I'm a Canadian hopeful D&D 5E player and future DM currently working a homebrew world to beat Tal'Dorei, On the One hand I'm happy for them there doing what they love but on the other there the bar to beat in D&D twich streaming.
What do you do? You look at their video on their studio, and check out the cast's IMDB pages, and then you probably set your sights a bit lower. These are accomplished voice actors on a dedicated set, not a group of friends gathered around a table (though they're that, too). Heck, even the table is outside most people's reach.
design is a big one: you will need to present a good, clean space that allows all the players to be easily seen from the main camera, and you will need a focus camera to pick up on each of them individually.
you will need excellent sound design. So ensure that you have good microphones and that you test them from different positions. This is because people move around a lot.
Set design should fill the entire visual space. Most YouTube stuff is set for a 3:4 layout — three units high and four units wide. That means you will need a backdrop capable of that.
each person should have a goodly amount of space around them, and usually this is about three feet wide minimum. Spreading them out in a V shape with the DM at the center is a good idea.
Performance is important because not only do the players and DM all need to have strong ideas of how their characters act, think, sound, and behave, they need to be able to perform that way.
I saw previous comment — they don’t need to be pros, they just need to be good at pretending and be having fun. this is helped by good lighting that isn’t dark at all.
you will need a good editing system and decent software for editing it, so you can go between the Main Camera that captures everything, and then the direct personal cameras that capture each person and how they react. After each session, you will want to edit it for that — and if you go live, that means you will need at least two camera operators (even if on iPhones) and a director (who will do the cuts live and need to be able to see all the feeds from all the cameras) who cannot be the DM or any of the players.
next is planning. Not just the adventures, but the way that everyone reacts to descriptions and to ensure that you don’t have those pauses and delays — you have to keep things flowing and moving and that means a lot of contact in between sessions and revealing some of what is going to happen.
now, that all may seem like a lot, but remember that the bar was set by people who had experience with a lot of the bits of this, and that there are a lot of people you never see involved. They also had money to start — a lot of it.
but they practiced it first, and that didn’t cost money or require a special place. They also took years to get there.
you can do it. Build up to it. Start with what you can, keep your eyes on the goal, and don’t get lost in the weeds.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Only a DM since 1980 (2000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA
Well I know about the fact that they have contacts and knowhow and friends in this type of media while I do not, I'm as stated in one of the posts a normal kitchen table D&D type of players.
The cost will be huge even before the First show, about 3 to 5 Million Canadian. Here is what I need Two top of line Gaming PC's, 3 to 4 plug and play cameras, a table long and big enough for a good size gaming group, a person skilled in PC Twitch online streaming. The most costly part would be the place to have the show it would double as my new place to live hence the price.
The success of Critical Role is more than just the studio and equipment. They didn't have any special setup that others didn't already have - they were not the first D&D liveplay webshow. Their success came from experience and connections. They had decades of experience and that experienced ranged in voice acting, physical acting, theatre, improvisation, directing, writing, and more. When they improv scenes they knew to make a scene seem vivid - what actions and words to evoke the emotion, to show the layers of the character. They were also good friends - so much they were basically family. They understood each other so much that working together was effortless. Matt is especially talented at worldbuilding, storytelling and DMing. He has been the DM/GM of many different games and systems. He knows these people well and how to create a world they know how to play in, and create story-triggers they can use. He doesn't just provide narration, he gives them clay with which to mold their story.
THAT is what made them so great, so entertaining and so mesmerising. You can have the best studio with the best equipment and best software -- and it won't mean a damn thing. Experience, talent, natural charisma and dedication will be necessary to even stand a chance. So if you want to have a shot of equal fame then you're going to need group of amazingly talented people, have them game together for years privately before putting them before a camera.
Critical Role had that amazing foundation before they started. If you cannot match that, there is no hope for you.
Even if you get that, you have extra obstacles that CR doesn't. You have something you need to beat. They are already big. When they started there were few such shows and got prime-time on a new geeky streaming platform (Geek & Sundry). So it allowed them to grab the greatest chunk of the geeky fandom without much competition. With that massive start-up they could grow and become big. Bigger than big. Record-breaking. They have an insanely large fanbase across the entire world. So for as long as they are up and running, they'll be drawing all the attention away from you. There are certainly decent other D&D shows, even those that feature voice actors, (even bigger actors, like Deborah Ann Wolls' show Relics & Rarities) but they struggle to reach the size of CR because CR is already there. Some can stay the course and be successful, albeit not quite as big as CR, and some fizzle away.
So if your goal is to be "bigger and better than CR!" then you are doomed to fail. Sorry.
But, if your goal is to be a successful D&D show - that is certainly possible. Talented cast, decent set up, and you have a good chance to be successful. You won't be bigger than CR, that ship has sailed, but you could certainly be the next-big thing. The next in line for the throne if CR finishes. That is a reasonable goal. Difficult. But reasonable. Difficult though. And, again, it relies more on the talent and experience of your cast far, far, far, and I cannot stress this enough, FAR more than how fancy or expensive your studio/equipment is. As long as the visual and audio is clear, ya fine. It's the cast that makes the show. Nobody, not a soul, stuck with CR because of the quality streaming (because they started with very used, half-mended and sometimes loaned equipment, with frequent video and audio issues most of their starting streams). People stuck and fell in love with CR because of the cast.
"Beating" Critical Role is impossible because the heart of the show is their own friendship and enjoyment of the game together. They win because they get to play the game they love with the people they love Thursday night (or whenever it's recorded now). People watch because they feel included in something sincere, loving, creative, welcoming, talented, and unique. At least, that's why I watch.
Edit: So, to be successful like CR, start with loving each other. Then, be incredibly talented. Then, love what you're doing so much that you believe that others would love watching it. Then, be willing to work hard to share your time with others. Then, manage your growing success humbly and gracefully.
First thing you need to get out of your head,, its not a competition. If you look at it like that then you've lost before you began because CR appeal to their audience and you current have no audience. CR followers are also almost fanatically supportive of CR. Getting CR watchers to watch your game can work just dont pit yourself against them ,, you'll loose because nothing turns off an audience more than a "new" kid on the block giving the beloved Royalty the middle finger.
Secondly they have a MASSIVE head start on you which IF you do it right and your watchers share a kinship with your players , you might reach after 5 or 6 years , which is what CR have done. They didn't just arrive a week ago and off they went , it takes time ,, which has costs involved. Not just in money but in time & commitment.
Thirdly and I think probably the most important ,, your players must have empathy with your watchers ,, they might be the nicest bunch of people in the world but if the watchers dont like what they are seeing ,, your sunk.
This I hope doesn't curb your enthusiasm but gives you a perspective.
I'm a Canadian hopeful D&D 5E player and future DM currently working a homebrew world to beat Tal'Dorei, On the One hand I'm happy for them there doing what they love but on the other there the bar to beat in D&D twich streaming.
So what do I do?,
LW
I guess first define for yourself what you consider "beating" them is. Is it number of views? Having others mention your stream in comparison to theirs? Overall viewer satisfaction?
I'm not a fan of CR, and not from a lack of the people around me trying to convince me to like it. I find the show boring and the actors are pretty slimy.
So if you can make something entertaining and genuine that would be great.
Remember that these people are professional actors/performers. Also, the world building aspect is important. You want people to wonder what is next and want to buy sourcebooks with your material.
Honestly, "Beating" critical role is probably an unattainable task, you can become as big as them, maybe even larger through talent, skill, hardwork and connections, as well as just shee luck, but you will never be the legends they are, they were one, if not the first to help make dnd so popular as it is today, and help introduce others, so even if you do one day out do them, they will still exist in name, impossibly famous in the fandom for many years to come
So they have more exp with D&D and other RPG then me this is true, I'm more collector then a player since I don't get the chances to play the RPG that I like.
I'm a Canadian hopeful D&D 5E player and future DM currently working a homebrew world to beat Tal'Dorei, On the One hand I'm happy for them there doing what they love but on the other there the bar to beat in D&D twich streaming.
So what do I do?,
LW
Hopeful player and future DM…what exactly do you mean by that?
Do you mean you have played D&D 5e and are hopeful about having a successful show? Or do you mean you are hopeful about getting to play? What’s your D&D (5e or otherwise) experience? Or experience in TTRPGs? Have you played for long or are you new to playing?
If you’ve played for a long time, then that’s a good start. If you’re new, I’d say keep playing to get more experience in the roleplaying aspect. Like doing voices or accents. Or a sense of how your character speaks and behaves. I’m still not good at voices and accents, but it’s something I want to learn and get good at. I find that besides the already mentioned qualities of CR, I also really enjoy the show for the voices and sound effects. They add some charm to it.
Also, by future DM…does that mean specifically DMing in the future for a show? Or does that mean you have never DM’d before?
If it’s the latter, then the first thing I’d recommend before even considering making an actual play show is this: try DMing one-shots or campaigns (whether a module or your own homebrew). Before doing anything else (well, maybe have a little bit of world building if running a homebrew), read the Dungeon Master’s Guide if you haven’t already and start DMing. Get some experience with DMing under your belt, so to speak. If you haven’t tried it, how do you know you’ll even enjoy it. Being a player and being a game master are two different experiences. The latter is a lot more work, and you may or may not enjoy it. It’s also a skill that needs to be learned and mastered, not something you’re automatically good at. Watch some videos on YouTube from D&D channels/DMs about tips for DMing. Even some by Mercer himself. Then you hone that skill. Maybe even the first campaign falls apart or isn’t as good or enjoyable for multiple reasons. Or maybe there will be a lot of looking up rules in the beginning. You learn over time what works for your games and what does not. Maybe you’ll even accidentally TPK a few times in the beginning before you learn action economy and balancing encounters.
If I misunderstood that and you’ve already got some experience DMing and that it was very obvious to everyone besides me, I apologize. I just read it as DMing would be a thing you try in the future, so I thought I’d give this advice based on that.
Hey lil Fates We are Fate Of The Dice a group that streams Dungeons and Dragons we’re in no means professionals but we like to have fun so come And join us on our wild adventures and may the fate of the dice roll ever in your favor
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I'm a Canadian hopeful D&D 5E player and future DM currently working a homebrew world to beat Tal'Dorei, On the One hand I'm happy for them there doing what they love but on the other there the bar to beat in D&D twich streaming.
So what do I do?,
LW
What do you do? You look at their video on their studio, and check out the cast's IMDB pages, and then you probably set your sights a bit lower. These are accomplished voice actors on a dedicated set, not a group of friends gathered around a table (though they're that, too). Heck, even the table is outside most people's reach.
Maybe start with your spelling.
Anzio Faro. Protector Aasimar light cleric. Lvl 18.
Viktor Gavriil. White dragonborn grave cleric. Lvl 20.
Ikram Sahir ibn-Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad. Brass dragonborn draconic sorcerer Lvl 9. Fire elemental devil.
Tayn of Darkwood. Human Life Cleric. Lvl 10.
Planning, performance, and design.
design is a big one: you will need to present a good, clean space that allows all the players to be easily seen from the main camera, and you will need a focus camera to pick up on each of them individually.
you will need excellent sound design. So ensure that you have good microphones and that you test them from different positions. This is because people move around a lot.
Set design should fill the entire visual space. Most YouTube stuff is set for a 3:4 layout — three units high and four units wide. That means you will need a backdrop capable of that.
each person should have a goodly amount of space around them, and usually this is about three feet wide minimum. Spreading them out in a V shape with the DM at the center is a good idea.
Performance is important because not only do the players and DM all need to have strong ideas of how their characters act, think, sound, and behave, they need to be able to perform that way.
I saw previous comment — they don’t need to be pros, they just need to be good at pretending and be having fun. this is helped by good lighting that isn’t dark at all.
you will need a good editing system and decent software for editing it, so you can go between the Main Camera that captures everything, and then the direct personal cameras that capture each person and how they react. After each session, you will want to edit it for that — and if you go live, that means you will need at least two camera operators (even if on iPhones) and a director (who will do the cuts live and need to be able to see all the feeds from all the cameras) who cannot be the DM or any of the players.
next is planning. Not just the adventures, but the way that everyone reacts to descriptions and to ensure that you don’t have those pauses and delays — you have to keep things flowing and moving and that means a lot of contact in between sessions and revealing some of what is going to happen.
now, that all may seem like a lot, but remember that the bar was set by people who had experience with a lot of the bits of this, and that there are a lot of people you never see involved. They also had money to start — a lot of it.
but they practiced it first, and that didn’t cost money or require a special place. They also took years to get there.
you can do it. Build up to it. Start with what you can, keep your eyes on the goal, and don’t get lost in the weeds.
Only a DM since 1980 (2000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA
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Well I know about the fact that they have contacts and knowhow and friends in this type of media while I do not, I'm as stated in one of the posts a normal kitchen table D&D type of players.
The cost will be huge even before the First show, about 3 to 5 Million Canadian. Here is what I need Two top of line Gaming PC's, 3 to 4 plug and play cameras, a table long and big enough for a good size gaming group, a person skilled in PC Twitch online streaming. The most costly part would be the place to have the show it would double as my new place to live hence the price.
LW
The success of Critical Role is more than just the studio and equipment. They didn't have any special setup that others didn't already have - they were not the first D&D liveplay webshow. Their success came from experience and connections. They had decades of experience and that experienced ranged in voice acting, physical acting, theatre, improvisation, directing, writing, and more. When they improv scenes they knew to make a scene seem vivid - what actions and words to evoke the emotion, to show the layers of the character. They were also good friends - so much they were basically family. They understood each other so much that working together was effortless. Matt is especially talented at worldbuilding, storytelling and DMing. He has been the DM/GM of many different games and systems. He knows these people well and how to create a world they know how to play in, and create story-triggers they can use. He doesn't just provide narration, he gives them clay with which to mold their story.
THAT is what made them so great, so entertaining and so mesmerising. You can have the best studio with the best equipment and best software -- and it won't mean a damn thing. Experience, talent, natural charisma and dedication will be necessary to even stand a chance. So if you want to have a shot of equal fame then you're going to need group of amazingly talented people, have them game together for years privately before putting them before a camera.
Critical Role had that amazing foundation before they started. If you cannot match that, there is no hope for you.
Even if you get that, you have extra obstacles that CR doesn't. You have something you need to beat. They are already big. When they started there were few such shows and got prime-time on a new geeky streaming platform (Geek & Sundry). So it allowed them to grab the greatest chunk of the geeky fandom without much competition. With that massive start-up they could grow and become big. Bigger than big. Record-breaking. They have an insanely large fanbase across the entire world. So for as long as they are up and running, they'll be drawing all the attention away from you. There are certainly decent other D&D shows, even those that feature voice actors, (even bigger actors, like Deborah Ann Wolls' show Relics & Rarities) but they struggle to reach the size of CR because CR is already there. Some can stay the course and be successful, albeit not quite as big as CR, and some fizzle away.
So if your goal is to be "bigger and better than CR!" then you are doomed to fail. Sorry.
But, if your goal is to be a successful D&D show - that is certainly possible. Talented cast, decent set up, and you have a good chance to be successful. You won't be bigger than CR, that ship has sailed, but you could certainly be the next-big thing. The next in line for the throne if CR finishes. That is a reasonable goal. Difficult. But reasonable. Difficult though. And, again, it relies more on the talent and experience of your cast far, far, far, and I cannot stress this enough, FAR more than how fancy or expensive your studio/equipment is. As long as the visual and audio is clear, ya fine. It's the cast that makes the show. Nobody, not a soul, stuck with CR because of the quality streaming (because they started with very used, half-mended and sometimes loaned equipment, with frequent video and audio issues most of their starting streams). People stuck and fell in love with CR because of the cast.
Best of luck.
My Homebrew: Races | Subclasses | Backgrounds | Spells | Magic Items | Feats
Need help with Homebrew? Check out this FAQ/Guide thread by IamSposta
See My Youtube Videos for Tips & Tricks using D&D Beyond
Lol +1
"Beating" Critical Role is impossible because the heart of the show is their own friendship and enjoyment of the game together. They win because they get to play the game they love with the people they love Thursday night (or whenever it's recorded now). People watch because they feel included in something sincere, loving, creative, welcoming, talented, and unique. At least, that's why I watch.
Edit: So, to be successful like CR, start with loving each other. Then, be incredibly talented. Then, love what you're doing so much that you believe that others would love watching it. Then, be willing to work hard to share your time with others. Then, manage your growing success humbly and gracefully.
Well Yes I do love D&D and also care about the game as well, so much I currently working on Three homebrew settings for livestreaming.
I'm still trying to figuring out stuff,
LW
First thing you need to get out of your head,, its not a competition.
If you look at it like that then you've lost before you began because CR appeal to their audience and you current have no audience.
CR followers are also almost fanatically supportive of CR.
Getting CR watchers to watch your game can work just dont pit yourself against them ,, you'll loose because nothing turns off an audience more than a "new" kid on the block giving the beloved Royalty the middle finger.
Secondly they have a MASSIVE head start on you which IF you do it right and your watchers share a kinship with your players , you might reach after 5 or 6 years , which is what CR have done.
They didn't just arrive a week ago and off they went , it takes time ,, which has costs involved.
Not just in money but in time & commitment.
Thirdly and I think probably the most important ,, your players must have empathy with your watchers ,, they might be the nicest bunch of people in the world but if the watchers dont like what they are seeing ,, your sunk.
This I hope doesn't curb your enthusiasm but gives you a perspective.
I guess first define for yourself what you consider "beating" them is. Is it number of views? Having others mention your stream in comparison to theirs? Overall viewer satisfaction?
I'm not a fan of CR, and not from a lack of the people around me trying to convince me to like it. I find the show boring and the actors are pretty slimy.
So if you can make something entertaining and genuine that would be great.
Remember that these people are professional actors/performers. Also, the world building aspect is important. You want people to wonder what is next and want to buy sourcebooks with your material.
Food, Scifi/fantasy, anime, DND 5E/RPG geek.
Honestly, "Beating" critical role is probably an unattainable task, you can become as big as them, maybe even larger through talent, skill, hardwork and connections, as well as just shee luck, but you will never be the legends they are, they were one, if not the first to help make dnd so popular as it is today, and help introduce others, so even if you do one day out do them, they will still exist in name, impossibly famous in the fandom for many years to come
Look up The Dungeon Run. They are really on Par with CR. Currently into the second campaign but Campaign 1 was pretty special.
They're an award-winning, record breaking, multimedia franchise and one of the most well-known D&D webshows in the world? Really?
I don't think "on par" means what you think.
My Homebrew: Races | Subclasses | Backgrounds | Spells | Magic Items | Feats
Need help with Homebrew? Check out this FAQ/Guide thread by IamSposta
See My Youtube Videos for Tips & Tricks using D&D Beyond
In the terms of story telling, character development and RP. Yes they are on Par.
gonna have to disagree with that hardcore
So they have more exp with D&D and other RPG then me this is true, I'm more collector then a player since I don't get the chances to play the RPG that I like.
LW
Hopeful player and future DM…what exactly do you mean by that?
Do you mean you have played D&D 5e and are hopeful about having a successful show? Or do you mean you are hopeful about getting to play? What’s your D&D (5e or otherwise) experience? Or experience in TTRPGs? Have you played for long or are you new to playing?
If you’ve played for a long time, then that’s a good start. If you’re new, I’d say keep playing to get more experience in the roleplaying aspect. Like doing voices or accents. Or a sense of how your character speaks and behaves. I’m still not good at voices and accents, but it’s something I want to learn and get good at. I find that besides the already mentioned qualities of CR, I also really enjoy the show for the voices and sound effects. They add some charm to it.
Also, by future DM…does that mean specifically DMing in the future for a show? Or does that mean you have never DM’d before?
If it’s the latter, then the first thing I’d recommend before even considering making an actual play show is this: try DMing one-shots or campaigns (whether a module or your own homebrew). Before doing anything else (well, maybe have a little bit of world building if running a homebrew), read the Dungeon Master’s Guide if you haven’t already and start DMing. Get some experience with DMing under your belt, so to speak. If you haven’t tried it, how do you know you’ll even enjoy it. Being a player and being a game master are two different experiences. The latter is a lot more work, and you may or may not enjoy it. It’s also a skill that needs to be learned and mastered, not something you’re automatically good at. Watch some videos on YouTube from D&D channels/DMs about tips for DMing. Even some by Mercer himself. Then you hone that skill. Maybe even the first campaign falls apart or isn’t as good or enjoyable for multiple reasons. Or maybe there will be a lot of looking up rules in the beginning. You learn over time what works for your games and what does not. Maybe you’ll even accidentally TPK a few times in the beginning before you learn action economy and balancing encounters.
If I misunderstood that and you’ve already got some experience DMing and that it was very obvious to everyone besides me, I apologize. I just read it as DMing would be a thing you try in the future, so I thought I’d give this advice based on that.
You Really should not be trying this beat approach to it just be your own show and take it from there
Nikki
Check Out xfateofthedicex on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/xfateofthedicex
Hey lil Fates We are Fate Of The Dice a group that streams Dungeons and Dragons we’re in no means professionals but we like to have fun so come And join us on our wild adventures and may the fate of the dice roll ever in your favor