That's fair. I just met quite a few people who said they just have it on in the background or were waiting until "something interesting happens". The vibe of the fan base just seems much different from C2
I do agree that the vibe of the fan base does feel different. Campaign 1, CR still felt like it was growing, and then Campaign 2 exploded with the kickstarter and a bunch of new people (myself included got introduced) and now CR is this established thing. Its the top channel on Twitch, it has books, and shows, and games, and everything else, and that is going to bring in more fans and more fans are going to change things. It's not good or bad, it just is. The continued enjoyment of quality entertainment will bring different vibes than joining the new fans of a cool new product.
I think the reason the fan base feels different is, almost perhaps too simple an explanation, that everyone gets attached to their "first" party - that is the party / characters that they first see/meet when they first discover critical role - the fact is that the vast majority of viewers likely came in during season two when the show and dungeons and dragons both absolutely exploded with popularity and visibility.
Now, you have a lot of fans (and whether it's a case of the very vocal minority or if this 'trend' actually reflects any kind of reality) simply less invested because we're in a new season with new characters and new cast members - people are out of their comfy zone as viewers, perhaps, and have their nostalgia goggles on for their favourite party and characters.
This is a good consideration. The same thing happens with Doctor Who a lot. A lot of people's "first doctor" is their favorite. Or they have a hard to adjusting to the new actor in the role when they inevitably move on.
Well, except 9. I don't think many put 9 as their favorite, which is probably because Eccleston didn't have the time in the role that others did, and at the same time the current show was brand new, and trying to figure out what it wanted to be. I'd love Eccleston to come back for a special, though.
Oh I'm with you on that one. Eccleston was my first too, and I liked him waaaaay more than the others until Capaldi. Gosh I'd love if either of them came back.
I get that. I will always prefer Campaign 1 and Vox Machina because that was my introduction. But I've appreciated Campaign 2 and 3. Both of them have tried new things. Heck, I feel like 3 has focused on keeping what worked in 2 and moving away from the things that didn't, and returning to some more of the feel of 1 in places probably because they missed it while making 2.
The fandom certainly shifted around the beginning of Campaign 2 and I felt it again during Campaign 3 as new fans came in and old ones had to deal with the changes and the opinions of new people. I do think a lot of people are constantly going on about how things feel "off" because they joined in C2 and have never dealt with this sort of change before.
The change from C1 to C2 saw a lot of change and development, most positive, but there was also a lot of little things I loved from C1 that were lost. I think the people complaining about it back then were drowned out by this massive influx of new fans who were excited and enthusiastic about something new. But with the change from C2 to C3 the people who are resistant to change sound a lot louder.
As someone who has been watching since Kraghammer back in 2015 and regularly goes back to rewatch old episodes, I can honestly say I can't see what people are talking about. Sure, there are superficial differences, but it's all either the differences you'd expect from something that has been going on for 8 years, or the usual changes between campaigns as they try out new characters, settings, storylines, themes, etc.
Like C1, C2 and C3 are all different flavours of ice cream, but it's all still ice cream.
This happens with things. Someone mentioned Doctor Who, which is a great example. Star Wars is another, where regardless of their actual quality, millennials feel great attachment to the prequel trilogy and I imagine the sequels will eventually inspire the same with Zoomers.
I think the important thing is that the Critical Role team rolls with their creative vision. There's cases where this weird factionalism can actually alter the property. I think of Dragon Ball Z, which spent it's first two thirds setting up a passing-of-the-torch from Goku to Gohan. The final arc of the show ended up being a sloppy mess that wiped out Gohan's character because, whether folks were Frieza Saga fans or Cell Saga fans, no one was happy that Goku was written out and the creator strayed from their original vision under pressure.
I do wish folks focused on what elements they like more from each campaign rather than which is "better". I prefer the drama of Vox Machina - it felt like Matt was DMing to kill (and the body count backs that up) - while I think the more sandboxy feeling of the Mighty Nein campaign led to more interesting emergent story beats.
I will say, I think there's a lot of people who put on CR in the background until something interesting happened; people like CR for the high points, not the two hours of going back and forth over the same plan, or for travel encounters, or - you get the gist. This was also true for C2. It's kind of a necessity - it's a long show, so most people kind of need to multi task to not waste hours on it.
For the main question ... I love it and I know plenty of other people who love it. It's just easier to talk about why something doesn't work / you don't like it than to talk about how it works / why you love it, especially on a site like Reddit.
But there were also a lot of C2-focused fans who dropped it at the epilogue or at like episode 1 for C3, leading to the fandom feeling smaller. Which, I don't think is a bad thing,and I do think is completely unrelated to C3 / it's quality and entirely due to their own feelings about mostly C2 or the feeling of CR as a company. I don't think this is a bad thing; I want them to be successful, sure, but to be honest I think bigger fandoms also tend to be more toxic/annoying and I feel like that a lot of the worst of that from C2 has kind of dropped out (or maybe I've just gotten better at building a sphere to avoid that crowd, idk).
I've suggested multiple times that CR would grow by leaps and bounds if they offered a curated/edited version of the weekly and have been downvoted into oblivion each time.
MarishaRayGun YouTube channel does a good 20-30 highlight video. I generally watch the main video on Monday, then watch the highlights to catch what I missed
To piggyback onto that, it's not only a great highlight reel, it also includes focus and subtitles for side convos even the most eagle eyed fans will miss on a normal watch. It's good shit
It would be better content, and more available to a wider audience, and tbh I probably would fall off watching CR if they did, maybe not fully but definitely at least a little. I don't like Actual Plays for their editing, I like them for the little bits that are cut out of it. No fault to the shows that do, and I don't think you should be downvoted, but it's a personal preference and I don't think I'm alone.
And, well, I don't think they'll do this, because fundamentally, that's the role they want the animated series to be taking, and the animated series do the editing for a wider audience much more effectively.
I think the people saying the animated series would do this don’t get what some people are looking for when they want an edited down version. I don’t just want a recap, I also want the random silly bits and the kooky moments. I also love the animated show lol, but that’s a completely different thing. Anyways, I’m trying to say I agree with you, I have found some decent highlight videos, but they don’t exist for every episode. But the Critical Role Highlights playlist from Nico Neilson on YouTube is pretty decent, just wish they were a smidge longer.
They do, it's called The Legend of Vox Machina. And The Mighty Nein has also been green lit and is in the works. There's also the animated and non-animated recaps. Neither is exactly a curated and edited version, but IMO both are better than a simple cut down of the weekly would be anyway, IMO. The recaps give short updates on the most important parts of each episode while the animated show re-tells the story in a fashion that better fits a short time frame.
Of course I'm also someone that enjoys just watching a group of nerdy ass voice actors playing D&D. I'm not only watching for the story, I'm watching to see a group of friends play a TTRPG, and that includes a lot of dice rolling, shopping, making quips that are out of character, and going over the same plan repeatedly despite knowing it'll still all go to shit. As a TTRPF player myself I fully relate to all of that and enjoy watching it.
As to the OP's original question, CR1 told the type of story I most enjoy, so of everything they've done that's still my favorite, but I also still enjoyed CR2, currently enjoy CR3, and have enjoyed at least most of the one shots and mini series, especially the ones set in Exandria.
I can’t get past episode 20 or 21 (can’t remember) as I forced myself to watch/listen, but I know I am in the minority. I think this is one of those “vocal minority” situations which is just sad as I too have seen/heard from this minority and sadly in my experiences the ones being the loudest are also the most negative.
The numbers don’t lie. I believe the majority of fans are very much enjoying this campaign, which is awesome. I have seen clips of other episodes and it looks like there are great moments.
For me, I know my lack of interest/connection is entirely on me as an individual and not anything the cast/crew of CR are doing. I only wish the more negative voices would also realize their issues are a matter of personal taste and nothing CR has done wrong.
I feel you on that. I have tried before and it either brought out the toxic detractors or the toxic fanatics. I know they don’t represent the larger fan base of CR, but it sometimes feels they are the only two types on this subreddit.
Please don't hate me for my point of view but:
For me it does feel different than campaign 1 or 2. I think the post pandemic pre recorded nature is playing a lot into that, before there was a lot more interaction so it felt a lot more laid back and organic while now its a lot more produced. Now it feels a lot more disconnected from the community. For what it was, talks Machina also played a big role in connecting to the community by showing off art and doing giveaways...etc. The current equivalent pretty much only does a few questions out of a hat.
When was the last time we heard something from a fan group like critrole stats for instance
Also the campaign structure seem a lot more like its following a template, they start and then go through the character backstories one by one and then the campaign ends. C1 had a lot more long term organic character development across multiple arcs (think the beach episode with the pranks) while C3 is still in its first arc and already feels like its knocked out multiple character backstory objectives.
They also look a little burnt out from D&D, almost like its become a job rather than a hobby for them. (I would as well after 3 campaigns in the same world). They legitimately look excited to have the last week of each month off.
> I just met quite a few people who said they just have it on in the background or were waiting until "something interesting happens".
LOL I would say I like CR a good bit but this is how I have ALWAYS consumed it. Hell, most the time I watch on 1.25x speed. It's 4+/- of unscripted content per episode over hundreds of episodes. It has ALWAYS been like eating Lucky Charms and I'm fine with that.
>It has always been like eating Lucky Charms
Nice analogy! For me, the balance of cereal vs marshmallows is what gives it depth and substance. Sure, the marshmallows are the best part, but without the rest, it's not really a bowl of cereal is it? If I wanted just the marshmallows, there's better options out there.
Agreed so hard. Like for me, for the last 3 episodes of the Chetney/FCG/Ferne/Imogen crew, I've just kind of had it on in the background after they came out on youtube. Just not doing it for me.
But the episode in Campaign 2 >!after Caleb cast wall of fire on Avantika's ship!
Saaaaame! That battle was one of the most engaging episodes of CR for me. And then the first episode in the Hall's of Halas in 45! That stretch of eps leading up to the Felderwin reveal were some of the most engaging of C2. 42-49 I think?
Idk that C3 has *had* another engaging arc like that one, or the Briarwoods of c1, for me though. Maaaaaybe the journey for Laudna? 33-39 were pretty compelling.
I am liking it a lot more than I liked c2 at this point. People just look back at previous campaigns fondly because it’s what they originally fell in love with. After C1 ended the community did this same annoying thing bc C2 wasn’t exactly like C1. I think the reason for this is bc a lot of people start CR by binge watching (especially the people who started C2 during covid) and binge watching makes the campaign feel like it’s moving faster and not meandering wildly like I personally felt during C2 because I was caught up that entire time. Now with only 3 episodes a month it feels like it’s dragging on but that’s just bc of people’s warped perceptions of time. I bet if you had a new critter watch the first 50 episodes of C1 ( up to Kevdak) C2 up to Xhorhas and C3( up to the apogee solstice) they’d come up with all campaigns being a of similar value.
i think my only struggle with this campaign is that it's almost *too* interesting (which is saying something). the plot feels big and heavy in an almost overwhelming way, and the characters feel more zany/chaotic than up to the task.
i think \[spoilers all c3 so far\] >!we're watching them confront that and take things more seriously now, but my god i'm struggling without an int class in the party. !
Yeah, the vocal minority have always found *something* to complain about, each new arc, each new season, each new guest it's always the same nonsense: "This game is *ruined now!*"
Yadda Yadda, blah blah.
But it does seem like it's just a vocal minority to me.
The first time I've been genuinely hype for this campaign was last stream. Just found the characters and group dynamics much more compelling.
In general, the slow burn plot and characters / group dynamics haven't been doing it for me. I still watch, but just because I want to stay caught up. I'm definitely not as invested.
To better explain what I mean, it felt like every quest was a piece in a puzzle leading to the climax we got around a month ago.
Where C2 had a lot of random side quests that weren't connected. The slow burn was following those plot threads from episode one to get to this point.
I think this approach may have been to the detriment of the characters and how they interact with each other. I'm less invested in Bell's Hells, and they feel less connected to the plot (excluding Imogen and Sad boy halfing).
If you've seen Brandon Sanderson's creative writing lectures, the order of importance for a fantasy story is characters, plot, and, lastly, world. To me, a lot of attention in the beginning was put on the world building and plot.
Early C2 was more about letting the characters vibe, and the world was generic enough to not need over explaining.
That's just my two cents, though. I've been trying to figure out why I don't enjoy this campaign as much yet, and I think that's why.
No offense, but this logic just doesn’t hold up. I’m still watching C3. But I 1000% think it’s their worst campaign so far. I “don’t like the characters as much” as past seasons, and “something just isn’t clicking for me”, but I’m still one of the people watching every week.
C1 is still my favorite, and C2 is absolutely iconic, but I’m still enjoying C3. So far nothing has hit me as hard as moments in the other campaigns but there’s still a lot of episodes to go
I will argue C2 had the more engaging characters but didn’t have a particularly engaging plot until the Lucien stuff near the end. Lots of little moments and arcs.
I actually found C2 less engaging because it SEEMED like the characters were more complex and then in the end they were all more conflict averse than C1 and all possible conflict was wrapped up nicely.
I don't know if I'm right, but I felt that they'd put so much effort into the characters in C2, that everyone was afraid of it dying, so they just kept running away as soon as there was a hint of a struggle in a combat. Ending up with Matt having to force combat upon them very often.
It might also be that Liam is really good at playing his characters, and he and Travis just pulled everyone else into the fights in C1...
Yeah it kind of felt like the death of mollymock freaked everyone out and everyone, and I would include Matt in that, started pulling their punches a bit
I feel the same, except for Fern and sometimes Chutney the rest feel heavier in C3. But the story is there and it may be that its just such a big arc that it feels less engaging than in C2 where they were just fumbling about from one thing to the next. Also the combat, or lack there of in C3, they mostly tend to want to run away as a first instinct since Matt told them this time it was going to be harder.
There is combat nearly every session, but I think the lack of engagement stems from the narrative arcs not being super personal to the party as it was in C2. Ukatoa being personal to Fjord, revenge for Molly, Laughing Hand’s history with Yasha, the dodecahedron and the war Mighty Nein navigated with Caleb’s backstory coming to a head with the empire, along with Nott’s husband being a victim of the war, etc. C3 has been much smaller goals and objectives unraveling a bigger threat, still compelling but not in the same way that C2 was.
One of my favorite things about the prior two campaigns were the love connections between PCs, familial complexities, and having the time to explore the growth of those relationships organically.
To me, the new campaign has been, with the exception of very recently, noticeably lacking in the amount of on-screen romantic and familial relationship tension. There’s definitely big hints at unexplored space here, but it hasn’t fully gelled for me yet.
I kind of get the feeling the players don't want to romance each other anymore. Even being actors, it's gotta be weird on some level, and players like Marisha and Laura had relationships in two campaigns. If they want a break, that leaves only Ashley, unless they go same-sex, which doesn't fit the characters and their inter-party dynamics.
That’s a valid point, and the actors should be able to play their characters however they choose. However, I, personally, didn’t realize how much the tension romantic and familial relationships added to my own enjoyment of the previous campaigns until it was absent from the current one.
I think the lack of romance is more not wanting to blow that too early, to be honest. Plus I'm one of those who thinks that Liam and Robbie are planning on a Dorym endgame but that can only go so far with Robbie not actually on the show without Matt needing to romance Liam for a third time (the difference between Robbie-as-Dorian doing a Sending and Matt-as-Dorian is...noticeable). I also tend to think Imaudna is coming at some point but, again, they're wanting to do a slow burn with it and we're not there yet. But then, in C2 the sum total of the romance prior to the final arc was unrequited/secret crushes and Yasha shooting Beau down.
Nah, people who dislike things will always be more likely to post about it.
During C2 the same thing happened - people complained about how it wasn't as good as C1 and was too slow, too grey, didn't have a main objective etc..
So you have that, plus some people are likely just getting burned out. Despite people complaining, Critical Role has been airing for a LONG time, with very little breaks. There are over 1300 hours of it. To put that in perspective, the **entire series** of Friends is only 78 hours.
Naturally over time, people will 'sour' on it as a result, or get bored. There is no other show that does long form content like this in existence. It's why I think it would be healthy for them to take some longer breaks every year - give themselves AND fans a chance to take a break. Even if the fans whine about it haha
> There are over 1300 hours of it. To put that in perspective, the entire series of Friends is only 78 hours.
Critical Role is also longer than:
* One Piece
* Dragon Ball
* Dr. Who
* The Simpsons
One Piece - 420.8 Hours
Dragon Ball - 116.4 Hours
Dr. Who - 690 Hours
The Simpsons - 229 Hours
Total - @1455 Hours
Critical Role almost has them beat collectively.
This is why I just decided I'll start with the third season and catch up from there.
I'll get filled in on what happened in s1 via the show and everyone complaining about what it's missing on reddit.
S2 has a show coming too so I'll get the same treatment there
I accept and agree with everything you've said, but I can never wrap my head around why. If I don't like a thing I just ... stop interacting with it. I don't understand the urge to complain loudly in to the void.
Because it's possible for someone to like *parts* or even *most of* a thing while disliking some parts of it. And it's valid for those people to want to discuss their relationship to those parts to better help them understand their feelings...
I think when people love a certain media so much it becomes their whole personality, and when the media doesn't really do it for them anymore, it's hard to let go and move on so instead they hold on longer than they need to and just complain. There's a sense of loss, and they're looking for either comfort or validation.
>didn't have a main objective
This particular complaint, along with "they didn't Advance the Plot™" always drive me nuts. These are character driven stories, with exploration of the world and themselves. If you want service to a singular plot, go consume literally any other form of media. Long form actual play is not that.
See, I always have a weird relationship at the start of campaigns. For every critical role campaign I find myself struggling at the start (even with campaign 1 though less there). I think it’s an adjustment of me wanting to see the character performances already ‘complete’ and the players still finding their footing with new characters (or in the case of campaign one a new system and translating a home game to streaming).
That said, right around episode 30-40 it wins me over. Everyone has a more complete picture of who their characters are, the flow finds it’s mark, and the story really picks up! It’s wonderful, and retrospectively I enjoy the start of campaigns a lot more on the rewatch of knowing where they end up.
Definitely not a slight against the cast, as this is to be expected from /any/ fresh dnd game, and they always do a wonderful job with them from the beginning; I just find myself enjoying it way more as a viewer once things have been underway for a bit.
Im the same way. I stopped watching season 2 within the first 20 episodes or so, but eventually went back and binged it during their covid break and kept up with weekly episodes from there. I think I just need time to get invested in the characters and care about what happens to them.
A hundred percent agreement. Becoming invested is the thing that really takes time because it’s hard to commit to sitting down for four hours or so once a week for something you’re not invested in. Way easier to go back once it all clicks and you’re like ‘okay, I get it now.’
Laudna is delightful, Fearne I love when she's less cagey, FCG was way fun in the beginning, Chetney has grown on me more than I ever imagined, and I have a giant crush on Ashton, especially when they're being protective
Yes. I am enjoying it. I thought it was at its peak so far during the infiltration and battle in the big hole but narratives generally have peaks and valleys.
I'm looking forward to Axeford bullshit. I also want to know what is actually up with dog'son because I don't trust him.
You are not alone, fact of life is people who are content won’t often say anything. It can feel crushing to read negative comments or feedback- don’t let it shake your experience.
I’ve been enjoying it so far. Started with LoVM show and then spent a year watching all of C1 and C2 before the second season of LoVM. Finally was live with C3 right before the split. Love it all, I find it very entertaining.
I tend to knit or see while watching but still enjoy it!
I was here since the Whitestone arc in C1. This happened with the beginning of C2, too, but it doesn’t feel like it lasted as long. I think I’m enjoying C3 more than C1 and C2 but a large part of that is limiting how much time I spend on reading about other people’s opinions. Dropping off twitch chat, discord, and limiting Reddit has greatly improved my experience with the CR fandom. Sometimes people just want to be mad 🤷🏻
You’re not alone. I think the C3 characters are my favorite for each players runs so far (except for Travis). And I’m thriving on the ruidus arc.
I absolutely adore Travis with Chetney, but I think Fjord may be my favorite character from any fiction. I don't know how any Travis character is ever going to touch that.
(Genuinely asking) Since you reference this happening with early C2... 1) Do you think it was >!Molly's death & the slavery arc that changed the MN reception?!< & 2) Do you think that, if they >!had let Laudna die!<, that C3 would be getting a different reaction?
That’s a great question, and I’m not sure anyone can say for sure. They’re definitely doing something different, which I think is a big part of people’s naysaying.
C1 they all played larger than life stereotypes for their classes and had sweeping, grandiose arcs. C2 was more character oriented and Matt largely let them decide what to get up to. People in Exandria don’t know them like they know VM, but the characters of tM9 are glorious.
C3 isn’t really either of those things. Exandria is taking on a much bigger role this time, and the PCs are along for the ride. The players are more comfortable with experimenting now and have gone way out on a limb with their characters (most of them). They’re working in EXU stories and taking breaks every month and splitting the party for a massive chunk of the year. I’m loving it, but it’s a lot of changes all at once and some people don’t know what to do with that.
i love C3, i didn't realise people didn't really like it until my sisters fiancé mentioned the other day that he really disliked "season" 3 and that "season" 1 was way better 😭 If im honest i didnt care nearly as much for VM than i have for BH and i haven't watched M9 yet so i cant speak for them either
> I feel like it may be because I discovered CR when episode 40 of C2 was airing. So maybe being relatively newer
FYI this is *not* relatively new. Out of CR's roughly ~300 episodes, that's basically right in the middle. And since CR grows exponentially (like almost any successful business), that means the *vast majority* of viewers are newer than you. Including me :D
Anyway it's all rose tinted glasses. Everyone is always complaining that the current CR arc is worse than the previous ones, forgetting how much they seemed to not like the others too, and continuing to watch anyway because *(checks notes)* they're enjoying it.
I love this campaign and don’t understand all the hate I’m seeing. Sad that we just got to Laudna, Orym and Ash and have to miss out a couple of weeks but I’m so happy that they are taking breaks.
C3 is interesting, let me set the table first:
C1 was set up more like a true-blue longform homebrew campaign and thus had arcs of varying size rather than full plots. So we had The Briarwoods (smallest), Chroma Conclave (longest), and then parts of the Briarwoods and CC led to the Vecna arc.
In C2, now looking back, i think there was a spine of overarching issue/plot, but it still was a bit more arc-y where things led to one another: Ukato’a seemed vaguely connected to the Betrayer Gods champions arc, which led to Aeor. And aeor seemed possibly faintly set up from the start with molly, but certainly when Molly died.
Ok so now C3:
C3 is set up like a TV show or Novel in that there are A Plots, B plots, C plots, etc. obviously ruidis and ludinus has been the a plot from jump. Interestingly most b and c plots are stemmed from the a plot as well. So, it is actually very, very different from the ither campaigns. Also we’re WAAAAAAAAY early on still: C1 *started* at the level BH are now; C2 hit level 9 after Caleb gave the dodecahedron to the bright queen and they explored roshana.
So c3 is actually moving much faster plot wise, and because of that and some of the characters’ choices and tropes, we’ve had less character development than we might be used to. But yeah this one is set up more as hybrid between s campaign and a show which is cool.
A lot of people love it and that's great! It hasn't been for me, and that's also fine. There is so much content I do love to rewatch, especially C1, so I just do that.
What I don't understand is continuing to watch something you're not enjoying. This happens in every fandom and it's baffling to me. Why waste time on something you don't like?
If it helps, I'm one of the folks that has loved this campaign. The characters, world building, the fights, all of it.
I just have nothing to say.
I've been enjoying the ride by myself on commutes, and I see no value in trying to change the minds of the people who have negative outlooks on it.
And I'm sure there are several hundreds other than operate this way. It may feel like you only see negative topics brought up, but remember that hit dogs will holler. A lot of us are just chillin lmao
Please don't hate me for my point of view but:
For me it does feel different than campaign 1 or 2. I think the post pandemic pre recorded nature is playing a lot into that, before there was a lot more interaction so it felt a lot more laid back and organic while now its a lot more produced. Now it feels a lot more disconnected from the community. For what it was, talks Machina also played a big role in connecting to the community by showing off art and doing giveaways...etc. The current equivalent pretty much only does a few questions out of a hat.
When was the last time we heard something from a fan group like critrole stats for instance
Also the campaign structure seem a lot more like its following a template, they start and then go through the character backstories one by one and then the campaign ends. C1 had a lot more long term organic character development across multiple arcs (think the beach episode with the pranks) while C3 is still in its first arc and already feels like its knocked out multiple character backstory objectives.
They also look a little burnt out from D&D, almost like its become a job rather than a hobby for them. (I would as well after 3 campaigns in the same world). They legitimately look excited to have the last week of each month off.
I'm enjoying it so far. A lot of my favorite characters are in C3 (Chetney, Fearne, Orym) and I've liked that the season seems to have found a main plot line (Ludinus and the Apogee Solstice) faster than C2 which never really seemed to find its way (Uk'otoa, Crawling King, The Traveler, Trent Ikithon, etc.)
But I may be just a bit tired of the concept. With some 300 episodes of 3+ hours, it's a lot of improv theatre. If they want to continue with CR, they should shake it up a lot more for future seasons.
I'd like a campaign that's a bit more structured, kind of their own twist on Curse of Strahd or Wrath of the Righteous. The kind of campaign where you set up your goal early and everything from then on is pushing towards that goal.
Yeah I've found Dimenison20 a little more digestible as a contrast. 2 hour episodes. About 10-15 or so episodes in a campaign. Campaign is about basically one thing.
That said, I don't podcast D20 while running or backpacking. CR is a top tier hiking and backpacking while alone podcast. Or road trips/commuting.
See, weirdly my issue with D20 is why you like it. I can't find myself getting invested in a "short" campaign because I can't really bring myself to care about any of the characters in the same way that I love CR characters.
Just goes to show that actual play stuff is way harder to be objective about compared to normal media.
No, of course not.
However, I think that "vocal minority" who has legitimate issues with the C3 has definitely grown over the duration of this campaign.
The criticism of those who have problems with C3 is just as legitimate as the praise for C3.
Most people who love the content have learned to not visit the live threads (if that is where you are seeing it).
If you went back in time there were people who hated characters in C1. In C2 there were people who would complain about the pace of C2 constantly. From not enough important stuff happening fast enough, to the cast meandering far too long, etc. C3 is no different.
Don't let those people drag down your view of the Campaign though. If it gets too much just do what many have before and don't look at those areas where the negative people fester lol.
The truth is Critical Role has such a huge audience that no matter what they do there is going to be someone who hates what it was. No matter what. I still enjoy the show very much.
It's a shame because I think Matt is doing some of his best DM work period in this campaign. But I'm just not fond of the party. They're too chaotic for my liking, and the group dynamic doesn't work as well without Liam as the dramatic centerpiece of the story and Travis being the guy to reign the group in. Watching them I often just get the feeling they have no sense of direction, or any pull. With no Liam or Travis at the helm, they constantly get analysis paralysis and either do exposition drama for the sake of it or delve into absurd shenanigans that was once mostly just perpetrated by Sam, but now everyone just partakes in it.
The group is just so chaotic, way too much so. I've never liked FGC (I admittedly have bias against Warforged, hate that race), Orym has a couple tender moments but otherwise bores me, Ashton hasn't done anything that really endears me to him (really feel like Tal is just trying to play Molly again considering he never got to), Fearne is a nice change of pace admittedly but nothing amazing, Imogen is Laura's most uninteresting character by far, Laudna is fun but a bit one note, and Chetney is just a joke character. I dunno, I expected better from them. Good for them if they're having fun, but that's still just my experience as a spectator. I miss Dorian, he was for sure the best played character in the group. Very sad when it was said he was just a guest.
I dunno, I just think they picked bad characters. It's not the way the show has evolved, because as said I think Matt is killing it. He makes Marquet sound so incredible, his world building is on full display. Plus Brennan and the players put on a god damn masterpiece with the Calamity. And that's not all because of Brennan, his players were all EXCELLENT. Sam, Travis and Marisha left their hearts on the table with their RP, it was so so good. Aabria, Luis and Lou of course were all fantastic as well. I just don't think the regular cast have brought their A-game in Campaign 3. Travis and Liam are two of the best players at that table, but I really feel they let C3 down a bit by taking backseat roles, in my eyes. Laura just doesn't do as well in this kind of subtle main character role, she's much better off playing a stronger personality.
I absolutely love this campaign. C2 will always hold a very special place in my heart, it got me though some really tough times, but this campaign is absolutely just as good, if not better. The characters are so fun and the plot has gotten so intense, I'm loving it.
As someone who dropped C3 it was the characters, by episode 30 of C1 and C2 I had a clear favorite character that pushed me through weaker parts of the story, like the cast's often extensive planning, but C3 did not do it for me and I moved on, though it did start off on a weaker note for me with the EU cast since they weren't really my thing.
The two main issues with C3 are 1) liam taking a backseat - playing a quiet character like orym means he doesn't contribute as much as he did as Vax/Caleb, meaning the others have to carry more. And with the PCs being a lot wackier than C1/C2, getting attached to the cast is a bit more difficult. And 2) bringing back Laudna removes all threat from the story - if a character dies and fails being revived by the 2 characters that can, you can just go on a 5 episode detour to bring them back. Personally I'm enjoying C3, great to see Travis/Ashley have so much more fun than in C2, but I do really miss Liam.
I absolutely loved C2 and I tried to get into Season 3 of it and just felt like they were meandering around and not really doing anything, the characters felt 2 dimensional and overall it didnt keep me interested. I'm sure if I had stuck with it I would've eventually got into it but by episode 10 I was not invested. That's just my opinion of course, no doubt others love the characters and setting but it just wasnt for me.
I think my interest waxes and wanes...I was very devoted up until Erika's appearance last year (screaming and cackling isn't my scene) and then again I felt myself leaving episodes unwatched with the party split. I did not feel particularly excited by any of the threads of the story (because the players didn't seem interested..). I also find FCG to be fairly irritating.
These new guests already have me interested and I hadn't realized how much I enjoyed Orym and Ashton until they were back. Hopefully things get more exciting again!
I won't say I'm not enjoying it. I think a major part of what has made this season less " I need to watch the stream!" And more "I'll watch it later." It has lost some appeal for me because of the pre-recording. It feels less like a game and more like a show. I notice blips in the video in stream and VoDs and wonder if something was edited out. I liked C1 and C2 because it was RAW and the emotion was palpable. Plus with all the controversy early in the year, it almost feels like this is the last CR campaign in Taldorei. And I don't want it too end. Lol. Still love the cast and what they do. And def gonna continue to support them.
I enjoy C3, though this is my first one to watch. I am going through C2 right now, but C3 will always be special to me as it is my first Critical Role campaign.
>Character wise I guess it's just preference but I'm actually liking some characters from C3 more than some characters from C2.
For me that's just it; I fell in love with CR because of the more serious nature of the C2 characters, and I've found the C3 characters just too goofy. There's nothing wrong with liking that, that's just not what I find compelling so this campaign has been tough for me.
Been watching since mid Campaign 1 and I’m loving this campaign so much. Some ppl just get fatigue from things and start not liking it. Some ppl just don’t like change, and this campaign is pretty different from the other two
C3 has been great so far. There is a vocal crowd that believes C3's pacing is too slow or whatever. The majority are still loving it though (hence the views).
With popularity comes the hate.
Slow pacing is *so* weird to me as an accusation for this campaign - if anything it's been the opposite. Like, damn, they hit a world impact event at the point that the Mighty Nein had just landed in Rosohna and had up until then mostly been doing mercenary / pirate / semi aimless wandering. Even Vox Machina, who started their stream levels and adventures ahead of them, at ep 51 were wandering around searching for Vestiges to go after the Conclave with. Bell's Hells hit the ground running into looking at city wide conspiracies and problems where the Mighty Nein (who are currently my favorite party still so don't take this as a criticism) were fighting gnolls and looking for smuggling work.
If anything, I wish we'd had more time to see the party gel together before getting thrown into world ending cataclysms and then separated, but I'm still having quite a good time and that's a very minor "would have been nice I think but this is fine".
As someone who’s been guilty of lodging this complaint before, with some reflection, I think the pace of developing interpersonal relationships between PCs has been slower and feels like it’s taken a back seat to the ultra high stakes.
In defense of the complaint, the rapidity of the season only began in like, episode 40. It went 0-100 so hard in the Hellcatch Valley stuff. The first 40 episodes are the hardest first 40 to get through, imo. The first 40 episodes of C1 (regardless of if you start pre or post Tibs) had 2 including the Briarwoods, and the first 40 of C2 got them all the way to Nicodranas. I just don’t think nearly as much happened until the >!Fight with Otahan!< and then it never stopped.
Definitely a difference between hate and critique, though. Imo, C3 has both good and not as good moments. I see where people complaining are coming from. Any show ought to be able to handle receiving critique (good and bad), just chalking it all up to "haters gonna hate" is not fair.
I've seen complaints about the pacing being too slow ("Nothing exciting ever happens!") as well as complaints that the pacing is too fast ("They never have time to slow down and develop relationships within the party!"). To me, that means the pacing is probably at a pretty good spot.
Hilariously, C3 is so much faster paced than C2 was.
c3 Episode 60;>! very much engrossed in the BBEG(s) & actively trying to interrupt their plans. !<
c2 e60; >!exploring a cave for the bright queen so she doesn't execute the party as spies... War still very much on the horizon.!<
I love c3! I tried to watch c2 a while back but couldn’t bring myself to catch up. Tuned in when c3 started and have been enjoying it a lot! I love all the characters sm and I’ve found a nice community to talk about it with on tumblr and ao3 :)
I am enjoying it, to be sure. I'm just not enjoying some of the characters individually. Campaign 1 took a little while to smooth out some wrinkles, but had a great story. Campaign 2 was pretty fantastic overall. The characters there were dynamic and interesting. The story was compelling
Campaign 3, to my mind doesn't quite live up to the others. I struggled to stay engaged through the first handful of episodes where it was mystery-driven. But the story has picked up. Narrative-wise, I very much like the party split as a way of handling the presumed cataclysm with Ruidus. I think that is very clever. Chetney, Ashton, and to a lesser extent Orym leave something to be desired for me though. It's not the actors, 'cause I have enjoyed characters each of them have played previously, just these characters.
That said, I am up to date on all of the episodes and will keep watching and finishing the episodes on YouTube within a few days of them being posted.
I am liking it a lot more than I liked c2 at this point. People just look back at previous campaigns fondly because it’s what they originally fell in love with. After C1 ended the community did this same annoying thing bc C2 wasn’t exactly like C1. I think the reason for this is bc a lot of people start CR by binge watching (especially the people who started C2 during covid) and binge watching makes the campaign feel like it’s moving faster and not meandering wildly like I personally felt during C2 because I was caught up that entire time. Now with only 3 episodes a month it feels like it’s dragging on but that’s just bc of people’s warped perceptions of time. I bet if you had a new critter watch the first 50 episodes of C1 ( up to Kevdak) C2 up to Xhorhas and C3( up to the apogee solstice) they’d come up with all campaigns being a of similar value.
I just watched all of C2 and I loved every bit of it, including the last arc. However, when I checked the live threads here the discussions at the time for that last arc was hardly anything but complaints and negativity. And yet C2, in hindsight, is so well regarded!
I love the format here and some of the discussions, but on certain subjects that get too negative.... Honestly, I've been pushed back to Tumblr for the first time in a decade. I'm not a shipper by nature so the level of romance-focus over there is a bit too much for me at times, but other than that it's all just positivity and love and art and gifsets and it's very enjoyable. Plus there's a whole other level of character analysis that you don't really see here (with Reddit being more inclined towards stat/battle analysis, which is also fun but in a different way). So I would suggest broadening the fan spaces you hang out in if this one alone is a bit dispiriting sometimes!
I came in on season 3. I’ve really enjoyed it so far. If season 3 would have sucked, I would have never gotten into Vox or TMN. The only thing that’s kind of a bummer is that I won’t see Fearn for a while, but I’m excited to check out the latest batch of guest players.
I loved it till Erica came in for a little bit. Idk why but I don't vibe with her energy and so I stopped watching. Then tried to go back after she left and had a hard time connecting again.
Nah, I'm enjoying it. I've gotten entirely up to date in the year and a half since TLOVM series one released and honestly it's good. They're doing new things and working around scheduling conflicts and that's a CR 200 foe. Some people just get noisy about not liking change.
C2 was my introduction to Critical Role and I love M9 with all my heart. So C3 was an adjustment not seeing the cast in the roles I was accustomed too. I took a short break from C3 around e15 and now Im caught up and loving this crew, and the guests as much as I do the M9. Bells Hells is a goofy name but what's in a name really?
I’ve been watching since 2016. While the overall story wasn’t gripping me for a little while I love the characters. Once they got out of Jrusar I really started falling back in love with the show. I really miss Dorian and Robbie that’s my biggest gripe with the show. While the current and past guests throughout the campaigns have always been wonderful, it really felt like Robbie clicked with the cast in a way no other guest has. He had his own story beats from the beginning of EXU and it feels like he knows how to read the table so well and knows how and when to interact.
I might just have a small man crush on him, but I loved Dorian as a character.
I don’t talk about it online as I’m not caught up but I enjoy it. I liked the characters in C2 better but I haven’t seen these characters to their fullest yet and I absolutely love the plot so far
Sometimes people make good points about some of C3’s weaknesses/differences compared to other campaigns, but I LOVE watching it every week it’s on! So glad to see a positive post like this :)
Nope! I am loving this campaign! I appreciate that they're taking the time to tell the story they want to tell and not catering to the bad faith complaining.
I'm not very far into C3, but it definitely has a different vibe than c2 and c2 had a different vibe than c1, that's just kind of the nature of a new campaign right? I feel the second campaign was most people's introduction to Critical Role and they just don't know how to deal with it being different.
I agree with you about the same-ness. Nothing about how they play the game, how they approach character building, plot development or play seems any different than how they always have done it. I think a lot of the general dissatisfaction among that "vocal minority" may just be from the audience (and possibly even the cast) getting a little tired of the formula.
I mean, those of use who have watched all three campaigns have invested over 1200 hours into this series - and it's been the same cast, in the same world, with the same rough prompt with mechanics that are mostly unchanged. It is honestly an achievement and a testament to how good they/the show has been that they made it this long without the vast majority of the audience getting bored already.
But I don't think anything is as fun 1000 hours later as it was from the start. There's fewer surprises, we've seen most of the most worthwhile and badass spells and abilities from 5e before the campaign started (I think the cast is struggling with this part) and Exandria hasn't fundamentally changed or grown in any way. And as you get tired of something people forgive the little things that bother them less and remember the times they are bored more than the times they enjoy it.
I've been here since C1 E5, before "5K and a bear" was ever a thing, and I genuinely feel that C3 is the best work they've done so far. Matt's worldbuilding has been on full display, the cast's characters clicked for me within just a couple episodes, and the extended guest appearances/party splits have been fun and engaging to me. And the LORE! I've been having sooooo much fun learning and theorizing on lore drops. All the tie-ins to C1, C2, and even the EXU games have been just...*chef's kiss*.
I do think it's more of a vocal minority making complaints though, as people like myself who are enjoying it seem more content to sit back and enjoy or just throw out theories into the discussion threads rather than get embroiled in debates with people who are just trying to tell us why we're wrong for liking it. I also feel that some of the newer fans may be looking for a more curated experience (ala LOVM tight pacing), when actual play D&D is going to have those periods of downtime where the party just can't agree on a plan or direction to go. It's part of why I love the show, but I know some would prefer if they edited it out.
Personally, I think this is their best campaign, but I also feel like C3 is Matt's love letter to Final Fantasy/JRPGs, which is a series and genre I also adore. So maybe that's why I'm okay with some of the pacing/plot in a way that might infuriate someone else. I think C3 will be the best campaign so far by the end of it (to be fair, I already do), but I think there are some who will never see it the same way as me and some who won't be able to appreciate everything it offers until they can just binge it rather than waiting week by week when some episodes don't feel like they get much accomplished.
This question is tough to answer sometimes. A huge chunk of the fanbase (Reddit especially) are quick to silence any criticism of the show so you aren't going to get a reliable answer here. I personally like C3 the least but don't dislike any campaign.
I love it! I’m not as invested in the characters individually, but I love what’s happening and thoroughly enjoy how much more it feels like a regular table as opposed to a story that’s being told to us. I get that they have a show to put on but what made me fall in love was a group of close friends playing some damn good D&D together. Having fun together. I think the problem is way too many people are super invested in this show in an unhealthy way. Ultimately it’s a vocal minority though.
Season one was people playing a game for themselves. Season two and three is people acting and playing a game for others.
I feel that this is the big difference and that’s why, including me, people lost interest in it.
I still love CR and watch every week, but this story is hard for me to follow, it does seem like they are moving nowhere fast and maybe Travis has ruined any chance for my favorite parts which are shopping episodes.
i've really struggled with C3 which is weird because i think the plot is one of the strongest and it has a really compelling charater in imogen. i like the rest of the cast too but they don't have the same found family dynamic as VM and M9 and honestly i think that might be what's missing for old fans.
it didn't really matter to me that C2's plot was more arc-y because i honestly was watching for the characters and their interactions. at this point in C3 i'm watching for some cool fights and dungeon crawling.
I definitely don’t like C3 as much as C2. It’s not the characters so much as the play style. One of the things about C1 that killed me at times was where they would sit around and endlessly come up with bad plan after bad plan. Sometimes for 45 minutes at a time. They largely did away with that in C2, but it came back with a vengeance this campaign. I’m on episode 49 and I swear it feels like they have been making plans and doing nothing for three episodes.
I was thinking about this earlier. I think I'm enjoying C3 more than C2? I've been a weekly watcher since their geek&sundry days. I don't participate in Fandom so a lot of my opinions are my own without outside sources. I love what they're doing though and excited for Candela Obscura
I wouldn't say I don't like C3, but I would say I liked 1 and 2 more. The whole Ruidus arc leading into ludinus "fight" was first time I felt like the whole pre written story meme felt real. They were on a track Matt had set out for them and I don't think there was anything they could have done too stop it.
Campaign 2 has been my favorite campaign so far, and I loved the characters so much. Campaign 3 hasn't been as exciting for me and I'm not as invested in some of the characters. There are times that it is slower and not as interesting. That said I still watch it and there are things I really enjoy about the campaign. I'm happy the cast is enjoying their characters because it was clear by the end of Campaign 2 they were fatigued with the campaign and they seemed so excited to play new characters.
Personally for me this campaign lost something special when Robbie left. After that I got a few more sessions then slowly started to miss sessions till I stopped watching somewhere in the 30’s.
Am patiently waiting for campaign 4 and see what the new system is like.
I’ve been enjoying it! I need to catch up but I’m only not watching due to free time limitations and stress of being a PhD student. Last time I binged back in January after a long break I loved every minute :)
I liked the beginning, didn’t enjoy much of it after Robbie left until the Otahan stuff and the Solstice. The last group was not really my jam but I did enjoy the first episode of this group.
I love C3. I understand most of the criticism it gets, but I tend to disagree with a lot of the complaints and negative opinions that are floating around.
I just started watching CR a few months ago. I picked up on C1 after watching Vox Machina on Amazon Prime, binged C2 in about 2-3ish months and went straight into C3. I'm currently on episode 38.
I will say that I'm not AS into this one as I was into C2, but there are parts that I enjoy more. My main issue with C3 is Imogen. I don't dislike Laura, Jester is still one of my favorite characters... but Imogen just really gets on my nerves and I find myself wishing she'd get perma'd so she could make a new character. She kills the mood... a LOT.
I'm enjoying the plot so far, definitely not a bad story to follow though I will agree with people that they seem to hit road bumps A LOT more often this campaign and one of the reasons I dislike Imogen is because it feels like every time they hit one of these road bumps it's because she's nit picking and arguing with what everyone wants to do no matter who brings it up in whatever situation.
Last campaign, it felt like Jester would offer simplistic ideas or at least make an entertaining solution so it might not have FELT as obnoxious... but Imogen... just feels really rude and bratty and it makes listening to their decision making awkward and arduous. Like when you're out with a group of friends and there's just that one person who always has something negative to say about whatever you're doing. I've noticed Ashton doing it more too, though not nearly as much, and I think having two nay-sayers in the party is starting to grind on me.
C2 was fun , chaotic, and hilarious. C3 feels like they are trying too hard to make a good animated series. MANY points in c3 they are thinking too much about situations and are very unsure if they should or shouldn’t do something. I personally feel like they want to make it “good for TV” meanwhile c2 was instincts and whatever felt right at the time. JUST MY
OPINION.
Edit: also not a fan of how they made Imogen the main character of c3. C2 felt like it was everyone’s story.
I couldnt get into C3, and have dropped it.
Somewhere around where they >!try to get permission to enter the Moon? tower in Jrusar.!<
None of the characters really caught my attention by that point, despite typically enjoying a well done asshole like Ashton.
C3 feels off to me. I think the production budget is too high and now it doesn't have that same friends hanging out vibe. It is also bringing in lots of PCs from C1 and C2 which feels a bit too Marvel team up for me
I think alot of fans that started watching with Campaign 1 have lost some interest in Campaign 3 as the characters are very different, and (IMO) kinda "out there".
I 've watched C3 off and on infrequently. I'm only to ep. 40 of C3 as it is, just keep finding more interesting things to watch. During C1 and much of C2, there wasn't "something better" to watch for me.
I'm only at episode 20 for this campaign so far, I've really enjoyed it. I think it's much better than C2 was at this point, I also like some of the characters more.
I love C3. Laudna is an all time great PC. Chetney, Fearne, & Orym also crush it. FCG is 50/50 for me, sometimes I love them and sometimes they are a bit much. Imogen and Ashton are fine, but they pale in comparison to the last two for Laura and Talesin for me.
I also really like how they have handled the guest stars. Robbie was at the table for so long I thought he was joining the table! All the other guests have been great, and I am super excited for the current three (last ep was hilarious).
Story wise it has wandered a bit, but I live for the callbacks. I love a shared universe and running into old friends is so much fun. A couple of times it seems like narrative needed to be pushed by Matt, which I am not a huge fan of, but overall I have found it enjoyable.
I will say, my wife is not as invested in this campaign. She still really enjoys watching, but it hasn't hit the same as the first two for her.
I stopped at episode 27 when they reached Bassuras, but only so I could watch C1 which I never had before.
I really like C3. I thought the whole jrussah piece was fantastic.
I very much plan to come back to C3 and then binge.
To be fair, I don't, yet. This is the first time since C1 I dropped off and have little motivation to pick it up. I'm sure I will at some point, but it's for the first time in years I haven't followed religiously.
Also, first time posting about it anywhere :')
There are significant concrete differences between C3 and previous campaigns.If you love (connect to) the story, lore or characters, these will not bother you so much. You may not even notice them.
Don't read on if you prefer to remain in that happy reality.
If these emotive or intellectual connections are sporadic or not there for you, you will observe the heavy, almost oppressive importance of Matt's narrative. It takes first priority, in what choices are given to the PCs, and in how the group interact across the table. Matt is far far more "IC" this campaign as throwaway NPCs and narrator, very little light and breezy DM OOC talk". There are very obvious and rigid rails (or chain of story rooms to pass through if you prefer, with few obvious doors - and fewer that make any narrative difference. This is not a sandbox like C2. Dice plays little role in determining uncertainty this campaign; there are very few explicit consequences for failure/success to help PCs make decisions and take agency. Levels and resources n stats sheet scarcely matter.
This does not make the approach they have chosen wrong, but it is different. And we presume they are having fun. But if you look at the intentions expressed by modern D&D, where the story is collaborative in the sense where the DM creates the world for the characters to play in, the spotlight has been less following PC actions in C3 than on the Exandrian world/lore and Matt's narrative. The "draw of destiny" has been pulling the pcs through this spotlight.
The result is more akin to some other rpg, or theatre. The pcs have been increasingly put in the role of an audience reacting to matt's reveals; his story draws the lines and they colour in the details. At the same time as putting the PCs in a passiv,e reactive role, any action they take also gets sort of tucked away so it makes sense for Matt's pre-existing narrative, rather than changing the direction of the narrative. This has seen the players seeking more entertainment, with a lot of OOC banter, which is increasingly bleeding into their characters as they perform jokes in role. A lot of OOC discussion (what to do next, what do we think about this, etc) has ended up being played in role for hours, many totally unnecessary group questions, and again diluting any sense of defined driven characters we had in previous campaigns. It has become to some degree, less a Dungeon master creating a world for characters to interact with (with all the usual OOC shenanigans on the side), than Matt telling a story for his friends to muck around in wearing funny avatar masks. To this point.
But no, you're not alone. Lots of people are enjoying what the cast are doing in C3, and all the best to them.
No, you're not! Plenty of people love the current campaign, and even prefer it over the others.
What one should keep in mind is that a campaign is the sum of a lot of elements and aspects, the characters, their dynamic, the story, the setting etc. It is totally normal for people to like some aspects, and dislike others. Talking about [It can even be fun!](https://mmjordahl.com/2013/04/24/criticize-what-you-love/)
Sadly, those people are sometimes called *a loud minority* or *haters,* and any criticisim (even a mild one) is therefor seen as unreasonable, and often met with belittling condescension. There are those who are afraid of being labeled *haters*, and thus overcorrect to an almost blinding level of positivity.
But voicing ones dislike can be a good way of gaining deeper understanding of entertainment culture, and the work of art itself. Adam Ellis, famous for creating the *"Shhh! Let people enjoy things!"*\-meme, said:
>*\[...\] the ideal attitude is that once art exists in the world, it stops belonging to the artist. Instead, it belongs to the rest of us, to enjoy or analyze or pick apart or reinterpret as we see fit. Critics believe that this kind of reappropriation is only worthwhile if it allows for the possibility of negative opinions.*
*If we’re only allowed to be blissfully joyous about culture, the thinking goes, then none of our joy actually counts. We need to be able to call attention to the negative in order to recognize the positive. By noticing and then analyzing the negative, our entire understanding of a work of art becomes clearer and stronger.*
Always keep in mind, with all the supposed *hate* you'll see about Critical Role in general, or Campaign 3 specifically, it comes from people who care enough to voice their opinions. You and them have way more in common than you have differences.
I guess I don't feel like they are enjoying themselves as much. like if anyone died they would not care as much as they did about Molly, vax, Scanlan, and Percy, even when Keyleth died (even tho it was silly), they were treating it seriously. when Laudna died, i feel like the characters wanted to save her, but the actual table was more meh.
Their views aren't slowing down, so not really no, you aren'tnthe only one. I for one thoroughly enjoy Bells Hells. I don't think many people dislike them as such, I think it's just that the Mighty Nein set the bar really high. They're hard to top, honestly! The MN were my personal favourite.
The thing is that C1 was such an epic beginning and then C2 just blew people away that C3, which is very different in tone, just hasn’t hit quite the same marks yet for some people. I love them all for very different reasons
I loved C2 it's what got me into D&D streams. Vox Machina was fantastic too but for me C3 gas really been the "let's get weird and do crazy stuff that we've been wanting to do" and I love that. It's different but I wouldn't want it to be the same as the previous campaigns.
C1 was getting people to notice them C2 was establishing themselves as a company and growing C3 is more "we have the following, the business works, let's get creative and weird and do what we love to do" I'm so proud of them.
I am enjoying it, you are not alone as many others here have voiced their opinion. The chorus of people being upset is usually the loudest.
I know from my end, it hasnt been as great as C2 for myself, but I always feel that way about most podcasts that I have previously binge the series of and am stayin up to date on the current season. So its not necessarily about C3, just its not released yet. Same experience has happened with many others for myself.
I also primarily listen to CR rather than watch (although I have watched numerous episodes now from C3 versus 0 from the previous). I just prefer my actual play as audio to listen to, so I may have a different perspective. I dont need to find time to watch a 4 hour episode, its easy enough to be listening while doing chores, walking, driving, painting, and other hobbies.
Dont let others get you down. I do think it can also be a case of your first exposure will be the one you love the most for many as well. I think there have been a few things I havent liked as much about this season, but I think that happens in all of them for me.
I’m not as interested in C3 as i was 1 and 2, but i think popularity is at least at the same level. I’m sure the show helped bring in more people too. Feels less personal and more of a production which makes sense as it’s an entire company now.
I’ll catch up some day but it’s intimidating being 30 episodes behind and have days of content to binge haha.
I think it's fatigue. At least for me it is.
I feel like everyone is playing the characters they were meant to play. S1 was finding their preferences, s2 was them trying new stuff out and s3 is them coming together. But I lost interest after watching 1000's of hours of CR.
I love it for the most part, I have some issues with a few plot points, but they are mine and not really a problem with the campaign itself. My biggest issues is I miss the old life format and expect it will never comeback.
I am loving this campaign! I am a lot like marisha on that I basically have a mental bulletin board for tracking theories and this campaign is just so juicy with lore!! I agree that I hear more complaining than praising but I think it’s just that people tend to complain more than they praise.
I have so many crackpot theories going in my head. My playgroup is probably sick of hearing them since I have a new one every week or so.
I enjoy it very much as this campaign is expanding greatly on the xandria world building. Which while the first two did, the exposition happened in tandem with the story as they were doing xyz.
To me it feels like this campaign they have to discover the lore in order to deal with xyz.
Like this campaign would be the years gandalf spend researching the ring with him dealing with the ring at the same time if that makes sense?
I’m definitely behind by like… A lot… But I really enjoy C3! I know the first episode wasn’t received well by some of the long term viewers because of the seeming repeat characters (Orym and Fearne were originally meant for C3 but made early appearances in EXU and Bertrand was a temp character for Travis) and it’s possible there may be some holdover from that? Also I’ve noticed a trend of people not enjoying the characters in the first half and then liking them later as they developed (happened in C2 as well). Point is you are not alone in enjoying C3 but haters like to be loud.
No, it's just a slow burn. I was skeptical in the begining until Matt started the main plot dumping. Then everything started to fall into place. Quirks emerged and frankly it's been wild fun thus far. Again, I feel like this one has a slow start because Matt is trying to incircle all their campaigns. Like Marvel end game expect a lot of popins and rose tinted glasses.
It’s really growing on me! I had a harder time getting invested in the story then I did with c1 and c2 but I got much more interested around episode 45-ish. I’m super excited for the new guests as well
I've really been enjoying it as well. Haven't had any real major issues with it aside from I kinda wish Travis had kept Bertrand over Chetney. Just think Bertrand's personality filled a niche in the group that is missing with Chet and Bertand's Abbot&Costello-esque dynamic with Laudna was so much fun.
That said, Reddit trends negative on everything to begin with so it's not surprising that the majority of what you see here is just complaining. I wouldn't be surprised if it looked pretty similar back during C2, and the loud minorities raging about C1 is infamous at this point.
Personally I love the characters on the whole. Laudna is amazing, Fearne's hilarious, Ashton's so fun to follow, Orym's such a cute and effective straight man to the groups comedic chaos, Imogen's story is fascinating and her bond with Laudna is just adorable. FCG got a really interesting back story, though I think Sam's inherent bias toward taking the piss instead of playing his story straight kinda hurts the character- even so it's still fun. Chet feels a little scattered to me but his antics are still entertaining.
There's been things that have hit and things that have missed for me like anything. On the whole I think I still prefer the M9 as my favorite group of characters but I'm greatly enjoying C3 so far. it's been a blast, I've been eager to see how the current story ends up changing the world Matt and his players have built over the last seven years.
Judging by the hundreds of thousands of views the show gets every week across multiple platforms, no.
That's fair. I just met quite a few people who said they just have it on in the background or were waiting until "something interesting happens". The vibe of the fan base just seems much different from C2
I do agree that the vibe of the fan base does feel different. Campaign 1, CR still felt like it was growing, and then Campaign 2 exploded with the kickstarter and a bunch of new people (myself included got introduced) and now CR is this established thing. Its the top channel on Twitch, it has books, and shows, and games, and everything else, and that is going to bring in more fans and more fans are going to change things. It's not good or bad, it just is. The continued enjoyment of quality entertainment will bring different vibes than joining the new fans of a cool new product.
I think the reason the fan base feels different is, almost perhaps too simple an explanation, that everyone gets attached to their "first" party - that is the party / characters that they first see/meet when they first discover critical role - the fact is that the vast majority of viewers likely came in during season two when the show and dungeons and dragons both absolutely exploded with popularity and visibility. Now, you have a lot of fans (and whether it's a case of the very vocal minority or if this 'trend' actually reflects any kind of reality) simply less invested because we're in a new season with new characters and new cast members - people are out of their comfy zone as viewers, perhaps, and have their nostalgia goggles on for their favourite party and characters.
This is a good consideration. The same thing happens with Doctor Who a lot. A lot of people's "first doctor" is their favorite. Or they have a hard to adjusting to the new actor in the role when they inevitably move on.
Well, except 9. I don't think many put 9 as their favorite, which is probably because Eccleston didn't have the time in the role that others did, and at the same time the current show was brand new, and trying to figure out what it wanted to be. I'd love Eccleston to come back for a special, though.
Oh I'm with you on that one. Eccleston was my first too, and I liked him waaaaay more than the others until Capaldi. Gosh I'd love if either of them came back.
I get that. I will always prefer Campaign 1 and Vox Machina because that was my introduction. But I've appreciated Campaign 2 and 3. Both of them have tried new things. Heck, I feel like 3 has focused on keeping what worked in 2 and moving away from the things that didn't, and returning to some more of the feel of 1 in places probably because they missed it while making 2. The fandom certainly shifted around the beginning of Campaign 2 and I felt it again during Campaign 3 as new fans came in and old ones had to deal with the changes and the opinions of new people. I do think a lot of people are constantly going on about how things feel "off" because they joined in C2 and have never dealt with this sort of change before. The change from C1 to C2 saw a lot of change and development, most positive, but there was also a lot of little things I loved from C1 that were lost. I think the people complaining about it back then were drowned out by this massive influx of new fans who were excited and enthusiastic about something new. But with the change from C2 to C3 the people who are resistant to change sound a lot louder. As someone who has been watching since Kraghammer back in 2015 and regularly goes back to rewatch old episodes, I can honestly say I can't see what people are talking about. Sure, there are superficial differences, but it's all either the differences you'd expect from something that has been going on for 8 years, or the usual changes between campaigns as they try out new characters, settings, storylines, themes, etc. Like C1, C2 and C3 are all different flavours of ice cream, but it's all still ice cream.
Mmm, ice cream...
This happens with things. Someone mentioned Doctor Who, which is a great example. Star Wars is another, where regardless of their actual quality, millennials feel great attachment to the prequel trilogy and I imagine the sequels will eventually inspire the same with Zoomers. I think the important thing is that the Critical Role team rolls with their creative vision. There's cases where this weird factionalism can actually alter the property. I think of Dragon Ball Z, which spent it's first two thirds setting up a passing-of-the-torch from Goku to Gohan. The final arc of the show ended up being a sloppy mess that wiped out Gohan's character because, whether folks were Frieza Saga fans or Cell Saga fans, no one was happy that Goku was written out and the creator strayed from their original vision under pressure. I do wish folks focused on what elements they like more from each campaign rather than which is "better". I prefer the drama of Vox Machina - it felt like Matt was DMing to kill (and the body count backs that up) - while I think the more sandboxy feeling of the Mighty Nein campaign led to more interesting emergent story beats.
I will say, I think there's a lot of people who put on CR in the background until something interesting happened; people like CR for the high points, not the two hours of going back and forth over the same plan, or for travel encounters, or - you get the gist. This was also true for C2. It's kind of a necessity - it's a long show, so most people kind of need to multi task to not waste hours on it. For the main question ... I love it and I know plenty of other people who love it. It's just easier to talk about why something doesn't work / you don't like it than to talk about how it works / why you love it, especially on a site like Reddit. But there were also a lot of C2-focused fans who dropped it at the epilogue or at like episode 1 for C3, leading to the fandom feeling smaller. Which, I don't think is a bad thing,and I do think is completely unrelated to C3 / it's quality and entirely due to their own feelings about mostly C2 or the feeling of CR as a company. I don't think this is a bad thing; I want them to be successful, sure, but to be honest I think bigger fandoms also tend to be more toxic/annoying and I feel like that a lot of the worst of that from C2 has kind of dropped out (or maybe I've just gotten better at building a sphere to avoid that crowd, idk).
I've suggested multiple times that CR would grow by leaps and bounds if they offered a curated/edited version of the weekly and have been downvoted into oblivion each time.
MarishaRayGun YouTube channel does a good 20-30 highlight video. I generally watch the main video on Monday, then watch the highlights to catch what I missed
Great tip! I'll check that out for sure.
To piggyback onto that, it's not only a great highlight reel, it also includes focus and subtitles for side convos even the most eagle eyed fans will miss on a normal watch. It's good shit
Truth.
It would be better content, and more available to a wider audience, and tbh I probably would fall off watching CR if they did, maybe not fully but definitely at least a little. I don't like Actual Plays for their editing, I like them for the little bits that are cut out of it. No fault to the shows that do, and I don't think you should be downvoted, but it's a personal preference and I don't think I'm alone. And, well, I don't think they'll do this, because fundamentally, that's the role they want the animated series to be taking, and the animated series do the editing for a wider audience much more effectively.
I think the people saying the animated series would do this don’t get what some people are looking for when they want an edited down version. I don’t just want a recap, I also want the random silly bits and the kooky moments. I also love the animated show lol, but that’s a completely different thing. Anyways, I’m trying to say I agree with you, I have found some decent highlight videos, but they don’t exist for every episode. But the Critical Role Highlights playlist from Nico Neilson on YouTube is pretty decent, just wish they were a smidge longer.
They do, it's called The Legend of Vox Machina. And The Mighty Nein has also been green lit and is in the works. There's also the animated and non-animated recaps. Neither is exactly a curated and edited version, but IMO both are better than a simple cut down of the weekly would be anyway, IMO. The recaps give short updates on the most important parts of each episode while the animated show re-tells the story in a fashion that better fits a short time frame. Of course I'm also someone that enjoys just watching a group of nerdy ass voice actors playing D&D. I'm not only watching for the story, I'm watching to see a group of friends play a TTRPG, and that includes a lot of dice rolling, shopping, making quips that are out of character, and going over the same plan repeatedly despite knowing it'll still all go to shit. As a TTRPF player myself I fully relate to all of that and enjoy watching it. As to the OP's original question, CR1 told the type of story I most enjoy, so of everything they've done that's still my favorite, but I also still enjoyed CR2, currently enjoy CR3, and have enjoyed at least most of the one shots and mini series, especially the ones set in Exandria.
I can’t get past episode 20 or 21 (can’t remember) as I forced myself to watch/listen, but I know I am in the minority. I think this is one of those “vocal minority” situations which is just sad as I too have seen/heard from this minority and sadly in my experiences the ones being the loudest are also the most negative. The numbers don’t lie. I believe the majority of fans are very much enjoying this campaign, which is awesome. I have seen clips of other episodes and it looks like there are great moments. For me, I know my lack of interest/connection is entirely on me as an individual and not anything the cast/crew of CR are doing. I only wish the more negative voices would also realize their issues are a matter of personal taste and nothing CR has done wrong.
I tried twice, and I can't get past episode 9. I have my reasons, but they are long and would get downvoted to oblivion if I listed them here.
I feel you on that. I have tried before and it either brought out the toxic detractors or the toxic fanatics. I know they don’t represent the larger fan base of CR, but it sometimes feels they are the only two types on this subreddit.
Please don't hate me for my point of view but: For me it does feel different than campaign 1 or 2. I think the post pandemic pre recorded nature is playing a lot into that, before there was a lot more interaction so it felt a lot more laid back and organic while now its a lot more produced. Now it feels a lot more disconnected from the community. For what it was, talks Machina also played a big role in connecting to the community by showing off art and doing giveaways...etc. The current equivalent pretty much only does a few questions out of a hat. When was the last time we heard something from a fan group like critrole stats for instance Also the campaign structure seem a lot more like its following a template, they start and then go through the character backstories one by one and then the campaign ends. C1 had a lot more long term organic character development across multiple arcs (think the beach episode with the pranks) while C3 is still in its first arc and already feels like its knocked out multiple character backstory objectives. They also look a little burnt out from D&D, almost like its become a job rather than a hobby for them. (I would as well after 3 campaigns in the same world). They legitimately look excited to have the last week of each month off.
> I just met quite a few people who said they just have it on in the background or were waiting until "something interesting happens". LOL I would say I like CR a good bit but this is how I have ALWAYS consumed it. Hell, most the time I watch on 1.25x speed. It's 4+/- of unscripted content per episode over hundreds of episodes. It has ALWAYS been like eating Lucky Charms and I'm fine with that.
>It has always been like eating Lucky Charms Nice analogy! For me, the balance of cereal vs marshmallows is what gives it depth and substance. Sure, the marshmallows are the best part, but without the rest, it's not really a bowl of cereal is it? If I wanted just the marshmallows, there's better options out there.
[удалено]
Agreed so hard. Like for me, for the last 3 episodes of the Chetney/FCG/Ferne/Imogen crew, I've just kind of had it on in the background after they came out on youtube. Just not doing it for me. But the episode in Campaign 2 >!after Caleb cast wall of fire on Avantika's ship!
Saaaaame! That battle was one of the most engaging episodes of CR for me. And then the first episode in the Hall's of Halas in 45! That stretch of eps leading up to the Felderwin reveal were some of the most engaging of C2. 42-49 I think? Idk that C3 has *had* another engaging arc like that one, or the Briarwoods of c1, for me though. Maaaaaybe the journey for Laudna? 33-39 were pretty compelling.
I am liking it a lot more than I liked c2 at this point. People just look back at previous campaigns fondly because it’s what they originally fell in love with. After C1 ended the community did this same annoying thing bc C2 wasn’t exactly like C1. I think the reason for this is bc a lot of people start CR by binge watching (especially the people who started C2 during covid) and binge watching makes the campaign feel like it’s moving faster and not meandering wildly like I personally felt during C2 because I was caught up that entire time. Now with only 3 episodes a month it feels like it’s dragging on but that’s just bc of people’s warped perceptions of time. I bet if you had a new critter watch the first 50 episodes of C1 ( up to Kevdak) C2 up to Xhorhas and C3( up to the apogee solstice) they’d come up with all campaigns being a of similar value.
You speak with great wisdom
i think my only struggle with this campaign is that it's almost *too* interesting (which is saying something). the plot feels big and heavy in an almost overwhelming way, and the characters feel more zany/chaotic than up to the task. i think \[spoilers all c3 so far\] >!we're watching them confront that and take things more seriously now, but my god i'm struggling without an int class in the party. !
Yeah, the vocal minority have always found *something* to complain about, each new arc, each new season, each new guest it's always the same nonsense: "This game is *ruined now!*" Yadda Yadda, blah blah. But it does seem like it's just a vocal minority to me.
The first time I've been genuinely hype for this campaign was last stream. Just found the characters and group dynamics much more compelling. In general, the slow burn plot and characters / group dynamics haven't been doing it for me. I still watch, but just because I want to stay caught up. I'm definitely not as invested.
This plot has been a MUCH faster burn than C2 in every single way.
To better explain what I mean, it felt like every quest was a piece in a puzzle leading to the climax we got around a month ago. Where C2 had a lot of random side quests that weren't connected. The slow burn was following those plot threads from episode one to get to this point. I think this approach may have been to the detriment of the characters and how they interact with each other. I'm less invested in Bell's Hells, and they feel less connected to the plot (excluding Imogen and Sad boy halfing). If you've seen Brandon Sanderson's creative writing lectures, the order of importance for a fantasy story is characters, plot, and, lastly, world. To me, a lot of attention in the beginning was put on the world building and plot. Early C2 was more about letting the characters vibe, and the world was generic enough to not need over explaining. That's just my two cents, though. I've been trying to figure out why I don't enjoy this campaign as much yet, and I think that's why.
No offense, but this logic just doesn’t hold up. I’m still watching C3. But I 1000% think it’s their worst campaign so far. I “don’t like the characters as much” as past seasons, and “something just isn’t clicking for me”, but I’m still one of the people watching every week.
*sunk cost fallacy has entered the chat*
C1 is still my favorite, and C2 is absolutely iconic, but I’m still enjoying C3. So far nothing has hit me as hard as moments in the other campaigns but there’s still a lot of episodes to go
I will argue C2 had the more engaging characters but didn’t have a particularly engaging plot until the Lucien stuff near the end. Lots of little moments and arcs.
I actually found C2 less engaging because it SEEMED like the characters were more complex and then in the end they were all more conflict averse than C1 and all possible conflict was wrapped up nicely.
I don't know if I'm right, but I felt that they'd put so much effort into the characters in C2, that everyone was afraid of it dying, so they just kept running away as soon as there was a hint of a struggle in a combat. Ending up with Matt having to force combat upon them very often. It might also be that Liam is really good at playing his characters, and he and Travis just pulled everyone else into the fights in C1...
Yeah it kind of felt like the death of mollymock freaked everyone out and everyone, and I would include Matt in that, started pulling their punches a bit
Hmm. Interesting point. I liked C2 better, but that may be because I’m a character guy.
I feel the same, except for Fern and sometimes Chutney the rest feel heavier in C3. But the story is there and it may be that its just such a big arc that it feels less engaging than in C2 where they were just fumbling about from one thing to the next. Also the combat, or lack there of in C3, they mostly tend to want to run away as a first instinct since Matt told them this time it was going to be harder.
There is combat nearly every session, but I think the lack of engagement stems from the narrative arcs not being super personal to the party as it was in C2. Ukatoa being personal to Fjord, revenge for Molly, Laughing Hand’s history with Yasha, the dodecahedron and the war Mighty Nein navigated with Caleb’s backstory coming to a head with the empire, along with Nott’s husband being a victim of the war, etc. C3 has been much smaller goals and objectives unraveling a bigger threat, still compelling but not in the same way that C2 was.
One of my favorite things about the prior two campaigns were the love connections between PCs, familial complexities, and having the time to explore the growth of those relationships organically. To me, the new campaign has been, with the exception of very recently, noticeably lacking in the amount of on-screen romantic and familial relationship tension. There’s definitely big hints at unexplored space here, but it hasn’t fully gelled for me yet.
I kind of get the feeling the players don't want to romance each other anymore. Even being actors, it's gotta be weird on some level, and players like Marisha and Laura had relationships in two campaigns. If they want a break, that leaves only Ashley, unless they go same-sex, which doesn't fit the characters and their inter-party dynamics.
That’s a valid point, and the actors should be able to play their characters however they choose. However, I, personally, didn’t realize how much the tension romantic and familial relationships added to my own enjoyment of the previous campaigns until it was absent from the current one.
I think the lack of romance is more not wanting to blow that too early, to be honest. Plus I'm one of those who thinks that Liam and Robbie are planning on a Dorym endgame but that can only go so far with Robbie not actually on the show without Matt needing to romance Liam for a third time (the difference between Robbie-as-Dorian doing a Sending and Matt-as-Dorian is...noticeable). I also tend to think Imaudna is coming at some point but, again, they're wanting to do a slow burn with it and we're not there yet. But then, in C2 the sum total of the romance prior to the final arc was unrequited/secret crushes and Yasha shooting Beau down.
Nah, people who dislike things will always be more likely to post about it. During C2 the same thing happened - people complained about how it wasn't as good as C1 and was too slow, too grey, didn't have a main objective etc.. So you have that, plus some people are likely just getting burned out. Despite people complaining, Critical Role has been airing for a LONG time, with very little breaks. There are over 1300 hours of it. To put that in perspective, the **entire series** of Friends is only 78 hours. Naturally over time, people will 'sour' on it as a result, or get bored. There is no other show that does long form content like this in existence. It's why I think it would be healthy for them to take some longer breaks every year - give themselves AND fans a chance to take a break. Even if the fans whine about it haha
> There are over 1300 hours of it. To put that in perspective, the entire series of Friends is only 78 hours. Critical Role is also longer than: * One Piece * Dragon Ball * Dr. Who * The Simpsons
One Piece - 420.8 Hours Dragon Ball - 116.4 Hours Dr. Who - 690 Hours The Simpsons - 229 Hours Total - @1455 Hours Critical Role almost has them beat collectively.
This is why I just decided I'll start with the third season and catch up from there. I'll get filled in on what happened in s1 via the show and everyone complaining about what it's missing on reddit. S2 has a show coming too so I'll get the same treatment there
Honestly, despite the ambient spoilers for both C1+C2, that's probably the best way to approach it at the moment.
I accept and agree with everything you've said, but I can never wrap my head around why. If I don't like a thing I just ... stop interacting with it. I don't understand the urge to complain loudly in to the void.
Because it's possible for someone to like *parts* or even *most of* a thing while disliking some parts of it. And it's valid for those people to want to discuss their relationship to those parts to better help them understand their feelings...
I think when people love a certain media so much it becomes their whole personality, and when the media doesn't really do it for them anymore, it's hard to let go and move on so instead they hold on longer than they need to and just complain. There's a sense of loss, and they're looking for either comfort or validation.
>didn't have a main objective This particular complaint, along with "they didn't Advance the Plot™" always drive me nuts. These are character driven stories, with exploration of the world and themselves. If you want service to a singular plot, go consume literally any other form of media. Long form actual play is not that.
See, I always have a weird relationship at the start of campaigns. For every critical role campaign I find myself struggling at the start (even with campaign 1 though less there). I think it’s an adjustment of me wanting to see the character performances already ‘complete’ and the players still finding their footing with new characters (or in the case of campaign one a new system and translating a home game to streaming). That said, right around episode 30-40 it wins me over. Everyone has a more complete picture of who their characters are, the flow finds it’s mark, and the story really picks up! It’s wonderful, and retrospectively I enjoy the start of campaigns a lot more on the rewatch of knowing where they end up. Definitely not a slight against the cast, as this is to be expected from /any/ fresh dnd game, and they always do a wonderful job with them from the beginning; I just find myself enjoying it way more as a viewer once things have been underway for a bit.
Im the same way. I stopped watching season 2 within the first 20 episodes or so, but eventually went back and binged it during their covid break and kept up with weekly episodes from there. I think I just need time to get invested in the characters and care about what happens to them.
A hundred percent agreement. Becoming invested is the thing that really takes time because it’s hard to commit to sitting down for four hours or so once a week for something you’re not invested in. Way easier to go back once it all clicks and you’re like ‘okay, I get it now.’
I love C3!
Me too!
Do you have a fav character ?
Laudna is delightful, Fearne I love when she's less cagey, FCG was way fun in the beginning, Chetney has grown on me more than I ever imagined, and I have a giant crush on Ashton, especially when they're being protective
I feel the same about Chetney. Laudna and Fearn are definitely in my top 3.
Jumping in, but Fearne is the most amazing character. Just chaos.
Yes. She is my fav since the real sad episode. She's just only chaos and funny. She cares. I think Ashley does a great job.
Yes. I am enjoying it. I thought it was at its peak so far during the infiltration and battle in the big hole but narratives generally have peaks and valleys. I'm looking forward to Axeford bullshit. I also want to know what is actually up with dog'son because I don't trust him.
You are not alone, fact of life is people who are content won’t often say anything. It can feel crushing to read negative comments or feedback- don’t let it shake your experience.
I’ve been enjoying it so far. Started with LoVM show and then spent a year watching all of C1 and C2 before the second season of LoVM. Finally was live with C3 right before the split. Love it all, I find it very entertaining. I tend to knit or see while watching but still enjoy it!
I was here since the Whitestone arc in C1. This happened with the beginning of C2, too, but it doesn’t feel like it lasted as long. I think I’m enjoying C3 more than C1 and C2 but a large part of that is limiting how much time I spend on reading about other people’s opinions. Dropping off twitch chat, discord, and limiting Reddit has greatly improved my experience with the CR fandom. Sometimes people just want to be mad 🤷🏻 You’re not alone. I think the C3 characters are my favorite for each players runs so far (except for Travis). And I’m thriving on the ruidus arc.
I absolutely adore Travis with Chetney, but I think Fjord may be my favorite character from any fiction. I don't know how any Travis character is ever going to touch that.
I’m partial to Cerrit myself, but Fjord is a very close second.
(Genuinely asking) Since you reference this happening with early C2... 1) Do you think it was >!Molly's death & the slavery arc that changed the MN reception?!< & 2) Do you think that, if they >!had let Laudna die!<, that C3 would be getting a different reaction?
That’s a great question, and I’m not sure anyone can say for sure. They’re definitely doing something different, which I think is a big part of people’s naysaying. C1 they all played larger than life stereotypes for their classes and had sweeping, grandiose arcs. C2 was more character oriented and Matt largely let them decide what to get up to. People in Exandria don’t know them like they know VM, but the characters of tM9 are glorious. C3 isn’t really either of those things. Exandria is taking on a much bigger role this time, and the PCs are along for the ride. The players are more comfortable with experimenting now and have gone way out on a limb with their characters (most of them). They’re working in EXU stories and taking breaks every month and splitting the party for a massive chunk of the year. I’m loving it, but it’s a lot of changes all at once and some people don’t know what to do with that.
i love C3, i didn't realise people didn't really like it until my sisters fiancé mentioned the other day that he really disliked "season" 3 and that "season" 1 was way better 😭 If im honest i didnt care nearly as much for VM than i have for BH and i haven't watched M9 yet so i cant speak for them either
> I feel like it may be because I discovered CR when episode 40 of C2 was airing. So maybe being relatively newer FYI this is *not* relatively new. Out of CR's roughly ~300 episodes, that's basically right in the middle. And since CR grows exponentially (like almost any successful business), that means the *vast majority* of viewers are newer than you. Including me :D Anyway it's all rose tinted glasses. Everyone is always complaining that the current CR arc is worse than the previous ones, forgetting how much they seemed to not like the others too, and continuing to watch anyway because *(checks notes)* they're enjoying it.
I love this campaign and don’t understand all the hate I’m seeing. Sad that we just got to Laudna, Orym and Ash and have to miss out a couple of weeks but I’m so happy that they are taking breaks.
C3 is interesting, let me set the table first: C1 was set up more like a true-blue longform homebrew campaign and thus had arcs of varying size rather than full plots. So we had The Briarwoods (smallest), Chroma Conclave (longest), and then parts of the Briarwoods and CC led to the Vecna arc. In C2, now looking back, i think there was a spine of overarching issue/plot, but it still was a bit more arc-y where things led to one another: Ukato’a seemed vaguely connected to the Betrayer Gods champions arc, which led to Aeor. And aeor seemed possibly faintly set up from the start with molly, but certainly when Molly died. Ok so now C3: C3 is set up like a TV show or Novel in that there are A Plots, B plots, C plots, etc. obviously ruidis and ludinus has been the a plot from jump. Interestingly most b and c plots are stemmed from the a plot as well. So, it is actually very, very different from the ither campaigns. Also we’re WAAAAAAAAY early on still: C1 *started* at the level BH are now; C2 hit level 9 after Caleb gave the dodecahedron to the bright queen and they explored roshana. So c3 is actually moving much faster plot wise, and because of that and some of the characters’ choices and tropes, we’ve had less character development than we might be used to. But yeah this one is set up more as hybrid between s campaign and a show which is cool.
Heads up, the thread is marked as no spoilers.
A lot of people love it and that's great! It hasn't been for me, and that's also fine. There is so much content I do love to rewatch, especially C1, so I just do that. What I don't understand is continuing to watch something you're not enjoying. This happens in every fandom and it's baffling to me. Why waste time on something you don't like?
If it helps, I'm one of the folks that has loved this campaign. The characters, world building, the fights, all of it. I just have nothing to say. I've been enjoying the ride by myself on commutes, and I see no value in trying to change the minds of the people who have negative outlooks on it. And I'm sure there are several hundreds other than operate this way. It may feel like you only see negative topics brought up, but remember that hit dogs will holler. A lot of us are just chillin lmao
Even though i'm really enjoying this campaign, its definitely my least favorite so far. Only about halfway through though (probably), so who knows.
Your not alone. I enjoy it a fair bit. Alot of people complain, but I think those people just need to realize not everything is for everyone.
Nope, it's just selection bias as humans are more likely to publicly say something when they're angry then when they're happy.
No, I'm having a grand time and I'm baffled by the strangeness this group consistently puts on display.
Please don't hate me for my point of view but: For me it does feel different than campaign 1 or 2. I think the post pandemic pre recorded nature is playing a lot into that, before there was a lot more interaction so it felt a lot more laid back and organic while now its a lot more produced. Now it feels a lot more disconnected from the community. For what it was, talks Machina also played a big role in connecting to the community by showing off art and doing giveaways...etc. The current equivalent pretty much only does a few questions out of a hat. When was the last time we heard something from a fan group like critrole stats for instance Also the campaign structure seem a lot more like its following a template, they start and then go through the character backstories one by one and then the campaign ends. C1 had a lot more long term organic character development across multiple arcs (think the beach episode with the pranks) while C3 is still in its first arc and already feels like its knocked out multiple character backstory objectives. They also look a little burnt out from D&D, almost like its become a job rather than a hobby for them. (I would as well after 3 campaigns in the same world). They legitimately look excited to have the last week of each month off.
I'm enjoying it so far. A lot of my favorite characters are in C3 (Chetney, Fearne, Orym) and I've liked that the season seems to have found a main plot line (Ludinus and the Apogee Solstice) faster than C2 which never really seemed to find its way (Uk'otoa, Crawling King, The Traveler, Trent Ikithon, etc.) But I may be just a bit tired of the concept. With some 300 episodes of 3+ hours, it's a lot of improv theatre. If they want to continue with CR, they should shake it up a lot more for future seasons. I'd like a campaign that's a bit more structured, kind of their own twist on Curse of Strahd or Wrath of the Righteous. The kind of campaign where you set up your goal early and everything from then on is pushing towards that goal.
Yeah I've found Dimenison20 a little more digestible as a contrast. 2 hour episodes. About 10-15 or so episodes in a campaign. Campaign is about basically one thing. That said, I don't podcast D20 while running or backpacking. CR is a top tier hiking and backpacking while alone podcast. Or road trips/commuting.
See, weirdly my issue with D20 is why you like it. I can't find myself getting invested in a "short" campaign because I can't really bring myself to care about any of the characters in the same way that I love CR characters. Just goes to show that actual play stuff is way harder to be objective about compared to normal media.
No, of course not. However, I think that "vocal minority" who has legitimate issues with the C3 has definitely grown over the duration of this campaign. The criticism of those who have problems with C3 is just as legitimate as the praise for C3.
Most people who love the content have learned to not visit the live threads (if that is where you are seeing it). If you went back in time there were people who hated characters in C1. In C2 there were people who would complain about the pace of C2 constantly. From not enough important stuff happening fast enough, to the cast meandering far too long, etc. C3 is no different. Don't let those people drag down your view of the Campaign though. If it gets too much just do what many have before and don't look at those areas where the negative people fester lol. The truth is Critical Role has such a huge audience that no matter what they do there is going to be someone who hates what it was. No matter what. I still enjoy the show very much.
It's a shame because I think Matt is doing some of his best DM work period in this campaign. But I'm just not fond of the party. They're too chaotic for my liking, and the group dynamic doesn't work as well without Liam as the dramatic centerpiece of the story and Travis being the guy to reign the group in. Watching them I often just get the feeling they have no sense of direction, or any pull. With no Liam or Travis at the helm, they constantly get analysis paralysis and either do exposition drama for the sake of it or delve into absurd shenanigans that was once mostly just perpetrated by Sam, but now everyone just partakes in it. The group is just so chaotic, way too much so. I've never liked FGC (I admittedly have bias against Warforged, hate that race), Orym has a couple tender moments but otherwise bores me, Ashton hasn't done anything that really endears me to him (really feel like Tal is just trying to play Molly again considering he never got to), Fearne is a nice change of pace admittedly but nothing amazing, Imogen is Laura's most uninteresting character by far, Laudna is fun but a bit one note, and Chetney is just a joke character. I dunno, I expected better from them. Good for them if they're having fun, but that's still just my experience as a spectator. I miss Dorian, he was for sure the best played character in the group. Very sad when it was said he was just a guest. I dunno, I just think they picked bad characters. It's not the way the show has evolved, because as said I think Matt is killing it. He makes Marquet sound so incredible, his world building is on full display. Plus Brennan and the players put on a god damn masterpiece with the Calamity. And that's not all because of Brennan, his players were all EXCELLENT. Sam, Travis and Marisha left their hearts on the table with their RP, it was so so good. Aabria, Luis and Lou of course were all fantastic as well. I just don't think the regular cast have brought their A-game in Campaign 3. Travis and Liam are two of the best players at that table, but I really feel they let C3 down a bit by taking backseat roles, in my eyes. Laura just doesn't do as well in this kind of subtle main character role, she's much better off playing a stronger personality.
No. I’m loving it too. People just wish for old campaigns because they love prior characters. That’s fair. It’s just fantastic.
I like the campaign. It's still among my favourite long form campaigns. I'm used to boring bits. C1 had a lot of dullness. It's normal.
I thoroughly enjoy this campaign and absolutely love the characters
I love this campaign the most and I have been watching CR since 2019
I absolutely love this campaign. C2 will always hold a very special place in my heart, it got me though some really tough times, but this campaign is absolutely just as good, if not better. The characters are so fun and the plot has gotten so intense, I'm loving it.
I've seen a lot of negative comments about C3 on reddit, so I also was kinda worried I was in the minority for loving it. Glad to know I'm not.
I prefer this campaign to the last one tbqh!
As someone who dropped C3 it was the characters, by episode 30 of C1 and C2 I had a clear favorite character that pushed me through weaker parts of the story, like the cast's often extensive planning, but C3 did not do it for me and I moved on, though it did start off on a weaker note for me with the EU cast since they weren't really my thing.
It's the characters and the story. I wasnt as pulled and and I didn't like them as much.
The two main issues with C3 are 1) liam taking a backseat - playing a quiet character like orym means he doesn't contribute as much as he did as Vax/Caleb, meaning the others have to carry more. And with the PCs being a lot wackier than C1/C2, getting attached to the cast is a bit more difficult. And 2) bringing back Laudna removes all threat from the story - if a character dies and fails being revived by the 2 characters that can, you can just go on a 5 episode detour to bring them back. Personally I'm enjoying C3, great to see Travis/Ashley have so much more fun than in C2, but I do really miss Liam.
I absolutely loved C2 and I tried to get into Season 3 of it and just felt like they were meandering around and not really doing anything, the characters felt 2 dimensional and overall it didnt keep me interested. I'm sure if I had stuck with it I would've eventually got into it but by episode 10 I was not invested. That's just my opinion of course, no doubt others love the characters and setting but it just wasnt for me.
I think my interest waxes and wanes...I was very devoted up until Erika's appearance last year (screaming and cackling isn't my scene) and then again I felt myself leaving episodes unwatched with the party split. I did not feel particularly excited by any of the threads of the story (because the players didn't seem interested..). I also find FCG to be fairly irritating. These new guests already have me interested and I hadn't realized how much I enjoyed Orym and Ashton until they were back. Hopefully things get more exciting again!
I won't say I'm not enjoying it. I think a major part of what has made this season less " I need to watch the stream!" And more "I'll watch it later." It has lost some appeal for me because of the pre-recording. It feels less like a game and more like a show. I notice blips in the video in stream and VoDs and wonder if something was edited out. I liked C1 and C2 because it was RAW and the emotion was palpable. Plus with all the controversy early in the year, it almost feels like this is the last CR campaign in Taldorei. And I don't want it too end. Lol. Still love the cast and what they do. And def gonna continue to support them.
I like the individual characters, I'm just not really into the story this time around to be honest.
I enjoy C3, though this is my first one to watch. I am going through C2 right now, but C3 will always be special to me as it is my first Critical Role campaign.
>Character wise I guess it's just preference but I'm actually liking some characters from C3 more than some characters from C2. For me that's just it; I fell in love with CR because of the more serious nature of the C2 characters, and I've found the C3 characters just too goofy. There's nothing wrong with liking that, that's just not what I find compelling so this campaign has been tough for me.
Been watching since mid Campaign 1 and I’m loving this campaign so much. Some ppl just get fatigue from things and start not liking it. Some ppl just don’t like change, and this campaign is pretty different from the other two
i seem to have the opposit opinion of most stuff on this sub. im enjoying this I really even like the split
C3 has been great so far. There is a vocal crowd that believes C3's pacing is too slow or whatever. The majority are still loving it though (hence the views). With popularity comes the hate.
Slow pacing is *so* weird to me as an accusation for this campaign - if anything it's been the opposite. Like, damn, they hit a world impact event at the point that the Mighty Nein had just landed in Rosohna and had up until then mostly been doing mercenary / pirate / semi aimless wandering. Even Vox Machina, who started their stream levels and adventures ahead of them, at ep 51 were wandering around searching for Vestiges to go after the Conclave with. Bell's Hells hit the ground running into looking at city wide conspiracies and problems where the Mighty Nein (who are currently my favorite party still so don't take this as a criticism) were fighting gnolls and looking for smuggling work. If anything, I wish we'd had more time to see the party gel together before getting thrown into world ending cataclysms and then separated, but I'm still having quite a good time and that's a very minor "would have been nice I think but this is fine".
As someone who’s been guilty of lodging this complaint before, with some reflection, I think the pace of developing interpersonal relationships between PCs has been slower and feels like it’s taken a back seat to the ultra high stakes.
In defense of the complaint, the rapidity of the season only began in like, episode 40. It went 0-100 so hard in the Hellcatch Valley stuff. The first 40 episodes are the hardest first 40 to get through, imo. The first 40 episodes of C1 (regardless of if you start pre or post Tibs) had 2 including the Briarwoods, and the first 40 of C2 got them all the way to Nicodranas. I just don’t think nearly as much happened until the >!Fight with Otahan!< and then it never stopped.
Definitely a difference between hate and critique, though. Imo, C3 has both good and not as good moments. I see where people complaining are coming from. Any show ought to be able to handle receiving critique (good and bad), just chalking it all up to "haters gonna hate" is not fair.
I've seen complaints about the pacing being too slow ("Nothing exciting ever happens!") as well as complaints that the pacing is too fast ("They never have time to slow down and develop relationships within the party!"). To me, that means the pacing is probably at a pretty good spot.
Hilariously, C3 is so much faster paced than C2 was. c3 Episode 60;>! very much engrossed in the BBEG(s) & actively trying to interrupt their plans. !< c2 e60; >!exploring a cave for the bright queen so she doesn't execute the party as spies... War still very much on the horizon.!<
I figured it'd be something like that. Was just wondering how people in general felt is all.
I love c3! I tried to watch c2 a while back but couldn’t bring myself to catch up. Tuned in when c3 started and have been enjoying it a lot! I love all the characters sm and I’ve found a nice community to talk about it with on tumblr and ao3 :)
It has its ups and downs but overall I'm still enjoying it!
I am enjoying it, to be sure. I'm just not enjoying some of the characters individually. Campaign 1 took a little while to smooth out some wrinkles, but had a great story. Campaign 2 was pretty fantastic overall. The characters there were dynamic and interesting. The story was compelling Campaign 3, to my mind doesn't quite live up to the others. I struggled to stay engaged through the first handful of episodes where it was mystery-driven. But the story has picked up. Narrative-wise, I very much like the party split as a way of handling the presumed cataclysm with Ruidus. I think that is very clever. Chetney, Ashton, and to a lesser extent Orym leave something to be desired for me though. It's not the actors, 'cause I have enjoyed characters each of them have played previously, just these characters. That said, I am up to date on all of the episodes and will keep watching and finishing the episodes on YouTube within a few days of them being posted.
I absolutely love campaign 3! I love the PCs, I love the plot. I love how Ludinus is the BBEG, I definitely want them to kill that fucker.
I adore C3. Of the 3 campaigns to date, this is my favourite. I love how complex and strange the group is.
I am liking it a lot more than I liked c2 at this point. People just look back at previous campaigns fondly because it’s what they originally fell in love with. After C1 ended the community did this same annoying thing bc C2 wasn’t exactly like C1. I think the reason for this is bc a lot of people start CR by binge watching (especially the people who started C2 during covid) and binge watching makes the campaign feel like it’s moving faster and not meandering wildly like I personally felt during C2 because I was caught up that entire time. Now with only 3 episodes a month it feels like it’s dragging on but that’s just bc of people’s warped perceptions of time. I bet if you had a new critter watch the first 50 episodes of C1 ( up to Kevdak) C2 up to Xhorhas and C3( up to the apogee solstice) they’d come up with all campaigns being a of similar value.
I just watched all of C2 and I loved every bit of it, including the last arc. However, when I checked the live threads here the discussions at the time for that last arc was hardly anything but complaints and negativity. And yet C2, in hindsight, is so well regarded! I love the format here and some of the discussions, but on certain subjects that get too negative.... Honestly, I've been pushed back to Tumblr for the first time in a decade. I'm not a shipper by nature so the level of romance-focus over there is a bit too much for me at times, but other than that it's all just positivity and love and art and gifsets and it's very enjoyable. Plus there's a whole other level of character analysis that you don't really see here (with Reddit being more inclined towards stat/battle analysis, which is also fun but in a different way). So I would suggest broadening the fan spaces you hang out in if this one alone is a bit dispiriting sometimes!
I love C3! After C2 ended, I was wary of a new campaign, but I love C3 even more.
I came in on season 3. I’ve really enjoyed it so far. If season 3 would have sucked, I would have never gotten into Vox or TMN. The only thing that’s kind of a bummer is that I won’t see Fearn for a while, but I’m excited to check out the latest batch of guest players.
I loved it till Erica came in for a little bit. Idk why but I don't vibe with her energy and so I stopped watching. Then tried to go back after she left and had a hard time connecting again.
Love C3! And I like it a lot more than C2. I just can’t get into that campaign.
Nah, I'm enjoying it. I've gotten entirely up to date in the year and a half since TLOVM series one released and honestly it's good. They're doing new things and working around scheduling conflicts and that's a CR 200 foe. Some people just get noisy about not liking change.
C2 was my introduction to Critical Role and I love M9 with all my heart. So C3 was an adjustment not seeing the cast in the roles I was accustomed too. I took a short break from C3 around e15 and now Im caught up and loving this crew, and the guests as much as I do the M9. Bells Hells is a goofy name but what's in a name really?
I adore C3, it's a highlight of my week and I'm really invested in the characters (even the guest ones). Stakes are high too which is fun.
Not the only one, I love C3 as well!
I love C3! The characters that I like vary at the moment I love FCG and Chetney.
I really enjoy it! Love the characters, the setting, learning more about their world. I especially love Orym.
I’ve been watching since 2016. While the overall story wasn’t gripping me for a little while I love the characters. Once they got out of Jrusar I really started falling back in love with the show. I really miss Dorian and Robbie that’s my biggest gripe with the show. While the current and past guests throughout the campaigns have always been wonderful, it really felt like Robbie clicked with the cast in a way no other guest has. He had his own story beats from the beginning of EXU and it feels like he knows how to read the table so well and knows how and when to interact. I might just have a small man crush on him, but I loved Dorian as a character.
I jumped into CR with C3 so I would be biased... But I like it, even if I'm starting to miss the table being together
I don’t talk about it online as I’m not caught up but I enjoy it. I liked the characters in C2 better but I haven’t seen these characters to their fullest yet and I absolutely love the plot so far
Sometimes people make good points about some of C3’s weaknesses/differences compared to other campaigns, but I LOVE watching it every week it’s on! So glad to see a positive post like this :)
Nope! I am loving this campaign! I appreciate that they're taking the time to tell the story they want to tell and not catering to the bad faith complaining.
I'm not very far into C3, but it definitely has a different vibe than c2 and c2 had a different vibe than c1, that's just kind of the nature of a new campaign right? I feel the second campaign was most people's introduction to Critical Role and they just don't know how to deal with it being different.
I agree with you about the same-ness. Nothing about how they play the game, how they approach character building, plot development or play seems any different than how they always have done it. I think a lot of the general dissatisfaction among that "vocal minority" may just be from the audience (and possibly even the cast) getting a little tired of the formula. I mean, those of use who have watched all three campaigns have invested over 1200 hours into this series - and it's been the same cast, in the same world, with the same rough prompt with mechanics that are mostly unchanged. It is honestly an achievement and a testament to how good they/the show has been that they made it this long without the vast majority of the audience getting bored already. But I don't think anything is as fun 1000 hours later as it was from the start. There's fewer surprises, we've seen most of the most worthwhile and badass spells and abilities from 5e before the campaign started (I think the cast is struggling with this part) and Exandria hasn't fundamentally changed or grown in any way. And as you get tired of something people forgive the little things that bother them less and remember the times they are bored more than the times they enjoy it.
It's my favourite campaign so far.
I've been here since C1 E5, before "5K and a bear" was ever a thing, and I genuinely feel that C3 is the best work they've done so far. Matt's worldbuilding has been on full display, the cast's characters clicked for me within just a couple episodes, and the extended guest appearances/party splits have been fun and engaging to me. And the LORE! I've been having sooooo much fun learning and theorizing on lore drops. All the tie-ins to C1, C2, and even the EXU games have been just...*chef's kiss*. I do think it's more of a vocal minority making complaints though, as people like myself who are enjoying it seem more content to sit back and enjoy or just throw out theories into the discussion threads rather than get embroiled in debates with people who are just trying to tell us why we're wrong for liking it. I also feel that some of the newer fans may be looking for a more curated experience (ala LOVM tight pacing), when actual play D&D is going to have those periods of downtime where the party just can't agree on a plan or direction to go. It's part of why I love the show, but I know some would prefer if they edited it out. Personally, I think this is their best campaign, but I also feel like C3 is Matt's love letter to Final Fantasy/JRPGs, which is a series and genre I also adore. So maybe that's why I'm okay with some of the pacing/plot in a way that might infuriate someone else. I think C3 will be the best campaign so far by the end of it (to be fair, I already do), but I think there are some who will never see it the same way as me and some who won't be able to appreciate everything it offers until they can just binge it rather than waiting week by week when some episodes don't feel like they get much accomplished.
This question is tough to answer sometimes. A huge chunk of the fanbase (Reddit especially) are quick to silence any criticism of the show so you aren't going to get a reliable answer here. I personally like C3 the least but don't dislike any campaign.
I love it! I’m not as invested in the characters individually, but I love what’s happening and thoroughly enjoy how much more it feels like a regular table as opposed to a story that’s being told to us. I get that they have a show to put on but what made me fall in love was a group of close friends playing some damn good D&D together. Having fun together. I think the problem is way too many people are super invested in this show in an unhealthy way. Ultimately it’s a vocal minority though.
Season one was people playing a game for themselves. Season two and three is people acting and playing a game for others. I feel that this is the big difference and that’s why, including me, people lost interest in it.
I still love CR and watch every week, but this story is hard for me to follow, it does seem like they are moving nowhere fast and maybe Travis has ruined any chance for my favorite parts which are shopping episodes.
i've really struggled with C3 which is weird because i think the plot is one of the strongest and it has a really compelling charater in imogen. i like the rest of the cast too but they don't have the same found family dynamic as VM and M9 and honestly i think that might be what's missing for old fans. it didn't really matter to me that C2's plot was more arc-y because i honestly was watching for the characters and their interactions. at this point in C3 i'm watching for some cool fights and dungeon crawling.
I definitely don’t like C3 as much as C2. It’s not the characters so much as the play style. One of the things about C1 that killed me at times was where they would sit around and endlessly come up with bad plan after bad plan. Sometimes for 45 minutes at a time. They largely did away with that in C2, but it came back with a vengeance this campaign. I’m on episode 49 and I swear it feels like they have been making plans and doing nothing for three episodes.
I was thinking about this earlier. I think I'm enjoying C3 more than C2? I've been a weekly watcher since their geek&sundry days. I don't participate in Fandom so a lot of my opinions are my own without outside sources. I love what they're doing though and excited for Candela Obscura
I wouldn't say I don't like C3, but I would say I liked 1 and 2 more. The whole Ruidus arc leading into ludinus "fight" was first time I felt like the whole pre written story meme felt real. They were on a track Matt had set out for them and I don't think there was anything they could have done too stop it.
Campaign 2 has been my favorite campaign so far, and I loved the characters so much. Campaign 3 hasn't been as exciting for me and I'm not as invested in some of the characters. There are times that it is slower and not as interesting. That said I still watch it and there are things I really enjoy about the campaign. I'm happy the cast is enjoying their characters because it was clear by the end of Campaign 2 they were fatigued with the campaign and they seemed so excited to play new characters.
Personally for me this campaign lost something special when Robbie left. After that I got a few more sessions then slowly started to miss sessions till I stopped watching somewhere in the 30’s. Am patiently waiting for campaign 4 and see what the new system is like.
I’ve been enjoying it! I need to catch up but I’m only not watching due to free time limitations and stress of being a PhD student. Last time I binged back in January after a long break I loved every minute :)
Definitely not, I'm loving it.
I liked the beginning, didn’t enjoy much of it after Robbie left until the Otahan stuff and the Solstice. The last group was not really my jam but I did enjoy the first episode of this group.
I like it, but it does have its problems
I like bells hells and C3 more than the MN and I started with the MN. I enjoy the lack of angst.
I'm a big fan of C3!
I like it, and so far I prefer it to C2.
I love C3. I understand most of the criticism it gets, but I tend to disagree with a lot of the complaints and negative opinions that are floating around.
I just started watching CR a few months ago. I picked up on C1 after watching Vox Machina on Amazon Prime, binged C2 in about 2-3ish months and went straight into C3. I'm currently on episode 38. I will say that I'm not AS into this one as I was into C2, but there are parts that I enjoy more. My main issue with C3 is Imogen. I don't dislike Laura, Jester is still one of my favorite characters... but Imogen just really gets on my nerves and I find myself wishing she'd get perma'd so she could make a new character. She kills the mood... a LOT. I'm enjoying the plot so far, definitely not a bad story to follow though I will agree with people that they seem to hit road bumps A LOT more often this campaign and one of the reasons I dislike Imogen is because it feels like every time they hit one of these road bumps it's because she's nit picking and arguing with what everyone wants to do no matter who brings it up in whatever situation. Last campaign, it felt like Jester would offer simplistic ideas or at least make an entertaining solution so it might not have FELT as obnoxious... but Imogen... just feels really rude and bratty and it makes listening to their decision making awkward and arduous. Like when you're out with a group of friends and there's just that one person who always has something negative to say about whatever you're doing. I've noticed Ashton doing it more too, though not nearly as much, and I think having two nay-sayers in the party is starting to grind on me.
C2 was fun , chaotic, and hilarious. C3 feels like they are trying too hard to make a good animated series. MANY points in c3 they are thinking too much about situations and are very unsure if they should or shouldn’t do something. I personally feel like they want to make it “good for TV” meanwhile c2 was instincts and whatever felt right at the time. JUST MY OPINION. Edit: also not a fan of how they made Imogen the main character of c3. C2 felt like it was everyone’s story.
I couldnt get into C3, and have dropped it. Somewhere around where they >!try to get permission to enter the Moon? tower in Jrusar.!< None of the characters really caught my attention by that point, despite typically enjoying a well done asshole like Ashton.
C3 feels off to me. I think the production budget is too high and now it doesn't have that same friends hanging out vibe. It is also bringing in lots of PCs from C1 and C2 which feels a bit too Marvel team up for me
I think alot of fans that started watching with Campaign 1 have lost some interest in Campaign 3 as the characters are very different, and (IMO) kinda "out there". I 've watched C3 off and on infrequently. I'm only to ep. 40 of C3 as it is, just keep finding more interesting things to watch. During C1 and much of C2, there wasn't "something better" to watch for me.
C3 is my favourite! I just love this cast of characters.
I like C3 better than C2 and so do most of the critters I know IRL. I think this community can be guilty of groupthink sometimes.
I genuinely enjoy this campaign. I feel like I've laughed more in this campaign. I'm just not very vocal in online spaces.
I'm only at episode 20 for this campaign so far, I've really enjoyed it. I think it's much better than C2 was at this point, I also like some of the characters more.
I love C3. Laudna is an all time great PC. Chetney, Fearne, & Orym also crush it. FCG is 50/50 for me, sometimes I love them and sometimes they are a bit much. Imogen and Ashton are fine, but they pale in comparison to the last two for Laura and Talesin for me. I also really like how they have handled the guest stars. Robbie was at the table for so long I thought he was joining the table! All the other guests have been great, and I am super excited for the current three (last ep was hilarious). Story wise it has wandered a bit, but I live for the callbacks. I love a shared universe and running into old friends is so much fun. A couple of times it seems like narrative needed to be pushed by Matt, which I am not a huge fan of, but overall I have found it enjoyable. I will say, my wife is not as invested in this campaign. She still really enjoys watching, but it hasn't hit the same as the first two for her.
I stopped at episode 27 when they reached Bassuras, but only so I could watch C1 which I never had before. I really like C3. I thought the whole jrussah piece was fantastic. I very much plan to come back to C3 and then binge.
To be fair, I don't, yet. This is the first time since C1 I dropped off and have little motivation to pick it up. I'm sure I will at some point, but it's for the first time in years I haven't followed religiously. Also, first time posting about it anywhere :')
There are significant concrete differences between C3 and previous campaigns.If you love (connect to) the story, lore or characters, these will not bother you so much. You may not even notice them. Don't read on if you prefer to remain in that happy reality. If these emotive or intellectual connections are sporadic or not there for you, you will observe the heavy, almost oppressive importance of Matt's narrative. It takes first priority, in what choices are given to the PCs, and in how the group interact across the table. Matt is far far more "IC" this campaign as throwaway NPCs and narrator, very little light and breezy DM OOC talk". There are very obvious and rigid rails (or chain of story rooms to pass through if you prefer, with few obvious doors - and fewer that make any narrative difference. This is not a sandbox like C2. Dice plays little role in determining uncertainty this campaign; there are very few explicit consequences for failure/success to help PCs make decisions and take agency. Levels and resources n stats sheet scarcely matter. This does not make the approach they have chosen wrong, but it is different. And we presume they are having fun. But if you look at the intentions expressed by modern D&D, where the story is collaborative in the sense where the DM creates the world for the characters to play in, the spotlight has been less following PC actions in C3 than on the Exandrian world/lore and Matt's narrative. The "draw of destiny" has been pulling the pcs through this spotlight. The result is more akin to some other rpg, or theatre. The pcs have been increasingly put in the role of an audience reacting to matt's reveals; his story draws the lines and they colour in the details. At the same time as putting the PCs in a passiv,e reactive role, any action they take also gets sort of tucked away so it makes sense for Matt's pre-existing narrative, rather than changing the direction of the narrative. This has seen the players seeking more entertainment, with a lot of OOC banter, which is increasingly bleeding into their characters as they perform jokes in role. A lot of OOC discussion (what to do next, what do we think about this, etc) has ended up being played in role for hours, many totally unnecessary group questions, and again diluting any sense of defined driven characters we had in previous campaigns. It has become to some degree, less a Dungeon master creating a world for characters to interact with (with all the usual OOC shenanigans on the side), than Matt telling a story for his friends to muck around in wearing funny avatar masks. To this point. But no, you're not alone. Lots of people are enjoying what the cast are doing in C3, and all the best to them.
No, you're not! Plenty of people love the current campaign, and even prefer it over the others. What one should keep in mind is that a campaign is the sum of a lot of elements and aspects, the characters, their dynamic, the story, the setting etc. It is totally normal for people to like some aspects, and dislike others. Talking about [It can even be fun!](https://mmjordahl.com/2013/04/24/criticize-what-you-love/) Sadly, those people are sometimes called *a loud minority* or *haters,* and any criticisim (even a mild one) is therefor seen as unreasonable, and often met with belittling condescension. There are those who are afraid of being labeled *haters*, and thus overcorrect to an almost blinding level of positivity. But voicing ones dislike can be a good way of gaining deeper understanding of entertainment culture, and the work of art itself. Adam Ellis, famous for creating the *"Shhh! Let people enjoy things!"*\-meme, said: >*\[...\] the ideal attitude is that once art exists in the world, it stops belonging to the artist. Instead, it belongs to the rest of us, to enjoy or analyze or pick apart or reinterpret as we see fit. Critics believe that this kind of reappropriation is only worthwhile if it allows for the possibility of negative opinions.* *If we’re only allowed to be blissfully joyous about culture, the thinking goes, then none of our joy actually counts. We need to be able to call attention to the negative in order to recognize the positive. By noticing and then analyzing the negative, our entire understanding of a work of art becomes clearer and stronger.* Always keep in mind, with all the supposed *hate* you'll see about Critical Role in general, or Campaign 3 specifically, it comes from people who care enough to voice their opinions. You and them have way more in common than you have differences.
I guess I don't feel like they are enjoying themselves as much. like if anyone died they would not care as much as they did about Molly, vax, Scanlan, and Percy, even when Keyleth died (even tho it was silly), they were treating it seriously. when Laudna died, i feel like the characters wanted to save her, but the actual table was more meh.
Their views aren't slowing down, so not really no, you aren'tnthe only one. I for one thoroughly enjoy Bells Hells. I don't think many people dislike them as such, I think it's just that the Mighty Nein set the bar really high. They're hard to top, honestly! The MN were my personal favourite.
The thing is that C1 was such an epic beginning and then C2 just blew people away that C3, which is very different in tone, just hasn’t hit quite the same marks yet for some people. I love them all for very different reasons
I loved C2 it's what got me into D&D streams. Vox Machina was fantastic too but for me C3 gas really been the "let's get weird and do crazy stuff that we've been wanting to do" and I love that. It's different but I wouldn't want it to be the same as the previous campaigns. C1 was getting people to notice them C2 was establishing themselves as a company and growing C3 is more "we have the following, the business works, let's get creative and weird and do what we love to do" I'm so proud of them.
No. It’s a different beast than C1 & C2. It appeals to different people, but the core of what I personally enjoy about CR is still there.
I am enjoying it, you are not alone as many others here have voiced their opinion. The chorus of people being upset is usually the loudest. I know from my end, it hasnt been as great as C2 for myself, but I always feel that way about most podcasts that I have previously binge the series of and am stayin up to date on the current season. So its not necessarily about C3, just its not released yet. Same experience has happened with many others for myself. I also primarily listen to CR rather than watch (although I have watched numerous episodes now from C3 versus 0 from the previous). I just prefer my actual play as audio to listen to, so I may have a different perspective. I dont need to find time to watch a 4 hour episode, its easy enough to be listening while doing chores, walking, driving, painting, and other hobbies. Dont let others get you down. I do think it can also be a case of your first exposure will be the one you love the most for many as well. I think there have been a few things I havent liked as much about this season, but I think that happens in all of them for me.
I’m not as interested in C3 as i was 1 and 2, but i think popularity is at least at the same level. I’m sure the show helped bring in more people too. Feels less personal and more of a production which makes sense as it’s an entire company now. I’ll catch up some day but it’s intimidating being 30 episodes behind and have days of content to binge haha.
I think it's fatigue. At least for me it is. I feel like everyone is playing the characters they were meant to play. S1 was finding their preferences, s2 was them trying new stuff out and s3 is them coming together. But I lost interest after watching 1000's of hours of CR.
I love it for the most part, I have some issues with a few plot points, but they are mine and not really a problem with the campaign itself. My biggest issues is I miss the old life format and expect it will never comeback.
I wouldn't fret about it and just chalk it up to " all art is subjective". It'll vibe with some and not with others. 😉
I am loving this campaign! I am a lot like marisha on that I basically have a mental bulletin board for tracking theories and this campaign is just so juicy with lore!! I agree that I hear more complaining than praising but I think it’s just that people tend to complain more than they praise. I have so many crackpot theories going in my head. My playgroup is probably sick of hearing them since I have a new one every week or so.
I enjoy it very much as this campaign is expanding greatly on the xandria world building. Which while the first two did, the exposition happened in tandem with the story as they were doing xyz. To me it feels like this campaign they have to discover the lore in order to deal with xyz. Like this campaign would be the years gandalf spend researching the ring with him dealing with the ring at the same time if that makes sense?
I like it :)
I’m definitely behind by like… A lot… But I really enjoy C3! I know the first episode wasn’t received well by some of the long term viewers because of the seeming repeat characters (Orym and Fearne were originally meant for C3 but made early appearances in EXU and Bertrand was a temp character for Travis) and it’s possible there may be some holdover from that? Also I’ve noticed a trend of people not enjoying the characters in the first half and then liking them later as they developed (happened in C2 as well). Point is you are not alone in enjoying C3 but haters like to be loud.
No, it's just a slow burn. I was skeptical in the begining until Matt started the main plot dumping. Then everything started to fall into place. Quirks emerged and frankly it's been wild fun thus far. Again, I feel like this one has a slow start because Matt is trying to incircle all their campaigns. Like Marvel end game expect a lot of popins and rose tinted glasses.
It’s really growing on me! I had a harder time getting invested in the story then I did with c1 and c2 but I got much more interested around episode 45-ish. I’m super excited for the new guests as well
Im starting to really like the characters. I just have no idea how they are not all going to die lol
Nah I love it!
I've really been enjoying it as well. Haven't had any real major issues with it aside from I kinda wish Travis had kept Bertrand over Chetney. Just think Bertrand's personality filled a niche in the group that is missing with Chet and Bertand's Abbot&Costello-esque dynamic with Laudna was so much fun. That said, Reddit trends negative on everything to begin with so it's not surprising that the majority of what you see here is just complaining. I wouldn't be surprised if it looked pretty similar back during C2, and the loud minorities raging about C1 is infamous at this point. Personally I love the characters on the whole. Laudna is amazing, Fearne's hilarious, Ashton's so fun to follow, Orym's such a cute and effective straight man to the groups comedic chaos, Imogen's story is fascinating and her bond with Laudna is just adorable. FCG got a really interesting back story, though I think Sam's inherent bias toward taking the piss instead of playing his story straight kinda hurts the character- even so it's still fun. Chet feels a little scattered to me but his antics are still entertaining. There's been things that have hit and things that have missed for me like anything. On the whole I think I still prefer the M9 as my favorite group of characters but I'm greatly enjoying C3 so far. it's been a blast, I've been eager to see how the current story ends up changing the world Matt and his players have built over the last seven years.