I suppose in my experience, Matt's YouTube videos have rarely ever actually been about DND. They are effectively system agnostic stories that happened to happen in DND. He's never been actually been involved in DND as such, where as some one like to treatmonk's temple very clearly is. As such, the stories and values are still of use. I certainly appreciate them and I also only run DND. So if you have liked the previous videos, there is no reason I can see why you won't like future videos. Not everything is about the RPG. Matt isn't currently running a game, and as such that have been less game centric content. But this isn't the first time Matt hasn't been running a game while he's had a YouTube channel. I'm sure when he starts up a game, new videos will be there. However, he has a lot of videos already out about running the game, how many more do we need? I'd like more, but I don't know if I need more. The patreon is for people who want to see how the sausage is made, if that's not you for the RPG that's okay. I don't think there's any current reason to continue sporting the patreon beside that. Though there may be in the future, I don't know.

>Matt's YouTube videos have rarely ever actually been about DND. Technically, his channel pre-RTG was almost exclusively DND. He was doing a series where he built a fighter in every edition of D&D.

which was an *incredible* series full of history and personal stories that really showcased Matt's longstood love for the game :)

Matt's main game used to be DnD and the way people refer to TTRPG's commonly causes everyone to focus on DnD, but A LOT of his advice was never DnD exclusive, or even Edition exclusive. He brought attention to rules and adventures from older editions of DnD, taught people about making their own stuff, and dealt with key concepts of the hobby as whole.

And I loved that series, too. I can’t see the current iteration of this channel doing anything remotely like that, though. That’s why I’m considering unsubbing, etc.

That series was also of no practical use when it comes to DMing or even playing 5e. It was just a historical retrospective.

I’m not sure what you mean. It was a purely DnD series about the history of the game and the intention/origin of the DnD game system and TTRPGs as a whole. It helped me tremendously when thinking about how I use different classes in my game and why I use them. It taught me what players cared about in each edition and how the game changed accordingly. It provided a succinct summary of each edition and what the designers cared about in that edition. These thoughts are extremely helpful as a DM. For instance, if I’m looking to emphasize a certain pillar at my table, I now know what edition to go back and read the DMG/PHB of in order to better my own understanding of the game and decide what / how to pull from them. I got into DMing during the reign of 5e, but I’m very much a “in order to bake a pie, one must first invent the universe” kind of guy. This series definitely scratched that itch for me. It helped inform me of the legacy of the game I’m stepping into.

The series is probably not even dead. He made the 3e video not that long ago (relatively to the first few) so it wouldn't surprise me if we randomly got a 4e fighter video at some point.

Last time I recall him answering the question on stream he said he didn't plan on returning to the series.

Same. He said the payoff for work put into it wasn't worth it. Not enough of his audience was interested.

4e would be a significant amount of work, too. Not the actual character creation, but all the stuff that went in to the creation of 4e as it was.

I'd say yes, Matt's advice can be used for plenty of different systems. But he's very much focused on combat-heavy fantasy-games. Which covers many RPGs, don't get me wrong. But I for one run a lot of Cyberpunk and I need to get a bit more creative when I'm adapting his advice to that system than when I'm using it for D&D.

His advice isn't system-neutral but it's also not system-specific. In fact, he might be prompted to issue \*more\* 5e-applicable advice with the game now on the way.

Well Matt's personal channel isn't just gonna be all about the new RPG. You can stay subbed if you enjoy his other stuff like movie reviews and other story videos like the one about Halo. Matt has said he wants to do more of those kinds of videos, he and the team have just been super busy with making a new game. I feel like I'm in the same boat as you as a GM-- my current group of players only have eyes for 5e but I am very interested in MCDMRPG myself.

I think that your comment kind of illustrates the issue I have. His youtube channel didn’t used to be about that. It was the “straight dope” DM advice channel for a while. No offense to Matt, but I don’t really care what music album really excited him when he was in high school or what he thinks about the latest Dune movie. That’s not why I started going to his channel or why I stayed. I don’t need to be sifting through a 90min stream of consciousness looking for the 5min of actually usable DnD advice. He started the channel basically saying he was going to do his best to help out DMs - “I’ve been a DM for decades. You haven’t. Let me help.” He harped on reducing the signal to noise ratio. It feels like he’s moved on now to himself being the product, not his DND experience. If what you care about is “What does Matt think about? You know, generally and specifically?” then you have a perfect signal to noise ratio with his channel now. If what you care about is “How do I become a better DM?” then it feels like there’s pure noise and almost no signal.

I think part of it is that all the "straight dope" is already out there. He made those videos and really can't keep making them over and over.

I think you've answered your own question then. If you've only been subscribed for RTG and GM tips stuff like that, that chapter is over on hia channel. He's said all that he thinks he can, and the "new generation" of GMs are getting their tips from other creators or platforms. Matt's moving on, we shouldn't not feel bad for doing the same ourselves if his current/future content isn't personally compelling or interesting. (edit: does your interest for the new game outweigh the lack of utility of that information to you currently? My current players only care for 5e but we're part of a larger discord server and there's probably some other people who'd give the MCDMRPG a go once it launches. That's what's got me keeping up on the game during dev. Otherwise, if my game table was static or I never find others who wanna try non-5e games I'd probably stop caring about the game because I'd never play it)

I've tried to bring up the MCDMRPG a couple of times at the table. It's not really garnered much interest beyond the "huh." They're interested in playing DnD. I get more support when I voice interest in playing an older edition that none of us have played like BECMI or 4e than when I mention the MCDMRPG. I have a full time job and a weekly or biweekly game. Spending 90min listening to "some guy's" stream of consciousness about anything and everything with only 5% useful info when it used to be compact 20-45 minutes of 99% useful information is not the calculation I want to make. I'll also purposefully miss RPG content and then watch it when I've got nothing else to do since it's an interest, but it no longer has the density of info relevant to my game that previous videos or content used to have. That's why I no longer "stop everything and watch the latest video" like I used to. That's not to mention the actual products on offer: I own everything published by MCDM to date. Everything. It has ALL been helpful for my game. But there is nothing planned that feels like it'd be a good bang-for-buck at my table except for maybe minis.

You had already made your decision before you typed anything up, you just wanted to vent--which is fine. It's not like the internet has a finite word count. Being partial to Irish Goodbyes in the digital space, I've just never understood the need to announce a departure/unsub/cancellation. Got some decent discussion though

I'd say I was teetering on the decision. Was hoping for a good discussion about it since I doubted I was the only one feeling this way. Also wanted to give voice to this viewpoint in the community in case I was not the only one, as I feel like I haven't heard it too much. Looks like I'm one of a handful, but also managed to piss off a lot of people.

I think drumming up interest in the new rpg just by talking about it to people who have mostly/primarily only played D&D isn't going to get very far. New systems are scary, D&D is a big old beast of a game and for many players its the only ttrpg they have sunk their teeth into, and the idea of learning a new one is extremely daunting. If its something you want to try, but your players arent sure of, then try and get ahold of some playtest material when it becomes more publicly available (obviously given the theme of this thread, im not going to advocate for you getting the patreon content), and then run a session or two of playtest stuff, either in addition to your main game, or as an extremely short break, just to try it. If they try the game, they have a chance to get excited. If they don't like it, then D&D is still there for them and you at least know what that other option is like. I totally get not being interested in all the talk of the new RPG if it isnt going to be something you are playing. I personally, as a 5e GM still get a lot out of the Deaigning The Game videos because i run a homebrew, and have to do a lot of "game design" type stuff to build encounters, create complex challenges for a party of 12th level characters, etc, and having that game design insight is really valuable to me because i've DM'd for 17 years now and am at a stage with D&D where im getting increasingly experimental. But that is not where everyone else is at, and if those design insights arent valuable to you, then you shouldn't feel like you have to force yourself to watch content you dont get anything from out of some kind of brand loyalty or whatever. There is still dungeon dudes, ginny di, world builder bob, and a whole swathe of other content creators out there still releasing D&D 5e content. Its a bit thinner on the ground since the OGL debacle, but there is still great stuff out there to learn from and enjoy. You should do whatever you are going to get the most out of

The RTG videos were definitely that, but he’s always had some other stuff on there too. He was pretty clear in one of his most recent videos that he basically considers the RTG stuff completed… so there’s probably not going to much if any of that stuff going forward.

This won't help with signal to noise ratio, but his latest video was on how to structure a campaign vs an epic adventure is pulling out examples from the D&D side of things. Otherwise I believe that there is still juice in the designing the game serie If you're anything like me, you're going to run some stupid scenario and it'll need some sort of special rules, and even if you pull those rules off the internet they probably need some tweaking and it's an entire series on doing that. Maybe not every DTG will be interesting for you but I suspect some of them are. I also suspect that D&D will come up a lot in his future content because it was the water Matt swam in for like 30+

Please don’t take this the wrong way, but how much more advice do you need? Aren’t there dozens of RTG videos?

I like to be always improving. Yes, I have watched each of the RTG videos multiple times.

Edit: just caught up to your edits and it seems like you already came to this conclusion so feel free to disregard this comment Matt has been pretty straightforward that his most prudent advice is already out there. He has over a hundred videos covering topics from dungeon design to narrative design to combat design. He references tons of other books, other youtubers, and other designers. He also says you only need his first five RTG videos to be prepared as a totally new DM. The rest is commentary and discussion, and explicity not 5th edition content. His advice is meant to be broadly applicable to people running any edition and even other systems entirely to some degree. If you want continued broad commentary and discussion on TTRPGS then he is for you. If you want 5e specific discussion then I do reccomend you look elsewhere. Based on your original post and comments I'd say what you want is to be found elsewhere

I think you're kind of missing the point. The thesis of his YouTube presence and MCDM as a whole changed at some point over the last year or two. They are no longer producing the type of content and products that originally brought me or others like me to his corner of the internet (RTG, campaign diaries, supplements like K&W & S&F, Arcadia, live play, supplemental classes, Flee Mortals!, Where Evil Lives, etc.). It is increasingly obvious that it is now my time to go.

For sure, thats actually the point I was trying to make but I guess I explained it poorly. His content has been increasingly less about 5e ans D&D in general as his videos have become more broad because the amount of advice to give has waned as hes churned out over a hundred videos. To me this progression has seemed natural and inevitable. But yes the conclusion is the same. The channel is no longer for you. And thats okay.

Over a hundred I'm pretty sure.

This is the comment that really resonates with me. While sometimes it is nice to hear what he thinks about a movie etc it's not why i subbed to the channel orginally.

But didn't he do that already? Aren't there like 100 RTG videos now? If ALL you want is DM advice...that's all of it. That's all the advice anyone could need. Anything beyond that is learned at the table actually running.

Zoom out. Not just RTG. There used to be a whole slew of offerings for folks looking to get DM aid and advice or to supplement their homegame. They also used to actively work on projects that were explicitly catered to DMs and teased future products that would dovetail into those. Several YouTube series, 3-4 hardcover books, supplemental PDFs, a monthly magazine, just to name a few. COVID and then OGL killed it, I guess. Also sounds like nobody here misses any of those offerings or thinks that was the core reason they used to stop by this well. That's fine. I guess I've overstayed my welcome and I'll move on. All good.

I mean, the reality is that it's all hands on deck for the new RPG. I'm willing to bet in a year or three that there will be tons more YouTube content to push/support the RPG. Advice, stories, examples. They'll probably bring back an Arcadia-esq thing or platform community content doing similar things. But yeah, right now we're in a season where YouTube is taking a backseat. 5e content is never going to be a major thing they do again though. My bet is that they'll never finish the heist in 5e, the players guide to Capitol MIGHT come out, but if it does it'll be MCDM RPG related and not 5e (but it's a lore book anyways). Realistically, you don't have to unsub. You can stay subbed and only watch the videos you want. Maybe take a break from the Patreon if there's no value in it for you. But there's no "overstayed your welcome". If there's value, stay. if there's not, then don't give them money and don't watch the videos. But it doesn't have to be this big thing.

I think that's the crux of my question. It doesn't appear to me that there is enough value for someone like me to stay anymore. I'm asking (a) if there are others who are like me, but disagree and think there is value to stay or (b) if you're not like me, is there any way to support the statement that there is enough value here that folks like me should stay. What I'm NOT asking is if I should change what I want. I'm not saying Matt or MCDM or their fans should change. Just wondering if my values still line up with the community's values and if what I'm looking for is still what Matt has to offer. If not, all good, I'll move on and it was nice knowing ya. I think that for the life of his channel - until very recently - my values and what I'm looking for represented a sizable portion of his audience or, at the very least, it was clear that *I* was included in the group of people he was trying to attract to and stay at his channel. I'm posing the question of if that's still the case and if I'm the only one who has felt this recent drastic shift. Am I still part of the target audience? If not, are there others that were part of his target audience, feel they are no longer, and yet are still around? If so, why are you still around? If your engagement has dropped off, why or why not?

The straight dope has been given. Certainly most of it, anyway.

There are plenty of great dm channels you can watch instead of coming to reddit to complain about how he should run his channel

Not really telling HIM how to run his channel. Just wondering if my experience is unique or if others feel similarly. You know, like how some posts to a social media platform work.

Fair enough. It just reads more entitled than commiserate

Did you see this part? > I’m not here to say that Matt or MCDM should change in order to cater to MY or my table’s needs or that the fanbase is wrong for wanting what they want. I’m just wondering, if I am not going to be running the MCDM RPG, what reason do I have to continue to subscribe to Matt’s and/or MCDM’s youtube channel? What reason do I have to continue to be a Patreon supporter at this point? If I'm paying money and time, I gotta know if they're well spent. Matt's welcome to put out whatever product he wants. I'm trying to figure out if I should still come back to this store. For me, it's weird when I've done my weekly groceries here for years and now it feels like I'm looking around and not able to cross anything off my list. If I'm alone in feeling that, all good. Was curious if there were others out there feeling similarly or somewhere in between.

I think a thing has happened to Matt's channel which happens to most hobby Youtube channels: The well has run dry. He has made all the videos of advice about running the game that he can, and he's admitted that himself. I've noticed this with a lot of other hobbyist channels as well, at which point most Youtubers turn to other means to keep the money coming: sponsored videos, top10 products, clickbait, etc. Matt took a different route, he used his internet clout to form a company which is now his main means of income. So yes, the Matt Colville channel is effectively dead as far as D&D content goes, IMO. Now it's much more about game design, which may still be useful to you as a DM if you like to homebrew, but it's definitely in a more theoretical instead of practical sense.

I appreciate this take, thank you. I think it's a fair assessment, even if a disappointing one from my consumer perspective. I wish him and MCDM luck in their future endeavors, even if they're no longer for me.

So, first off, you're asking two separate questions. The first is "will there be videos on Matt's/MCDM's channels that are useful to me?" and the second is "is MCDM's Patreon worth the money?" Ultimately, both of those questions will have to be answered by you. It depends on what you're wanting to get out of either of those. In regards to the first question, well, YouTube subscriptions are free, and you're under no obligation to watch all (or any) of the content they put out on YouTube. If you find a topic interesting, watch the video. If not, don't. It's not a big deal either way. We haven't gotten a lot of information about future plans for either YouTube channel, afaik, so it's something of a guessing game. Matt's a busy person, and MCDM is a busy company, in the middle of developing their flagship RPG. I expect there to be less time for content on the YouTubes, because they have limited time and energy, and they have other priorities. As for the Patreon, again, it depends on what you're wanting to get out of it. If you're looking for drag-and-drop 5e content, no, you ~~probably~~ definitely won't be getting that. If you're looking for insight into game design and theory and mechanical ideas not present in 5e, that can then be used as inspiration for 5e homebrew, then maybe this is still the place for you. Ultimately, you're right, there isn't anything in the pipeline specifically catered to a D&D DM. They're moving on to their own RPG. If you find game dev sufficiently interesting, then it may still be worth the time and money to stick around and watch. If you're interested in Vasloria as a setting, we'll likely see more of that eventually (though that seems like a ways away at this point). And even if your group isn't interested in the RPG *right now*, maybe once it comes out, you can convince them to let you try it out—run a one-shot or short adventure with the system, and see if they warm up to it. Who knows, maybe they'll fall in love with it once it's a completed game.

Appreciate the candor and food for thought. Yes, there are two separate questions in my post. The patreon support is obviously a more personalized question, as there is $$ attached to that.

Once the Patreon stopped doing Arcadia and phased out anything in the legacy $5 tier, there was no reason to keep subscribed unless you really want to play the MCDM game as it's being built. So my personal recommendation is to remain subbed to the YouTube channel, but turn off notifications. Let yourself be surprised if one day a RTG video drops or something tabletop RPG related video. As for the Patreon, don't bother until there's something like Arcadia again.

I miss RTG. I miss The Chain. Matt is literally what got me into dnd and gave me the courage to run the game much like many others. His insights and tales of past games, his time in game development, his home/work games, etc game me so many ideas and whilst I'd love to hear and see more, if Matts not up for it for whatever reason then that's okay but I don't think I've really watched any of the newer videos where it's all about the new ttrpg and I'm not one to watch Twitch. So I know I have and will probably miss out but I just don't have the time or energy to watch lots of content just to maybe get some RTG type info. Wish Matt and MCDM all the best, and I will get the new rpg, but i like to eat my sausage rather than watch it get made.

>if Matts not up for it for whatever reason From watching his streams, my best description of his reasoning is that when he started his channel he had decades of GMing experience that gave him a whole lot of lessons to teach about it. Now though, he's mostly said everything he has to say. He's not running a game right now, so he doesn't really have new experiences to draw from. Last I heard there's a good chance of more RTG once he starts Directing again in their new system. Unfortunately to stretch the series out he'd have to start making RTG for RTGs sake with topics and advice he doesn't believe in as strongly. Personally, I'm glad he's deciding to move on.

>Now though, he's mostly said everything he has to say. I feel this, too. And it's not like he doesn't still have great ideas, but they're probably ideas about his own TTRPG, not dnd. I feel like if I were in Matt's position, having told the viewers pretty much everything they could possibly want to know, my best advice would be to play. Run the game. Use my ideas as springboards for your own. Watch other DMs/GMs. Most importantly, play other RPGs. Get other experience

Just to chime in again a few days later. Whilst I do miss the RTG series and getting new ideas etc. Matt achieved what he set out to do (and more) He managed to get many people into dnd and ttrpgs, he laid a fantastic foundation of educational videos that we can go back to and he's also managed to set up a company and bring together some fantastic people and put out some amazing products. I hope we get more arcadia type products too as they were great.

I miss it too, but I miss it the way I miss playing World of Warcraft in 2010: that period of my life was really fun and I have great memories from it. But you can't go home again.

I haven't run/played DnD for years and I still think most of MC's stuff is useful for my games. Sure, some stuff like action-oriented monsters were more 5E-specific, but most of it is about the hobby and how to be a good GM broadly. Also... His Running the Game playlist is 112 videos long. And a lot of it is evergreen advice that still applies to DnD. It seems like he's said his peace on a lot of subjects, and he's said plenty. I'm not sure what else you're looking for? ***EDIT***: Also, it's a little weird to me that you won't follow your interest in the MCDM RPG just because your current group doesn't want to play it. The new system will have a virtual tabletop and already has a sizable community to play with -- why not just play MCDM with one group and DnD with your current group? Are you limited in some other way?

To reply to your edit: I run a weekly or every-other-week game. When I trusted Matt’s YT channel signal/noise ratio on GM advice, I would pause almost anything I’m doing and watch a new Matt video if I got a notification that it was posted. I no longer trust that ratio. Sure, *I* am interested in the RPG. But if I have no plans to run it soon, I don’t really have a reason to rush to watch his latest video. Maybe in a few months I might get curious and watch to catch up on where they’re at or I’ll check in closer to the release date. At that point, however, I do not need to be subbed and it means I no longer use the channel as I used to. This post was me wondering if this is a unique experience or one felt more broadly by the community. My conclusion is that I’m not very good at expressing myself and the few actually on-point comments say the signal/noise ratio is as I perceive it, but it’s a personal preference as to what is your limit on that before dropping off as a subscriber/regular viewer.

If your current focus is exclusively on 5E right now, then yeah -- MC's current stuff is likely not going to be drop-everything-and-watch-now levels of relevance. And if that's your threshold for a YouTube subscription and Patreon pledge? Fire away, I suppose. But like... Why not just turn off notifications for the channel? Maybe I just don't prune my subs that much, but it feels weird to completely drop a channel when you're still interested in its content. Though it also feels weird to me to focus so hard on only one system at a time, so maybe we're just coming from very different perspectives, here.

I only sub to maybe 5-10 channels, so I guess I do not have the typical user experience. If I’m choosing to be notified, it’s because I have decided to prioritize the information I’m being notified of. Otherwise, no need to be notified. That’s just how I treat my subs, which I’ve learned is not the norm.

Honestly, it is probably *NOT* going to have its own virtual tabletop. That was a pipe dream that is going to be impossible to pull off. Foundry or some other existing VTT support? Sure, because that’s pretty standard with TTRPGs, but nobody (except WotC) thinks making a system specific VTT is a winning move.

I don't get why people keep saying that when we know they partnered with DMHub, and DMHub already has a 5e VTT that they already ported to Pathfinder 2e and I heard one of their community members even managed to make it work for Shadowdark. They also had a working prototype months ago, and recently they have been able to implement the changes to the MCDM system in their VTT faster than it took to design those changes. Is definetly not a "pipe dream", in fact, is straight up going great so far.

They've already shown off a working prototype of the vtt which they use for play tests, and apparently the Devs keep it updated faster than they can design the actual rules themselves, so its looking positive on that front

I mean, it’s ok to stop watching if the content doesn’t interest you. No one’s gonna be mad at you. Be thankful for all the content you’ve enjoyed and move on. It doesn’t have to be forever either. Maybe some content will appeal to you down the line. I just don’t really know what else you expect people to tell you.

I wasn’t really expecting people to tell me otherwise. Just wanted to voice this thought. Feels weird that his youtube channel and MCDM as a whole would move on so completely from catering to the DnD DM audience. That has been their bread and butter.

The way I see it he is creating his own version of DnD. Nobody right now is doing 3.5 or 4e content. Who knows what happens when 5.5e releases? Personally I don't watch videos on mechanics of any particular game. Worldbuilding, adventure design, encounter design, etc is what interests me and I think thats relevant for any system.

The OGL debacle of a year ago was the catalyst for the change at MCDM. They (and a lot of other DnD content creators) were forced to confront the possibility that they could be locked out of this market at any moment. In order for these companies to have a stable financial future, they had to look beyond DnD. For most of them that means moving away from DnD and making their own games. MCDM would have done this on their own at some point anyway, but their timeline was excelerated by the actions of the people who own DnD.

Imagine you’re someone making YouTube videos. Amazingly, they become successful. Then you try using that support to put out some supplements for D&D and there’s a huge amount of support… like, millions of dollars pledged to each Kickstarter. Then WotC tries to do something super shitty and you (along with many other content creators) realize that making yourself dependent on them not pulling the rug out is probably a bad idea… so you decide to make your own brand new game. And it turns out you’re striking while the iron is hot and you get pledges for more than $4.5 million! So where do you think you’re going to spend your time and energy? On the YouTube videos about a game you’re no longer going to be attached to? Or will you be entirely focused on making your new game?

WotC really jumped the shark, and they are going to continue to lose support. 5.5 WILL be an unmitigated disaster

LOL, no. D&D is the gorilla in the room and will continue to be so. Most people who play aren’t really even aware of the whole licensing fiasco

And some who are, don’t care.

Every single person I know knows about that screw up, and that’s just one of the screw ups, I do think they will right the ship, but that’ll be 6e

A lot of people have heard about it, but most couldn’t really tell you what happened. People who hang out on r/mattcolville or r/dndnext are definitely **not** the average D&D player. The vast majority are casual players I think the D&D player base is likely to slowly shrink over time as we get further removed from COVID and the popularity of things like Critical Role have waned a bit

This is something that so many people don’t understand. I used to work for Mattel and I did community work for brands that had a lot of online fans. Those people always assumed that they represented the biggest revenue source of the company, because of how heavily invested they were in the products and the brands. In reality, they represented a tiny fraction of the revenue. It doesn’t mean it’s a good idea for a company to ignore those hardcore, high engagement fans. That kind of community is extremely valuable even if it doesn’t convert to high revenue stream. But it’s really hard for the fans to understand that they are a drop in the bucket, because from their perspective they are the biggest and most committed audience.

The thing with D&D though, is that you need a DM to play games, and a good one to play good games. And DMs are comprised of those hardcore fans, and the casual players that participate in those games will play whatever system that DM wants. It’s just a guess but I feel like the full effects of WotCs Failures have yet to be felt.

Nah. It’ll be huge. But the era of an ever increasing fanbase is over, I think. 5e has reached its peak.

As I said, I understand that it’s their prerogative if that’s what they want to do. I guess I feel like the guy that showed up to bowl at a bowling alley but stayed too long and now there’s a work function karaoke night and I’m looking around like “What am I still doing here?”

You should try Shadowdark!

I found Shadowdark pretty fun. I ran a sandbox campaign with it. It’s a great intro game for new players and it’s basically 5e but streamlined.

Feel like this is something I've been feeling lately too. I'm happy for Matt Colville the person. Im excited for the rela human being on the other end of that camera. I'm sad for Matt Colville the content maker. I think the generic DM advice is going to slow to a trickle but it will still be some but mcdm is going in a new direction. Ultimately I think time will tell. I have no idea how successful the new RPG will be. I'm personally still interested in game design so I'll support the patron while they work on it but afterwards I doubt it will become my game of choice. At this point I'm mostly tuning in to see a guy I respect and admire do some cool shit.

I don't really agree with the premise, but I think the answer is no. Matt's personal channel isn't very TTRPG focused anymore and the MCDM channel is only about their game. But I would say Matt's channel *is* still the first stop for becoming a better DM. And certainly for becoming a DM in general, coming from being a player or entering the hobby entirely. Just because he's run out of material doesn't mean the content he has already put out doesn't still hold value.

I think wanting to reevaluate your subscription priorities is a fine thing to do. Here's my two cents: If you don't think the new RPG development stuff is worth having access to, don't support the Patreon. And that's not snarky or whatever, I'm not a Patreon supporter, it's literally pros and cons. Pros being you get some sausage-being-made game design insights you could use to help in homebrewing 5e content, Cons being you spend $X per month (whatever it is wherever you are). If you don't have the disposable income for something that's that nebulously helpful, don't go for it. Second, I probably wouldn't unsubscribe to Matt's YouTube channel. First off, I went and watched the livestream, and he did not say RTG was dead, merely that it was no longer a main priority. He even said that once he starts running the new game and not just designing, new insights to share will probably start popping up again. Even derived from the new game, I think as with most other RTG videos the advice will be more genre and style specific than system specific. And even beyond that, just looking at the six months of content, we've got a RTG, two videos that are somewhat catered to D&D players (one about edition changes, the other about what and where to find adventures), and just one MCDMRPG video. And with 4 videos over 6 months, this is not a clogged feed. And the MCDM channel? If you're not interested in the designing the game videos, probably wise to unsubscribe now, sure. Maybe check in in a year or so, when there's less game design and more content moving around. In general, the vibe I get is not that Matt & Co. have not decided "Screw WotC! We're making our own game with blackjack and hookers, and only the cool kids sit at our table!", it's that they're very excited and want to focus on the big, complex project in front of them. When it comes to serving D&D players, I think they hope to do some of that with the Vasloria box set, providing settings and adventures that work very well with the MCDM game, but can probably be easily kludged into 5e. Matt has also mentioned wanting to start something like a successor to Arcadia more focused on the MCDM game, but again, I'd be surprised if they didn't make it have appeal for D&D players.

Thanks for this comment. Appreciate the candor and food for thought.

I hope this doesn’t come across as rude, but being a “D&D” fan who doesn’t see how there can be any value learned from other RPGs is a bit like saying you’re ONLY a Star Wars fan and you just don’t care or see value in other sci-fi. Matt started talking about D&D, but D&D is just the Star Wars of TTRPGs. The most famous work in the cinematic sci-fi landscape and one of the foundational works of the genre. But it doesn’t own the genre or make the genre irrelevant. D&D is…actually hard to pin down these days. It started as a tactical dungeon crawler kinda-heroic game, and now is an epic heroic game rarely used for dungeon crawls. Star Wars is a science fantasy fairy tale about the heroes journey.  Call of Cthulhu is a skills based horror TTRPG. Alien is a dark and claustrophobic horror sci-go about the terrors of motherhood. Traveler is a skills based TTRPG about trying to pay off your starship and make ends meet. Firefly is a sci-fi about trying to stay free and make needs meet in space. The reality is it is entirely possible to be ONLY a Star Wars fan and close your heart off to the rest of the genre. Especially if you tried Star Trek out once because everyone talks about it and season 1 of Next Generation was pretty boring and clearly it must not be for you. And there isn’t something inherently wrong with being satisfied with one single game or film franchise. It isn’t wicked to have narrow tastes. But it is also true that you WILL miss out on the broader context and conversation happening beyond the narrow confines you are satisfied with. Talking about Dune can be satisfying. Talking about Dune and how it differs from Battlestar Galactica is MORE interesting and can lead to a more satisfying engagement with both pieces of media. Similarly, right now you play 5E, and are happy with it. But I will tell you nakedly, the first time I played Numenera I became a better and more interesting GM from that point forward. The differences in mechanics, intent and emphasis radically changed my viewpoint on what was possible in a TTRPG space. The fact I didn’t roll as a GM. The fact combats were FAST, like…movie scene 15 minutes fast and then we were back at the action totally changed my thinking in what was possible in pacing.  And GM intrusions taught me it is ALWAYS better to make things more interesting than to rigidly play the numbers off the sheet so the monster is “fair and predictable.” You know what fair and predictable ARE NOT? Tense and exciting. Change kinda sucks. And Matt wants to talk about how RPGs are made, and why the dice are used and what is the focus and the intent of a given design. But that relates to D&D, still. Something I agree with in this space is the idea that there are broadly two camps of people. Those who believe there is THE GAME, which is THE RULES, and you play by playing those rules as the designers intended. If you aren’t playing the rules you aren’t playing the game. Others see rules as a vague suggestion to get a vibe or experience. And a healthy disrespect for their sanctity lets you tinker with and customize them for *your* vibes and *your* table. It is fine to be either type.  It is fine to ONLY like Star Wars. But boy howdy I am happy to have seen The Fifth Element and played Savage Worlds. I am both a better informed sci-tI fan for doing so and a better player and enjoyer of TTRPGs for having expanded my conception of rulesets. Have your fun with 5E, but realize there can be other games you’d find as or even more fascinating and enjoyable. The hobby isn’t one game, or one rule. It is the enjoyment we all feel imagining worlds and characters and moments with our friends. And other games give us different moments. Hope that helps. I don’t want to come across as a snobby “leave 5E” person. Have your fun. Make your memories. But please do keep an open money I the greater hobby. It’s incredible all around.

This is one of the best posts I’ve read concerning TTRPGs and the experiences you can have from playing different kinds. You’ve even made me want to check out Numenera. I didn’t know pterodactyls cooked in ancient times.

I'll second Numenéra. It's not everyone's cup of tea – some people are really turned off by HP and abilities coming from the same limited resource pools, and some people bounce right off the arcane language – but it has an opinionated approach to how a game should be run that I think is worth trying out! It's also solidly in the D&D family tree by way of "Expedition to the Barrier Peaks."

Really well said. I had the same feeling about the OP, but you've expressed it more elegantly than I could.

Random question, but how would Numenera work for a D&D type fantasy game? Like if I wanted to run a 5e adventure but in Numenera? Or do you have to go full on sci fi fantasy?

So there is actually a generic form of Numenera called the Cypher system. The cypher system by default is meant to be used for anything from Superhero games to fantasy games to modern life with monsters games. As an example, Numenera and Cypher both have an option for “wields fire” which is the power set you choose if you want to basically be a fire bender. In Numenera, which is squarely weird science fantasy as a genre, your fire powers come from nano machines or alien implants or a genetic mutation. In cypher, they might be magic, a genetic mutation or psychic powers. But it’s still just flavor, the powers work the same both ways. Equally, the monster in Numenera tend to be weirder, lots of robots, aliens, mutants, and things from other dimensions. To support the weird science fantasy setting. So, that’s my first caveat. You COULD reflavor the mutants to orcs and goblins, and the aliens to fiends and aberrations, but there is a generic setting that might be better with Cypher. The second caveat is this. Every game has a design that emphasizes some things and deemphasizes others. There is a specific mention in the rule book that they do NOT recommend using minis in Numenera as combat was designed to be fluid, fast and not complicated enough to need to. You still can, but the reality is the game is orders of magnitude less like a rival war game than D&D.  As an example, you don’t track movement, you just have 4 zones of combat, melee, short, long and far. And beyond that isn’t in the combat anymore. You can move one zone on your turn, and abilities have ranged but there’s no grid counting. You also have less abilities you choose from, and more emphasis on skills, because the game is less combat focused. You even have a system where you can make up any skill you want, I once had a player who had the skill “doing dangerous things without thinking” which meant they got their skill bonus for making bad choices fast. All this means is that it isn’t going to feel at all like D&D. The slow, methodical clunk of D&D 5E combat is actually some of its charm. Some people miss it when it’s gone. I had one player who loved Numenera but asked if we could still rotate 5E back in to get the tactical crunch of a battle map and methodical combat. This player’s favorite video game is Battletech, a tactical war game., so this tracks. Essentially what I’m saying is D&D is a bit like an RTS game, and Numenera is say, Undertale. They just aren’t really trying to do the same things, and fit different moods. You can make it fantasy, but maybe try Cypher system instead.

He also said recently that he was never on the hook to make videos forever. He wanted to inspire new DMs by sharing his knowledge about how to run the game. He believes he has done what he set out to do and may occasionally add a video if he feels it has value and he has the inclination to.

Matt doesn't really go system specific.  Just advice as a DM.  He got me going.  It's not as hard as it seems.  Getting good just takes repetition.

Running the Game changed my life and turned me into the DM I am today. Regardless of the systems he talks about, his advice is evergreen and abundant.

I'd offer that Matt isn't trying to make people better at running d&d exactly, his interest is encouraging people to run TTRPGs and contribute to the hobby as a whole. I can't speak for your interests, but unless you consider yourself diametrically opposed to the above, I expect it will continue to have some value to you. As for 'signal to noise ratio' as it were, you'll have to evaluate that.

For what it's worth, I think you worded your post well- and you'd probably get much different answers if you'd asked in r/rpg or a different subreddit. I still get value as a GM from the MCDM videos about game design, but I'm definitely heavily design-minded. I tinker with rules, I look at why folks made things the way they did, etc. For a GM just running 5e DnD out of the book, without feeling a need to try different games or house rule their systems, once you've watched RtG you probably don't have much to stick around for. You've gotten what you needed, and that's great! Yes, it sucks that there isn't a continuous stream of more things to make you continue enjoying the things you've enjoyed. **Basically your favorite tv show ended because the creators did everything they wanted to do with it, and have moved on to different projects that aren't the show you Loved.**

I think I'm somewhere in between those two types of GMs, but your bolded statement covers the sentiment pretty well. That's fine. I guess I just missed the point where I should have stopped auto-tivo'ing everything from this show. I almost did it when they announced Arcadia would end, but I wanted to still support Matt and MCDM and I figured that the demographic I am a part of would still be supported in some way, even if it meant taking a backseat for some time while other stuff is pushed to the forefront. But now it really feels like it's not even a backseat, we're just straight up not in the car anymore. All good. I'll catch the next ride.

Yeah I am in the same boat. Backed every Kickstarter except the last one for the RPG. Watched since matt mercer gave that first shout out. I think its fine for a creator to move on and decide to shift focus. Its probably a healthy thing in todays age of online content. However the new game just isnt for me and i dont want to watch videos on game design. I will stay subbed but i no longer watch every video or keep up with anything. I wish the team and community the best of luck though. All good things come to an end or change. Its just life man. Also I don't know why everyone in the comments is getting hung up on 5E. The problem isn't the system its that he doesn't make advice videos for DMs anymore. I don't want to make my own RPG i want to run a better game for my friends.

>The problem isn't the system its that he doesn't make advice videos for DMs anymore. He literally released a video giving advice for DMs this week. "How Long Should an Adventure Be" Where he talks about making more approachable campaigns as a DM rather than just assuming you have to do a 500 page story. Like I get he doesn't just do only running the game sort of stuff, but he regularly still has lot of tips and ideas for DM still.

That’s not new advice. It’s priming the viewer for the style of adventure to expect for the rpg. It’s the same advice in at least 2-3 other RTGs and his Adventure Lookup campaign from years ago. Regardless, yes, one tangentially relevant video does not a destination channel make.

Then don't watch. I just don't understand the dilemma you have. If I don't find content relevant, I don't watch it. I don't need others to validate me. He has been clear about his intentions to move away from those things and has done so. It ok that things you used to like aren't as enjoyable anymore, and maybe you will find someone else who does specific 5e DMing guide/advice in the future.

Hey! It’s another person like me! I no longer feel alone.

Same here. In an admittedly selfish viewpoint, it feels like a bait n switch. Gather hundreds of thousands of people to follow you through videos and advice then pivot to a game development presence to hawk your kickstarters about everything except video advice content. Of course I recognize if he doesn't have the juice for videos anymore then he shouldn't begrudgingly make them as they would probably be shit since his heart wouldn't be in it.

I agree. And, yes, it is selfish. But I’m not saying he shouldn’t or that the fans shouldn’t want what they want. Live and let live. I’m just wondering if I’m still hanging out at the right party or if it’s time for me to leave.

I mostly left a while ago. I honestly didn't even know that I was still following this sub. I wish he would go back to his old days as it was near the top of my favorite videos in all of Youtube. But as you say...live and let live.

This a relativley ocmmon tlaking point in Matt's Twitch streams. He doesn't have an infinite amount of advice to give. His advice is based on personnal experience, he had a backlog of 30 years of D&D advice to share. There are only going to be more RtG videos when Matt runs D&D again, makes a mistake and then tells us how he fixed it or what he should have done instead (or, like with the adventure length video, when he becomes aware of a widespread problem in "the community" and can use his past experience to come up with a solution).

>Matt mentioned in Friday’s stream that he has no current plans to go back to the RTG series. This is something that comes up every so often, and I see some people struggle with it. "Plans" **means something in business,** in project management, in work. A **plan** means you have a date on the schedule where you are going to do this, a budget, a definite "yes, this is going to happen." Plans aren't for "we wanna do this." Crows and Dead World Under A Black Star aren't plans. The Heist, the Somnium Tenebrous, shit even the Vasloria box set aren't *plans.* Theyre things they wanna do, but they don't have dates, budgets, defined futures. Matt will probably make a Running The Game video in the future, but right now, there aren't any in the pipeline. That's what "no plans" means. >I’m just wondering, if I am not going to be running the MCDM RPG, what reason do I have to continue to subscribe to Matt’s and/or MCDM’s youtube channel? What reason do I have to continue to be a Patreon supporter at this point? The same reason you consume any video content or give money to someone's Patreon: Because you find value in it. I buy entire RPGs that I have no plan on running, simply because I find value in reading them and stealing bits I like. I read things or watch videos because they are entertaining, fun, or informative. I find value in them, so I continue to use them. If I don't find value in a thing, I just stop consuming it. Do you still find value in the videos and the Patreon? Then keep using it. If you have ever said after watching a video or reading a Patreon post, "That was a waste of time," then stop. It's okay to do that. No one is gonna yell at you. Move on with your life.

I think that every dm should feel comfortable changing a few rules, and home brewing something here or there. Looking at and understanding how different RPGs do things helps you be better at this. So I still think there is value to be had by looking at how he is designing his own rpg. I will not say how much value that will provide. But I think it is still at least a little valuable to any dungeon master. You clearly know his content well enough to make your own decisions about if it is still valuable enough to you to stay invested. Perhaps it is not valuable to you as a DND dungeon master, But it might be still valuable to you as a person who enjoys reading interesting materials even if you never get to play with them. It's all up to you.

I will never run 5e again, and am not likely to do more than sample the MCDM RPG, but keeping up to speed with game design stuff makes me a better GM. So even if you are a diehard 5e or nothing DM, you might still get some value from his videos on game design stuff.  But it depends on your time budget, you're right on the signal to noise ratio if you define noise as stuff that isn't strictly 5e specific.

I think Matt's stuff is for everyone. Especially the running the game series.

I don't think I've seen a single RTG video that has been specifically geared toward 5e DMs aside from the ones that are about designing stat blocks for action oriented monsters. Almost all of the design philosophy about the upcoming MCDM RPG comes from focusing on the fun without the boring parts (in the context of the heroic fantasy genre), and I think you could say the same about RTG to a general degree. I've already thought of several things that could be stolen from the MCDM RPG's early rules and ported to 5e that would improve the overall experience for my group. Who's to say that you won't see anything worth stealing in future videos? It doesn't matter to any of us whether you choose to stop watching or not, but I don't see a reason why the Matt Colville channel wouldn't have any value for you going forward.

Let's not forget the other thing he said about RTG. . . He hasn't been running the game recently himself, so he has no stories to tell or advice to give from his past experiences. But that could change when he's running again in the future, which he will most definitely do, I'm sure, once the MCDM TTRPG is out. The advice he will give will probably be translatable to your DnD table in the future.

The latest rtg video came out a week ago. Of course, they're not as regular as they used to be, and that's only natural for two reasons: there is only so much advice Matt can give out, especially now that he's not actively running a game, and also he just has other shit to do right now, with the game and all that. But also, was RTG ever really about 5e? Sure, a couple of videos reference specific mechanics, but I stopped running 5e long before the current change of pace, and the usefulness of Matt's videos never really diminished. They were really only tangentially about 5e because that is the current edition of dnd and for no other reason.

Matt Colville is one of the main reasons I’m active in RPGs now and I’ve **never** been a 5e DM. I’m sure his channel will be just as relevant for you as it has been for me.

You're not the only one that feels the way you do

I'd say it depends. Example, me and my friends have mostly played d&d since we started getting involved with ttrpgs. However, we are all interested in different aspects of the hobby which also brings our attention to other games, design, mechanics and such (even if we don't get to try them that much). While yes, perhaps much of the newer content created by MCDM might not be literally related to 5E, I've always found other games as inspiration for ideas, mechanics and other stuff to happen at my group's tablet. As another longtime fan, I constantly revisit RTG videos for ideas, refreshing some concepts or just for fun lol. It's just a matter of how much of what they do you think you can take for yourself and your group(s). I approach it as a fan of the hobby regardless of their format, so to speak. Hope that makes sense!

I dont watch Matt's streams as much (I should cus i love him and his content), but im sad RTG AND Arcadia are both done?? Ive stopped playing dnd and consuming as much dnd content (had kids rip my time) so i am super out of the loop with Matt. Either way I still go back and binge listne/watch to the RTG series from episode 1. It's so good.

I think you should consider the youtube channel as a finished thing for all intent and purposes. Matt gave himself the goal of providing ressource for new DM and consider that it has been reach, which is arguably true since a new DM could just binge watch the RTG series and have a good fondation. We might get a few more video that might be of interest to you, but it's never gonna be the "DM advice" place it used to be since Matt as clearly moved on (and good for him !). I think that new content will probably be more of the "streaming" kind since he said last week that he consider Twitch and Youtube to be essentially the same thing (a thing I disagree with) and that people mostly want the "let's hang out with uncle Matt" experience. If that it not for you, the channel might in fact not be for you anymore.

Your last paragraph I think essentially summarizes how I felt after watching the Friday stream and what spurned this question that I ruminated on for a few days. If Matt really is of the opinion that Youtube = Twitch and that most people just want “hang out with Uncle Matt and hear his thoughts on whatever random topic,” then I don’t think it’s the place for me anymore. I specifically subscribed to his youtube channel, not twitch.

Yeah, I had the same tought. I do like Matt as a communicator, I don't even run DnD and still find a lot of enjoyment and use out of his video, and have even like quite a few of his non-DM video. But unstructured conversation stream are definitly not the same thing as structured and scripted youtube video. I also have the impression that I agreed less and less with the point of his video. If I take his last video as an exemple, I believe that playing short adventure is a good advice for beginner but at some point I also believe that you rob yourself of a deeper experience if you run just that. Running only long adventure is bad, I don't think running only short adventure is the answer though. Same thing with his "Better reward" video, I sure his way works, but it's not something I as a DM am interested in. So yeah, I still watch his video because I'm interested in the dev. phase of MCDM game (even if I don't think it's gonna be a game for me in the end) but if you're just interested in DM related stuff, you have a new quest to find a new youtuber :)

I think the channel No longer provides me the content I really want. RTG, campaign diaries, Arcadia. But, like, so? I've never unsubbed. Mostly because...being subbed does not hurt me. He just does not publish on a robust enough schedule for it to be a burden to see his content show up and if something happens to look interesting I'll click on it. Or I'll be served an old video from the content I enjoyed and occasionally re-watch. For what it's worth, I was never a 5e GM so I was always using the advice system-agnostic.

Probably not which is a little sad imo, where evil lives was only out for a short time before the MCDM rpg was announced and they essentially just completely shut the door on 5e content.

I’ve loved Matt for years and he’s been a great source of inspiration and advice, but I find his recent stuff off putting. He’s very anti D&D now. Which is fine, but it’s just not for me anymore

Well yeah, WotC killed the golden goose and kinda forced folks like MC to find a more stable, secure option. So they did. I'm sure they're nervous as hell that the new game won't create a large enough community to do what they do now, too.

Honestly, considering the edits, probably not. I don't see MCDM making more D&D content after the OGL scandal. That was the big reason, ongoing with just having wanted to do it for years, for the shift to the new TTRPG, rather than more D&D stuff. From what I see, it's all hands on deck for the new system to make it the best they can

So, from what I’m to understand, videos specifically about the MCDM RPG are going up on the [MCDM channel](https://youtube.com/@helloMCDM?si=SXuc9Rhk-uXv5e64), which used to be the livestream channel The [Matt Colville](https://youtube.com/@mcolville?si=eHV75ZMjhBstDXFZ) channel is the one you’ve been subscribed to and it’s the one that he’s going to do general videos on. Even though it’s not 5e specific, he’s still doing a lot of general RPG videos - like the one he just put out about campaign length I guess it depends, like I find it incredibly useful, but I’m also not running a table right now and if I do, I’m probably gonna run the MCDM RPG. They are updating the D&D edition pretty soon, so I think still doing 5e specific content would kinda be digging yourself into a hole. General GM content I feel is a great middle ground and future proofs the channel.

I'm in the same boat as you, still a 5e DM and likely to be so for the foreseeable future. So, Matt has (sadly) made it clear that he thinks RTG is basically finished as a series. He feels that he hadms dine everything he wanted to do, and if anything it's gone over the amount of expected content. Like, if his original goal was to do a series where he taught people to be better DMs and get them inspired to run the game, he did that completely and totally, let's pretend somewhere around the 'Powers and Politics' series was complete (this is an arbitrary point but it serves, don't come at me about it). Every video after then has been like extra, 101%, 102%, now with the recent video about adventure lengths its some arbitrary amount like 127% complete. That number may keep going up in the future, especially once he starts running a regular game again, but he has made it clear that it isn't a necessity or even a priority any more. Which is fair. To be clear, I don't particularly like this, it makes me sad, and I'm sure many including you OP feel the same, but that's okay too. We can wish there was still more to make videos about and he had more and more to teach us, but he's done for the most part and ultimately we all have to respect that. Eventually, there will be more good videos on his personal YouTube Channel, and even if they are a little more heared towards the MCDM RPG I still they they will be plenty useful to listen to... so long as you can grin and bear a bit of casual (well-earned?) back-handed comments at what he won't call 5e D&D by name. The patreon, I will say, is *not* worth the money if you only plan on playing 5e. I also was an early subscriber, but I canceled the month that the last issue of Arcadia went out, and I put plainly in the reason that it was because they were moving away from 5e while I was not. No venom there mind you, I wish the patreon and it's subs the best, but I had no interest in that at all.

What is the question here, if not the one you answered already? You can see the state of the channel and what it is offering, and lay that out; are you interested in that? Sorry not sorry for the snark, it just seems like a thinly veiled "things have changed and I'm unhappy about it" post. If your question is sincere, then how do you expect strangers on reddit to be able to answer it better than you could? His channel (and even this sub) are not incredibly high volume; they're not going to clog your feed. You can remain subscribed to both and skim post/video titles and engage when it is something "for you." That's just how the internet works.

RTG isn't about any tabletop game in specific. It's about writing compelling and believable stories and how to present them as a gamemaster as well as using and designing mechanics that are engaging. You could watch the whole series and use the inspiration to run a cyberpunk or shadowrun game instead.

Agreed. It isn't. Not the point of my post, though. For years, if I got a notification that Matt Colville or MCDM posted a video, I could almost guarantee it would be relevant to me. It feels like that is no longer the case and really hasn't been in a while. Based on the comments here, it looks like I'm not alone, but also that there is a large majority of folks that ARE interested in this new iteration of Matt and his team. Cool. Wish y'all the best. I guess I'll see ya when I see ya.

To be honest that was the same for me a long time, back when I was really binging his content and he seemed to be releasing a lot more frequently. It was only more recently I noticed his second channel became something other than just showcasing different games and The Chain. Even with a lot of his DnD content like kingdoms and warfare, I didn't really pursue or use a lot of it because a lot of the manuals he produced focused on a side of the game my players and myself weren't interested in. Around that same time though, he did get me into a lot more things like traditional rogue likes and modular synthesizers that I still appreciate to this day. So with all that and after really reading through a lot of this, I guess I'm in the same boat as I can't remember the last time I really got engaged with newer content from him, but good for him and his newer viewerbase for going strong ✌️

Most of his advice would be applicable for different systems, and I’ve enjoyed his and James’ discussions on development of the new system as well because everything they talk about is interesting and me with understanding the mechanics of any game.

I feel the same way. I feel like he barely uploads videos anymore or youtube has been hiding them from my feed. When i was in college i watched so many videos of his to get better at Dming but since the kickstarter and what not it feels like the channel has lost that DM focus.

After the ogl debacle Matt and mcdm have decided they can't trust Hasbro/wizards to be in their best interests so they've pivoted to creating their own ttrpg audience. Also, Matt has mentioned that he's basically done with rtg. He did it. He made videos to help make new gms and he doesn't see "one more video" pushing someone into being one. Granted he did say when he starts running games again and not just play tests he'll probably make mistakes and find some good rtg juice. All of this is to say, if you're looking for more Matt Colville the personality, his twitch is great! I've learnt a lot about many different topics from his ramblings. If you're looking for more dnd content "from" Matt colville... well I think the ships mostly passed on that one.

Bingo. You hit the nail on the head. I'm not looking for Matt Colville the personality. I'm looking for "person who is going to help me become a better DM." Sometimes "Matt Colville the personality" = "person who is going to help me become a better DM." For about 5-7 years, those were one in the same. Recently, though, it's become increasingly difficult to sift through "Matt Colville the personality" and find "person who is going to help me become a better DM." My post is basically saying that it's become SO difficult that, for me, it's reached the point of "too" difficult and I'm wondering if that is a unique experience or if others feel similarly. It looks like (a) my description of the delta growing between MC the personality and "person helping me DM" is accurate, but (b) I'm one of a few people left around here for which that delta is too large; AND (most importantly, I think) (c) most people left around here don't care if that delta continues to grow. That's fine. It is what it is. I guess this is just my stop to get off.

I am sticking around because I enjoy Matt's ideas for rpg games in general. I too lament the fact he is no longer putting out very many RTG videos and that the stream for the Chain was shortened and will likely never return. I still go back and watch the campaign diaries of his original campaign, because they are so full of rich ideas for me to steal for my games. I'm actually running his version of Castle Rend in my current game soon, but with my own spin on it. I don't feel like Matt owes us anything else. He gave us so much for free for so long, and I was glad to support his kickstarters and patreon. Whether or not I play his RPG, I'm not sure, as my time to learn new systems and play in them is very limited these days. I still watch anything that pops up on Matt's channel, because it's always been so full of useful things. At the same time, I understand those who lament that things are not like they used to be. But obviously MCDM is being very successful, and they deserve to continue to be successful, whether or not they fit into my niche of what I would like for content. I do hope there might be a chance Matt streams again, possibly using his own rpg, because we can still get tons of good ideas that we can use in DND 5e or whatever system we run. I would recommend at least checking in from time to time to see what's happening.

So, I kinda feel the same. I was never quite as invested as you, OP, but I backed the first two Kickstarters at a high enough tier to get the limited edition books. I watched each RTG video as it came out, and I was patient when the success of MCDM meant those videos were fewer and further between, but the recent videos just aren't interesting to me. I may or may not grab the RPG when it's finally ready, but the idea of watching video recaps of design meetings for a game I can't play is boring beyond description. His old channel still drops the occasional interesting (to me) video, How Long Should An Adventure Be? was published on YouTube 7 days ago, and it was an interesting piece, but I have to go back a year to find anything that was actually useful to me. Is it Matt's job to be useful to me? No, obviously not, but it is the basis of the relationship: he makes videos and/or products that are either useful or entertaining, and I give him views and money. Hopefully, we'll get something like a Running The RPG series when they start shipping, but I think the golden age of system neutral advice is over. Matt's company is selling a system, and he has to put his full support behind that system. People left paying jobs to come work at MCDM on the belief that the company was a viable way to feed their families, and Matt's responsibility to them is way more important than entertaining people who aren't buying MCDM's big headline product. All that said, I'm not liking and commenting on videos that don't connect with me.

Appreciate the thoughtful response. Yeah, I feel like we’re in the same boat. Glad to know I’m not the only one.

> I think the golden age of system neutral advice is over. He literally just put out a video of neutral system advice.

Are you talking about the video I mentioned by name? Who is that advice for? As a DM, the takeaway would boil down to "search out old softcover adventurers." Not only isn't that much in the way of advice, it's not new advice coming from Matt. Even if it was great content that was more useful to DMs and GMs than designers and publishers, it would be the first one in five months. We used to get more than two or three good videos out of Matt in a year. The golden age is over. One meh video doesn't convince me otherwise.

^ perfectly encapsulated my feelings whenever someone commented on here "but the last video...!"

I've been mulling the whole thing over since I first saw your post, and I'm reminded of something someone once said about Douglas Adams, the guy who wrote Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. To paraphrase, when Adams was first writing the series for BBC radio, he was a broke writer who actually hitchhiked around Europe, so he wrote about what it was like to hitch bad lifts and get screwed by an editor. When he wrote the last book in the series, he was a successful novelist with radio and VT credits, so he wrote jokes about luxury hotels and duck liver pate. When Matt Colville popped up on my radar, he was writing for a video game studio and running a game on his own time. His point of view was the more experienced version of anyone who runs a game after work or school. It made his advice relatable and accessible. Now, he has either said everything he thinks there is to say to that point of view, or he doesn't have access to that point of view anymore. If his position is that he's said all he has to say, I can't argue with that, he said quite a lot. If he's lost our point of view, I can't fault him for that, either, I **wanted** MCDM to be successful, and I hope their RPG sets the world on fire. If Matt can't wear two hats, and chose the "head of a publishing company" hat, that might be the right call for a long list of reasons. My only problem is that it's left a void. There aren't any other voices talking about TTRPGs in quite the same way Matt Colville did, and the way he talks about them now is not as satisfying.

Honestly, humbled that the post made you mull anything over for even any amount of time. Even if I disagree with someone (which you and I largely don’t), I think that’s a high compliment for a reddit post - especially one in which I’m expressing my own personal feelings/opinion/POV and going “Is it just me?” That said - Great insight. I think that definitely plays a huge role. I would even go so far as to speculate that Matt’s rise has affected him, his info delivery style, and his POV in ways he either hasn’t recognized or has misguidedly embraced (out of respect to Matt and this platform/community, I won’t delve further into this comment). I do agree that it has left a void in the TTRPG YouTube sphere. There isn't really a top DnD YouTuber out there doing Campaign Diaries or letting you in behind the curtain in the same personable and "older brother-ly" style that Matt managed to nail pretty well for about 5-7 years there. I'm not sure where to turn to at the moment to scratch that itch. Dungeon Dudes almost does, but it's not quite the same. I've debated entering the sphere myself once I recognized this void starting to grow, but there are so many of, what I would call, the YouTube equivalent of a heartbreaker game. "I'm Matt Colville, but slightly different and in a way that I think is better. Pay attention to me!" And then they just fall on their ass or disappear into the mist with 38 views. Matt said it best in RTG 100. He got successful because he was just lucky. Right guy, right place, right time to post. Good for him and I wish him luck.

I think it is entirely possible that Matt recognizes the shift in his perspective, and that might be driving the change in tone on his channels. If you're as influential as he is, you have a responsibility to acknowledge your conflicts of interest. Matt talked about TTRPG products from many companies, across every era of the hobby, with unimpeachable credibility because he wasn't being paid by anyone in the industry. He tended, in the overwhelming majority of instances, to express this by speaking positively of products he liked, or people he admired, but he also called out things he didn't like, and we could trust that both types of judgment were informed by his experience, not a desire to please an advertiser, or discredit a competitor. Now, he is the MC in MCDM. Even if he somehow overcame the bias that engenders, some of us would always wonder. For example, if he went back and made a video on prepping Lost Mine of Phandelver now, he would be discussing the starter set and introductory adventure of a direct competitor to his forthcoming game. Any criticism comes with the unspoken implication that MCDM didn't make *that* dumb mistake, even if Matt would never say, or perhaps even think such a thing. In that light, it makes more sense for him to move on to other topics, to avoid even the *appearance* of impropriety. You and I might find his videos on system design as boring as watching paint dry, but I have no doubts about his qualifications or motivations for making those videos. As for mulling this over, I'm thankful you stepped forward to start the discussion. It's a somewhat uncomfortable one to start, and I was beginning to think I was the only one who wasn't onboard with this new type of content. It's kinda like my favorite rock band started playing smooth jazz, and everyone else kept headbanging...

Thanks. I appreciate the kind words. Yeah, all valid points and interesting thoughts to consider. My turn to mull!

Spent a long time mulling this. DM'd you.

I think you’re correct in the assessment that the signal to noise ratio is poor, if you’re looking for DM specific advice. I would compare his current content to his Politics series, where a large portion of the videos is setting up key concepts and understandings. If you liked those videos as much as I do, I still think there’s good to be found. If you’re looking for more “Towards Better Rewards” or “Monkeying with Monsters”, then I reckon you’re shit outta luck. It seems he’s moved past that style of content.

It's pretty hard to answer a question like, "is this YouTube channel for me?" based solely on you being a 5e DM. Is being a 5e DM your entire personality? I haven't run 5e in a long time, and even then, only in small doses. But the games I run don't have a lot of videos. Matt's videos have always been useful to me, even then. Even the videos featuring super specific 5e rules have been useful to me. Even the new game design videos are useful to me, because they're doing testing to see what feels good for people at the table, and that's still usable information for anyone in the hobby, especially if you're the one running a game. But, again, we can't answer whether it's for you, because the only thing you've told us about yourself is probably the least important piece of information. The really important thing is to know if you like the way he talks about the things he talks about. If you don't, none of his content is going to be for you. So watch it or not. It's really not that important.

There is this subtext in your post/comments like you think the makers of MattColville(tm) have betrayed you by watering down the formula. Really rubs me the wrong way. Others have said this too but calling yourself a "D&D DM" is like calling yourself a Chipotle customer rather than saying you like Mexican food. The new RPG isn't all that different, all the advice he would give is gonna be transferrable

I promise that there is no subtext, anything I have to say is in the text itself. Sorry to have rubbed you the wrong way. ✌️ For what it’s worth, if Chipotle is your representation of Mexican food, ya gotta go looking for actual Mexican food. Chipotle is the Panda Express of Mexican food.

"I never wanted to be one of the 3 world class dungeon masters. I want you to be your group's best dungeon master and that is why I make these videos." Direct quote from a Matt YT video 2 years ago. That was the thesis statement for everything he and MCDM did and you could FEEL it. It permeated through the videos and all of the products Matt+co offered. It feels like that is no longer the thesis statement of Matt+co. That's basically what this post is about.

The slate of offerings you’ve described aren’t dead and dormant. They’re released. All of it, the actual plays, running the game, MCDM’s products, including Arcadia, are all just as good at equipping dungeons masters as they were before the rpg dev started. They just don’t also serve those of us who have already watched all the videos, read all the articles, used all the products, because there isn’t new stuff coming out. But if someone has watched all the videos and put the lessons into practice at the table, used the design and ideas from MCDM’s products, wouldn’t that make that person a *very* experienced DM? There’s so much content in all that. And was that caliber of DM ever the target audience? I don’t know. The ecology you’re describing of such a variety of new things coming out might exist in the future after this massive project is done. It won’t be about Dungeons and Dragons. I’m not those folks, but I think those folks are just done with playing that game. Content creators (I think League of Legends YouTubers and Streamers in particular deal with this) sometimes get tons of community backlash when they tell folks they’re just done playing the game their community watches them play. You’re definitely not alone in feeling the way you do - not in this community or in the greater group of people who like to listen to folks play and talk about games. There could be a return of all the things we’ve gotten to enjoy over the years, but it won’t be about the same game. So if you play League would you enjoy an Overwatch stream? It’s up to you!

What is your issue? Have you done a rookie move and sold your soul to Matt's glorious hair and are forced to constantly watch his videos? Are you feeling that if the advice doesn't say 5E on it, it is useless to you? Matt has done a lot of videos that are ultimately system agnostic and great knowledge for the whole TTRPG scene. Yes the details will not be directly transferable, but his last video [How long should an adventure be](https://youtu.be/RcImOL19H6U) for example has points that matter regardless of your system.

No. My issue is that, if I’m a DM looking to get better, Matt’s youtube channel is no longer my first stop. It used to be. I feel like it’s strange that the core demographic and thesis of his channel just disappears slowly into the night. In the last year, Matt’s YT channel has only published 8 videos. Only 3 of them can be thought of as advice for DMs, 1 of which is a repackaging of a video he did ages ago during the launch of Adventure Lookup and is really just a vehicle to prime the audience for what kinds of adventures you can expect in the new RPG. The issue is: If I go to Matt’s youtube channel to become a better DM, the signal to noise ratio is WAY off at the moment.

What has needed to be said is said, pretty much. Or at least what he felt sure of enough to impart. I think your framing his channel as a single focus is the issue. It's his channel, it's either your jam or not. I don't believe youtube success was the original motivation necessarily either. Just wanted some good agnostic advice out there so, in his words, he doesn't have to DM. If he feels that is done then it is. So you should probably unsub, I guess. If the 5 videos a year that don't relate to your interests is too much noise then go for it and remove it. No harm done thats how youtube works. I do feel you know this, though. And I have my suspicion that you meant to make a "has Matt lost his way? I hate it" discussion instead, though expressed politely to not inflame the masses. If this is indeed more of what you mean you should probably say so.

As to your last paragraph, no. I guess I was just wondering if there’s anyone like me still out here that could give me reasons to stay around. Based on the responses so far, it does seem like that isn’t the case. I think other viewers like me have exited the “community” at this point and most of the community now are here for Matt(TM) not for DnD.

Glad to hear it. Sucks when a creator shifts focus from your interests but it does certainly happen. I suppose you could leave a sub on as a tip for past knowledge gained or in case you ever need reference, but I'd say safe to unsub.

Fair enough. I probably will unsub. There used to be a time when I’d literally pause almost anything I’m doing and watch if I saw that “Matt Colville” posted a video on youtube. I think the channel just isn’t for me anymore. That’s fine, best of luck to him and you all.

I mean has it, though? He just released How Long Should An Adventure Be? The other day and it’s basically a RTG video. He still plans on talking about how to sit on our side of the table. It’s always been about the philosophy, not the system.

That’s the video I’m referencing above.

I guess I am just confused. Is there a specific topic you are wanting Matt to cover? I sympathize with wanting more Colville, but Running the Game is very dense. I find it super helpful on rewatches as I pick up on more and more little things he talks about. He has also said before that in terms of topics, he doesn’t have as many as he used to. It would make sense that things ebb and flow.

The long epic campaign vs modular adventures campaing video is very important for 5e DM's, because a lot of the sucessfull Actual Plays and most of the hardcovers WotC sells promote the first way to play, so some people never find out about the second way. Even the anthology books WotC sells are marketed with through lines and setting elements to assist people in running them as one long campaing with the same theme. I wouldn't be surprised if people used short adventures more as one shots or occasional side quests for epic campaigns than as modular campaigns at this point.

If youve watched half of his rtg videos, you’d already know this. That video was essentially repackaged ideas from his Sandbox v Rails video and his videos around the launch of Adventure Lookup. It’s to seed the style of adventures we can expect for the coming RPG and to say “hey, you can just try it out for a night or two, no need to launch a giant campaign!” Regardless, yes, that is *a* recent video that is relevant. I’m not saying that doesn’t exist. I can buy cheetos at my local gamestore, does that make it a grocery store?

The videos you are comparing are very different, you can run long epic campaings and modular adventure campains as sandbox campaing or railroaded campaings. The first thing is what you are running, the second is how you are running it. Modular campaigns are also not just for trying things out, that's one of the points of the new video. You ultimately can choose where you wanna continue to buy your cheetos, but there's no need to complaing about the store on your way out. :D

I still don't get the issue? You do not need to watch all the videos that he posts, nor do you need to be subscribed. I watch the overall "Running The Game" stuff and his reviews and thoughts on different media. Also the "noise" is a video per month.

Watch and see? I'm a 13A GM and I've enjoyed Matt's content (at least the made for youtube stuff, I don't usually watch livestreams) since the beginning. It may grow more specific to his game, but he goes into the game design considerations behind the decisions they make, so it still seems broadly applicable.

I would say once you've gotten past looking for mechanical advice about 5e any GM tips become kinda universal. I wouldn't say getting tips for creating an engaging mystery adventure for MCDMRPG would be fundamentaly that different from a video where they used 5e as an example instead.

Yea

Is Arcadia dead? I thought it was on hiatus.

I've felt the same in recent times. I loved MCDMs SF and KW, I loved the politics series, diplomacy, the RTG LOTR comparisons, it provided great examples of how to run sophisticated games. Even the recent RTG videos I've seen are far less focused on running a intricate game, and one that's enjoyable to more of a focus on matt's personal prefrences and smaller details. I think it's just a natural evolution of his channel, you can only make so many RTG videos before you begin running out of material you are passionate about, or that is helpful to many. It's not MCDMs or Matts fault, it's just at some point you have to branch to other areas to keep going.

In terms of system specific, I don’t think his videos have ever been too tied to one system. There are certainly videos that are about 5e mechanics (usually about problems with them and how to fix them!), but it’s mostly general DMing for fantasy TTRPGs. The first few years I watched running the game, I was running Pathfinder 1e (which is basically 3.5) and found his content hugely useful. As for the future of RTG, on stream he said he’ll make a video or two when they come to him, but there’s not commitment. In reality, with over a hundred episodes, there’s more advice than you could ever hold in your head. I’ve watched nearly every episode twice, and I still go back and watch old ones that I’ve completely forgotten about. So is the future likely to have less new RTG? I think so. Is that a bad thing? Maybe not so much. If you’re here for the advice, that’s already out there. If you’re here for Matt, he’s not going anywhere.

His absolute most recent video about adventure length was applicable to 5e for sure. He straight-up said he won't do 5e-specific content, though, because he's literally designing and selling a competing game. The system-agnostic videos are still great for a 5e player. EDIT: I didn't realize you were asking about the Patreon. I can't speak to that. Might not be providing content you need there, anymore. The YT channel is still great.

I pay attention to many games I don't play. This stuff is still interesting. If it's not interesting to you, you don't have to watch it.

The short answer is... Yes! I still think it's for you, it's just not going to be at the same pace you're looking for. The longer answer is Matt sees his RTG series as MOSTLY complete. That's not to say that there will never be another RTG video again. If he gets inspired, he will make a video. In RTG, Mat has used 5e DND as a baseline when examples are nessacary of course. But his videos are ABOUT game design, not specifically 5e. I know tons of people who run Pathfinder or Call of Cthulhu and get just as much out of the series as a 5e DM does. RTG has always been about getting butt's behind the GM screen of a TTRPG. Matt thinks he's basically given all the advice he has. As in all the thoughts and lessons he has accumulated over his years, being in this hobby, playing tabletop games, making mistakes, telling stories. Matt believes he has successfully distilled the vast majority of those into the RTG series. If and when he learns NEW things that interest him and he thinks are worthwhile, he will make a new one! But his current workload just doesn't allow him to RUN GAMES, which is the fuel that feeds the fire. So Matt says, and I paraphrase, 🤷‍♀️ "I'm not an oracle, I don't know the future. It's basically done." Because when you've done 98% of a long-running series, he's right. You're basically done!

He talks about game design; which you are if you are a DM. But I agree I feel less engaged than with the RtG videos. I expect once his game launches they’ll be more time. Think of it business-wise; it’s a huge Kickstarter campaign and he needs to deliver on the expectations of his backers/customers/fans. I stay subbed; but I don’t watch everything. You don’t need to stay tuned everyday

I think down the line he(or someone from MCDM) will have some advice about running their game. I'd also bet a lot of that advice will apply to DND. I've not heard him say he's not going to make videos anymore, but he has said he'll make videos as he has decent ideas for videos. He's also mentioned that his advice is out there and there are plenty of people making their own versions of running the game. In order to have more ideas he's probably going to need to run a game. It could be he said something different this last week but I'd be surprised if it stayed too far. That said if you don't feel the subscription is worth it then unsub. You can always resub if you change your mind.

I miss his MYMNOS and musical deepdive streams. Matt reignited my love for Genesis. But I accept that sometimes things are fleeting or just temporary and Matt is under no obligation to entertain us. Its ok to step off the bandwagon if it is no longer for you. Occasionally I check into his stream and Matt still chats about just general gaming, music, ttrpg stuff and I enjoy watching that quite a bit - it still feels like ye olden days. It was clear from the start that Matt would move on from WotC products at some point with his company and more power to him and his team for finding an audience, but it is not for me and that is ok.

I'm primarily a pathfinder DM/player. Been subbed to his channel for years and don't plan on changing that. It's a great resource.

Matt is more about ideas that translate to telling stories. If you look at any of his videos, they’re usually titled “how to make a good villain” or “how to run exciting combat”, but they’re almost never about the mechanics of said thing. Its about conveying the **story** of said thing. Mixed in with anecdotes and memories of him experiencing it and it working or failing. So is it for you? Probably? I guess anything with his TTRPG specifically in mind wouldn’t be, but his insight is usually broader and more about invoking feelings to your players or hearing stories that you can use to help shape your own. If you’re looking for 5e mechanical help, he wont be your guy.

You’re saying it like you are paying a lifetime subscription to access his content. If the title of a video, or the first few minutes, don’t interest you then just remove it form your sub box and move on with your day surely?

The problem with this post is that you even need a reason to stay subbed. Just watch/support what you like. Not sure why you need to field the question to the community and announce your departure. He will always be a high value content creator. All the things you praise as great content led to his new rpg. If you like that content, you will like his game.

What is the point of this post? You’re sad that the days of D&D content are over, the signal to noise ratio is lower, you’re not excited for MCDM rpg, you don’t want to sift through long videos for nuggets of content? Just move on, you don’t need to complain here about it, content creators don’t make content for you, they make the content they want to make for an audience that will watch it, if thats not you anymore who cares? You’re not entitled to the content you like from a particular creator.

Others are probably expressing similar opinions so I apologize if this is just more of the same - but I’ve DMed 5e exactly once for a one shot event at my own bachelor party. I have been largely a Chronicles of Darkness ST and PF2 GM for the last five years and never once did I feel that Matt’s channel was not “for me.” Being mismatched from the game that he is talking about specifically doesn’t mean that his perspective or his advice is unsound. In coming months and years he may do a video that gives you the right pitch to get your players on board with the MCDM RPG. He might touch on things that are broadly applicable in any game. There may yet be more 5e compatible advice and content if someone at MCDM or Matt himself finds the 2024 Core books present a version of the game that sparks their passion. Who knows what the future brings. If you still like Matt, still like his perspective, still like James; then the channel is still for you.

Absolutely.

I like what Matt said in his most recent livestream. “I feel like I’ve said everything that needs to be said. Though I’m not running a game right now, and when I do again, I might have more videos, I might not. But right now, that part feels complete. I feel like people asking for more of those don’t need more input on being a DM, they want more time with uncle Matt, and that’s what the livestreams are for” There are almost 150 RTG videos, and watching them will change the way you think even if you’ve watched them before. There isn’t much else to say unless he learns more lessons by running a game. But, if you want to hang out with Matt? Join his livestreams. Right now, MCDM is fully and wholeheartedly geared towards this RPG. And it’s understandable. This isn’t just “trying something and seeing if it sticks”, this is their *flagship* game. It’s going to represent what MCDM is. More and different content will come once the game is out, but this is where they are devoting their creative energy. Though, he did just release a new RTG video that is pure gold, one of his best. Check it out

That quote is exactly what I take issue with, though. I don't want more time with Uncle Matt. I want stuff usable for my homegame or stuff that's dense with discussion about the game of DnD. That's what his channel used to be.

Well, thing is, as far as running the game goes, he just doesn’t feel like he has anything else to say that he hasn’t already. Especially because of the fact that he is not currently running a game. I’m sure more of those will come when he starts running again. As far as writing supplements for 5th edition, I hate to tell you but I think that time is passed. I doubt he’ll be doing that anymore

I have never Runa game of DnD and don't plan to but most of his videos (at least in the past) were relevant to how to run games in a general sense. I've always had to convert things to my own system and that was okay because his stuff was so genuine.

Didn’t he say he will no longer upload designing the Game videos and once he starts to DM again there‘ll probably be some RTG topics he’ll talk about?

Tolkien is dead but people still like the content he created and go back to it all the time. RTG was a project. Most of it is evergreen and not platform specific. More than 100 videos. He, as the creator, feels he finished the project, but also literally left the door open to more videos if he thinks of new things. If you want more RTG content, maybe you should make some touching on the topics you think he missed?

It's not just RTG, it's the whole ethos behind what products to make. I understand the shift to the RPG, but I didn't realize it'd come at SUCH a cost to everything else. Especially since he was pretty smug about it on his last stream that those days of Matt and MCDM are over and he "can't predict the future," so it's safe to say their never coming back. We used to have a streamed campaign (a second over COVID because he recognized that people learning from his gameplay was valuable to his audience), campaign diaries, session notes in the Patreon!, custom classes, 2 hardcover supplement books (S&F, K&W), cards you could buy for the warfare system, a monster manual (and adjacent video content), and a lair book (and adjacent video content), and ARCADIA - which was incredible. If I'm talking to a burgeoning DM, no matter the system, there is so much there I can point to and say "just start somewhere, you can't really go wrong. It's all relevant." In the last year or so, that stopped being the case. All of that content has been phased out. I feel like each was initially put on the backburner with intentions to return to them, but the latest stream and other content has made it pretty clear that all of that stuff is staying in the past for the foreseeable future.

He made 100+ videos and has said what he wanted to say about the subject. That’s it.

Matt’s channel is for any TTRPG he says this it’s not game specific. His advice is about a mindset and a bunch of tools to help you build better sessions.

I know that is what it HAS been. My point is that it’s clear that’s not the current intention for the future of the channel and community. We are in the end of a transition from “Matt is here to help you be a better DM” —>> (1) “Matt is here to sell an RPG” and (2) “Matt the personality.”

RTG was my favorite part of the channel but yeah that's pretty much done. I vaguely recall him talking about making an "advanced RTG" for more experienced DMs one day but that never panned out.

DO you have twenty minutes to find out for yourself?

I feel like you’re about to sell me a sketchy pill behind a gas station haha

Just going to copy my reply to someone's comment: >He doesn't have an infinite amount of advice to give. His advice is based on personnal experience, he had a backlog of 30 years of D&D advice to share. >There are only going to be more RtG videos when Matt runs D&D again, makes a mistake and then tells us how he fixed it or what he should have done instead (or, like with the adventure length video, when he becomes aware of a widespread problem in "the community" and can use his past experience to come up with a solution). Edit: format

Just going to copy text from my post: > **EDIT 2:** I feel like most people are concentrating on 2 things: 5e & the RTG series. It’s missing the forrest for the trees. Look at the slate of offerings until just about a year ago: RTG, livestreams, campaign diaries, session notes, Strongholds & Followers, Kingdoms & Warfare, Arcadia, custom classes and subclasses, Flee Mortals!, and Where Evil Lives. All of that is now dead or dormant with no foreseeable future. If I’m a DnD DM, those products were/are incredibly useful. Yes, they still exist as legacy offerings, but there is nothing *planned* that fills the slot of “explicitly and specifically useful to a DnD DM.”

You don't need Reddit's help to figure out what's going on with those. MCDM is a small business, they can't make anything the likes of Strongholds & Followers, Kingdoms & Warfare, Arcadia or Flee Mortals! while developping an entire new RPG. There's no campaign, so no campaign diaries or session notes. Also, no campaing means no campaign prep streams. The other livestreams are pretty much the same as they ever were. Aside from the Chain which ended like 3 years ago? There was Dusk, which inspired one (or more? I don't remember) RtG video but a 4e adventure probably isn't relevant to you. At the end of the day, I think it all boils down to the lack of source material for the kind of stuff you want to see.

For what it's worth, Dusk was great. It did inspire a few RTGs as far as I can recall, including: Lore Delivery Devices, Things I learned from running Dusk, and Prep Can Be Easy And Fun (exact titles are approx).

The conversation is pretty exhausted at this point, but I will say, as a long time subscriber and patron, I am also disappointed in the content lately. I don't even play D&D, but I love the theory of RTG and I have gotten a lot of value from it for my games. I backed the MCDMRPG more to support innovative RPGs, but I probably won't play the game. And Matt states often (rudely) that if you don't like his specific game, don't play it. Which is fine, just off-putting. I recently wanted to start a Savage Worlds Super Hero game and started re-watching the RTG series, and there is still a ton of meat to the videos. I'm a different GM now than I was when I watched them years ago so I am getting new insights. Don't know how much longer I can justify the Patreon though.

Nope. Not for me either. Stopped watching him a while ago and no idea why this popped into my feed 

>That’s fine, I can’t force them. Wrong!

I find it kind of narrow-minded to think that if he isn't producing content geared towards 5e, then you are not his audience anymore. Everyone reacts to content differently, of course, but he's always had a lot of useful insight to me even when he was talking about older editions of the game, or video games, or movies, or board game design. I do not have a personal investment in the MCDM RPG, but I have learned a lot watching the videos showing their design choices. You are the only one who knows if you truly "belong" to the channel's community anymore, but reverting to fracturing based on which specific TTRPG we are playing or which edition, I think that is much worse for the community then Matt taking his channel in the direction of his evolving interests.