbacks and anger.
- If I understand correctly, Delilah's voice actress Grey Griffin says that Delilah's last words promising to wreak havoc were just an attempt to convince someone to kill her after Percy spared her rather than something she was actually planning.
- Unused concept art for an Orthax/Percy fusion:
Do you happen to know the episode number this took place in?
(Clip of the scene in spoiler)
in that episode. Solid gold moment.
It's been awhile (I know what I wrote, get it out now). I'm dead tired, so this'll be quick. Season 2 was announced at New York Comic Con. It's set to air sometime in January of 2023. We pick up right where we left off with goddamn dragons. Also they've greenlit season 3.
https://gizmodo.com/prime-video-critical-role-vox-machina-s2-first-look-1849623384
Get hype y'all.
https://imdb.com/title/tt11247158/episodes/?season=2
If i had to guess, they'll probably really play up
Update: It was fucking awesome seeing the dragon attack on the big screen.
3DS Friend Code: 3110-5393-4113
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I watched first season of Vox Machina and thought it was just a little too much at first. Just a little annoying but then they got to Percy's arc and I was blown away with how well done it was.
Then I tried to do the podcast and all I felt was 'Holt shit every episode is four hours long and goddamn they need a fucking editor'.
Anyway, while working on my daughter's doll house my phone shuffled into some random Critical Role season 3 episode. I had no idea what was going on or who was who, but the voices made it clear there was a very BIG DEAL going down. At some point, some PC stabbed another PC in the back and there was this massive inhalation of every other voice in the scene followed by a chorus of 'What THE FUCK?!'
And that's when I realized you're not listening to a well curated game. Critical Role is just like the games when I was a teen. Sometimes somehow the smallest story hook becomes a massive thing and you just roll with it.
Critical Role is great, but definitely needs an editor. I started season 3 at the beginning to find out what's going to and there's a lot of dead air, but this Fresh Cut Grass fella seems interesting.
I can't deal with the dozens of unedited episodes per season, but I did love the Prequel episodes with Brennan this season. That was a fun little interlude. I've also loved the one offs they've done over the years. They've all been great.
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
I'm rewatching season one before season yet and wow, the leap in quality between episode two and three is huge. Scanlan figures out his character and we get some nice establishing motive with Kayleth.
It's all very good.
I can see a demand for a "production quality" and edited and polished version of a D&D session, but that's not what I'd really like. (Obviously to some extent they know they are releasing this to hundreds of thousands of people and whatnot, but the intent is for it still to be genuine.)
Now they just have to keep making Vox Machina (and eventually one for the second season) and never stop and then we get the best of both worlds
3DS Friend Code: 3110-5393-4113
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That kinda defeats the entire purpose of what it is. It is not a written show. The entire idea is just watching people play DnD. They just happen to be voice actors and entertaining individuals.
That would make it an entirely different thing than what it is.
Oh and first 2 episodes of the new season are great so far!
I want to listen to the story they tell together with the highlights of the rpg being used, not all the dead air, ummms and time spent figuring out rolls or rules.
I think its safe to say they both styles of RPG shows can be successful, but it certainly doesn’t defeat the purpose, one just cleans up some of the chaff, and one doesn’t.
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
with actors, and ones not entirely averse to improvisation in particular, the breaks in conversation and communication can be essential to the eventual joke.
some setups will need hours if not several episodes of buildup for the pay-off.
season 1 of the live game works because of that. Also it was a relatively new format at the time and people gave it time to breathe. Personally I would say that the more professional it has gotten a bit of charm has been lost.
This would also be one of the few critiques I would give to Dimension 20, they are too professional and too set up "properly".
Editing and having long setup jokes isn’t mutually exclusive. Its not like there is just one kind of “editing”.
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
The Prime show is about as close si can get.
I think this is where I finally land. I started season three because a random episode like twenty shows in played and some real dramatic stuff happened.
I want to know what happened but...there's twenty plus episodes four hours in length!
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
A good example of bits that take full episodes to fully form, and was mostly done during rules discussions, is the metagaming pigeon re-occurring bit from the second campaign.
For sure. I wasn't familiar with Brennan's DMing until the Calamity mini series. That was, honest to god, some of the best storytelling I've seen in the medium. So it's definitely an easier entry into Critical Role, being shorter and also excellent.
I just do the audio version on podcasts (or minimized Youtube or whatnot). Pop in on in the car/bus and during boring times while working, and I can get through a couple episodes a week usually.
3DS Friend Code: 3110-5393-4113
Steam profile
I have finished series 2 and caught up on 3. I am just ahead on series 1 of the TV show. It is so rough at the start.
How 'bout that series? Reactions thus far seem to be as follows:
Episode 1: "Holy shit they go hard!" and "Are we sure we didn't click on the season finale by mistake!?"
Episode 2: "Nice RP episode." Also, shoutout to the artists/animators that snuck Caduceus into the Wildmother temple.
Episode 3: "What the shit is that cliffhanger!?"
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
Calamity may be the best actual play content I've ever seen.
Added benefit there of it only being 4 episodes so a lot less of a commitment to see the story.
And it had Purvan Sol in it! Who I googled and thus
Still, love it.
Man an animated version of Calamity would rule.
See I think changing the media would necessarily remove a lot of the stuff that made Calamity stand out so much.
"Where is your arm weakest, at the elbow or the shoulder?"
"Brennan, you gotta cut this shit out, man. You can't, I can't, you gotta stop."
"You already saved against magic, now you're saving against physics."
Lou just straight-up walking away from the table
"HAS IT BEEN A SECOND YET? ONE SECOND?!"
[Any given instance of Aabria and Travis freaking out]
"Oh you cast Remove Curse? He effortlessly dispels it with a 9th level spell slot, then kills you again."
"Why you rolling so many dice? WHY ARE YOU ROLLING SO FUCKING MANY DICE?!"
Just put Brennan in as a narrator! And Lou to yell at him