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Critical Role |OT| Is It Thursday Yet?
- Thread starter Dream Machine
- Start date
- Video/Streaming OT
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Did they do a Talks Machina panel beforehand too? That would add on an extra 60-90 minutes before the show proper.
Will there be spoilers from the live event on tonight's Talks? I'm assuming not, but don't want to risk it without asking.
None so far. I think they will keep it close to their chest until it is released
For those that didn't see Talks, it's funny that the only person in the universe that didn't see them going immediately to that tower was Matt Mercer.
Yeah, these are the same people that almost killed themselves because they couldn't stop messing with a magic ball. You would've thought he knew the group better than that by now.
It was interesting that Sam didn't know what was about to go down, nor did Sam and Liam know their character's stories were joined. Those are the best moments for me, when the actors just have to dive into the character and rely on their acting and improv chops. I really appreciate how Matt keeps a timeline of events that's happening, whether or not anyone is around to see it. It makes the world feel so much more alive and like they're just one small part of it.
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He gets so wrapped up in the details that he sometimes can't see the forest for the trees, I guess. I think they literally said "we should go to that crazy tower" the week before.
I went to the show and yeah it was just 9:00-1:30, with an intermission in the middle. Nothing crazy in terms of length.
the answer to the question on Caleb & Nott's backstory intertwining, starts at 36:25-ish on twitch
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/368328153?t=36m31s
Well, it makes sense. Dunamancy is a new magic, it would surely be fucking with a lot of things.
I've put Campaign 2 on the backburner for now, and decided to finish Campaign 1 instead. I've just finished the Whitestone Arch and seen
Tiberius' goodbye, which I thought was nice. Then I made the mistake of reading the youtube comments where people where going crazy on Kayleth for being just a big a metagamer as Orion was... woops. Only another... 60+ episodes to go, I think
The hate Keyleth got in Campaign 1 is just nuts. She certainly had her moments but damn the comments were just a flood basically every episode she did anything of note.
P.S. I'm very excited to see this site has a Critical Role thread!
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Everybody has moments of meta gaming to varying degrees, I think some players just stick out more than others depending on the individual viewer. That said, once internet geek culture finds a person (usually a lady) they can hate on, they won't quit and it's just "eating crackers" syndrome until the end of time.
I don't read the comments section on youtube or the twitch chat. They're usually unpleasant, distracting, and I want to see the show on full screen mode.
I don't read the comments section on youtube or the twitch chat. They're usually unpleasant, distracting, and I want to see the show on full screen mode.
Keyleth was just a big dork, and the basement dwellers in the community want any female character to either be a sexbomb, cute and unimposing, or tough as nails. She didn't fit into any of those narrow archetypes like Pike and Vex did, so she got endless hate. Most people don't like to watch awkward characters, and Keyleth was intensely awkward.
Also I'm betting there was a ton of projection going on.
I'm so glad that I have Alpha. I've only met one weirdo in chat.
I'm so glad that I have Alpha. I've only met one weirdo in chat.
Keyleth's entire character that I've seen so far is 'someone who expected to be a leader, and must act like one all the time, but really doesn't want to do that'.
Yeah that's it 'awkward'! She had some amazing moments during the battle of Whitestone though, great use of spells.
Yeah that's it 'awkward'! She had some amazing moments during the battle of Whitestone though, great use of spells.
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The youtube streams are also quite good.
Much more consistent video quality, no chat, and it's easy to pause and scrub backwards if you need.
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I couldn't even be mad at the goldfish moment because I was too baffled about why any of it was even happening. Talk about drunk on power.
The grossly gory revivify used on her mangled corpse floating in the surf still makes me laugh as a moment of super dark comedy. Vex looks like she's going to throw up, Marisha looking at Matt like "why?".
Man, I just caught up with last weeks episode. Glad I don't have to wait long for the next episode, at least!
Well... i mean the vitriol in the chats in season 1 were mostly awful towards her for sure. There is never really a reason to go so in deep with the shit talking to someone just trying to play a game to entertain you. Definitely don't agree with the extreme level of hate they spew...
But like godamn remember your spells please. There are soooooo many moments in season 1 - like 50+ episodes past them being "new" to 5E from pathfinder where she just does ridiculous shit with her spells that wont work and Matt has to explain, again, that the effect she is asking for isn't really what the spell does. Queue 10 minutes of hemming and hawing over what to do instead followed by a minute or two of pouting and then finally moving on. I love Marisha to death but fuckin Keyleth, Vax and Percy got on my nerves. Repeatedly. Would have loved to play a character in that group, though.
Fast forward to her playing a straight forward as fuck monk and even when she's bein an obtuse teenager with a chip on her shoulder and attitude straight outta the guttah and i'm still into it. I like her in this character so much more.
also SPOILERS for background details on the end of the last episode:
But like godamn remember your spells please. There are soooooo many moments in season 1 - like 50+ episodes past them being "new" to 5E from pathfinder where she just does ridiculous shit with her spells that wont work and Matt has to explain, again, that the effect she is asking for isn't really what the spell does. Queue 10 minutes of hemming and hawing over what to do instead followed by a minute or two of pouting and then finally moving on. I love Marisha to death but fuckin Keyleth, Vax and Percy got on my nerves. Repeatedly. Would have loved to play a character in that group, though.
Fast forward to her playing a straight forward as fuck monk and even when she's bein an obtuse teenager with a chip on her shoulder and attitude straight outta the guttah and i'm still into it. I like her in this character so much more.
also SPOILERS for background details on the end of the last episode:
Is the connection between Knott and Kaleb that the people from Kaleb's past are clearly the people who swooped through Knotts hometown and set everything on fire? I had to watch that episode in a million tiny chunks and got a tid bit lost with her son and the basement and their obsession with the fuckin chair and so on and so forth :-D halp
I'm on episode 106 of campaign 1 (also keeping up with the current campaign). Can't believe I'm almost at the end of this thing. What a ride.
It was Kryn soldiers from Xhorhas who torched Felderwin, most likely looking for one of the Beacons (Dodecahedrons) that Caleb's former instructors from Cerberus Assembly were experimenting on with Nott's Alchemist friend Yezza. Nott was blaming Caleb's "people", the Cerberus Assembly folks, for getting Yezza involved.
It didn't really bother me that they don't remember the rules entirely, D&D is complicated and they have lives outside of this. I mean, Matt still has to explain to them they double their dice on crits every other episode. It's not always about the rules. It can be frustrating but they usually get it right enough that it doesn't annoy me.
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She definitely had some weird interpretations of spells that felt like she just read the title and briefly skimmed the description. I disliked those moments when she would get mad at Matt for just telling her what the spell actually does so her plan wouldn't work (mostly because they were just awkward and felt like when you're at a friends house and they're fighting with their SO while you're in the room) but they were a very small part of the show in the grand scheme of things.
I thought that was the breadth of it but was worried I missed something critical in all the great roleplay! Good to know i'm not lost. I would love to see Knott and Caleb like... actually seriously argue. I love mad Sam.
They were. Like I said the chat reactions were for the most part completely uncalled for. I'm glad they all seem like fairly strong headed people as they mention needing to just ignore the internet and do their thing often. They know the game for sure. But yes - your 100 percent on the money with the feeling of like "Yo .. is this some home stuff spilling over?" feeling when it's clearly Mercer like... actually just reading the whole spell instead of the first sentence and telling her how it works. I was never a huge fan of her (mostly obviously intentional) horrible speeches or attempts at real gravitas. I feel like Matt was clearly giving her encouragement outside of the game to play up that leader role more and grandstand every once in a while and I feel like she just...isn't that person. Like in real life the off the cuff improv important speech thing is just not Marisha's bag. Her very last speech as Keyleth to her people or what not was actually really decent and I feel like it was clearly thought out and decided beforehand.
Of course her improv rando inspiration speeches towards the end of season 1 were hilarious. And she was never nearly as bad as Vax. I can't count how many times i was tapping the screen on youtube when that dude decided to be a brooding sad sack for the 10 thousandth time. And the staring. And the long............ pauses.
Like fuck dude just die already. Fer real.
BUT now i have Fjords complete inability to make any quick decisions ever to rage about this season. Everything finds a balance :-D
Even Taliesin will do the thing where he'll go to use a spell and Matt will have to correct him on it because Tal didn't read the whole thing. Marisha as Keyleth was kind of tiring with that stuff, but I could overlook it just because her spell load out could be drastically different one week from the next. Keeping track of all that stuff is tough. I like Liam with this kind of stuff, because he's generally not afraid to ask Matt to clarify how something works before he tries to use it.
From his Between the Sheets interview I think it's obvious looking back that Liam was working out a lot of depression or other shit in his life through Vax. He had a bad medical condition I think the whole second half of the campaign. It wasn't necessarily always fun from an audience POV, but I think it was kind of therapeutic for him.
The best improv speech for my money was the Grog speech in the Kevdak episode. Inspired stuff.
Absolutely. I don't mind Talesin because it's always clear what he's hoping to do - he is never vague with the spell in the hopes that Matt will hand out a gimme and let it slide - and when it's explained that isn't the way it goes he is instantly ok with it and moves on. He is a long term DnD guy i think and it shows. Liam is also just great in that he works out what his spells do and then really gets into the casting. The Firewall on the boat was fuuuuuuuuuckin dope.
I need to watch all those between the sheets. Didn't know that about the dude and i can definitely appreciate letting some emotional GUUUUUHHHHHHHh out through your artwork or passion. It definitely didn't ruin the game for me - obvo - but a little background on where some of that came from isn't a bad thing. I'll keep that in mind on rewatches as i curse his stupid name. :-)
and Grog was just a fucking champion through and through. From RP to following rules to just letting himself have fun - Travis is a good fuckin dude even though he is maybe the least familiar with DnD in the group and i don't think i've ever seen him argue with anyone at the table over anything. Would love to DM a game with him in it. And Laura too she's the fuckin best.
Last time the youtube thread stopped when the show stopped - which sucked if you ever paused it/showed up late, because it'd end halfway through.
one of THE most amazing moments of the first campaign, for sure. I died laughing.
So many moments from season 1 though... one of my personal favourites is still getting the KO by Grog jumping out of the amulet. perfect timing.
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I'm relistening to the Nott stuff from last week's episode and Sam asks Matt if he knows Old Edith when the guard tells them Yezza's son is staying with her. Matt tells him "you know of Old Edith".
Between Edith recognized the Yezza's wife disguise immediately, and Matt making it sound like Nott only knows about Edith second hand, I'm even more confident that the reincarnation/Nott actually is Yezza's halfling wife theories don't add up. Maybe it was just a slip of the tongue.
Between Edith recognized the Yezza's wife disguise immediately, and Matt making it sound like Nott only knows about Edith second hand, I'm even more confident that the reincarnation/Nott actually is Yezza's halfling wife theories don't add up. Maybe it was just a slip of the tongue.
How DARE you not mention the best RP'er at the table - Sam fucking Riegel.
That's cause Sam Riegel does not act good sir. That man BECOMES his imagination.
But to be real - there was only ever 1 option of the people at that table for who would make a legendary Bard. The man is a tour de force who disappears into his roles like Knott into a shadow. With buttons.
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That's true, but I think there's a window of time that the video still plays after the broadcast ends if you just let it play and don't scrub around.
I'm subbed to their Twitch too so I can always watch the VOD right away if I get cut off, though. I just prefer youtube for the majority of Thursday night watching.
Yeah i was always fine with keyleth but the whole leadership thing deffinately came out....dissapointing, her fundamental character arc was to become a leader and it just didnt happen, like she bevame one on paper but it never came out in the actual play.
Fortunately it looks like marisha already has a pretty goid grasp on where she is taking bo and is much more on the ball on how to really express it through the Rp
Fortunately it looks like marisha already has a pretty goid grasp on where she is taking bo and is much more on the ball on how to really express it through the Rp
Apology accepted, that's a valid point.
The man's improv skills... and singing... all throughout campaign 1. always. on. fucking. spot.
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The thing that really gets me with sam isnt just how crazy well he plays his own character but how well he can distinctly play off of others.
A good example is week before last, the "6 funerals" disscussion with Yasha, he played it off her in a way that provoked a much more expressive reaction from a (somewhat frustratingly) closed off character, give a much better needed look at her situation and it was funny as hell at the same time.
A good example is week before last, the "6 funerals" disscussion with Yasha, he played it off her in a way that provoked a much more expressive reaction from a (somewhat frustratingly) closed off character, give a much better needed look at her situation and it was funny as hell at the same time.
Now that he has played three very different characters, it is clear that the magic comes from Sam, not the characters he embodies.
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Sam uses his improv roots really effectively for comedy and drama. He heightens the other players and characters by surprising them. It's kind of like "pimping" in improv, where you get other people to do things that are difficult or they normally wouldn't do.
Laura has really upped her game in that department with Jester, and Taliesin with Caduceus too. It helps keep some spontaneity within a group when it would be easy to fall into well-worn character behavior after a while.
Laura has really upped her game in that department with Jester, and Taliesin with Caduceus too. It helps keep some spontaneity within a group when it would be easy to fall into well-worn character behavior after a while.
Agreed - It's nice to see Taliesin actually play a different character for once, Molly was just too similar. I didn't like either Molly or Percy much tbh.
Laura has also definitely stepped her game up, agreed - I think she's particularly enjoying the romance-y aspects of her trying to flirt with her husband haha.
I never minded Keyleth much, but Marisha deeeeeeefinitely argued with the DM too much/was metagaming hard at times. But didn't deserve all the hate she got.
Sam > Caleb/Grog (not Vax/Fjord tho) > rest
Laura has also definitely stepped her game up, agreed - I think she's particularly enjoying the romance-y aspects of her trying to flirt with her husband haha.
I never minded Keyleth much, but Marisha deeeeeeefinitely argued with the DM too much/was metagaming hard at times. But didn't deserve all the hate she got.
Sam > Caleb/Grog (not Vax/Fjord tho) > rest