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also love how much more actually getting to see this sells how terrifying zombie giants would be like, full on attack on titan
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Feb 4, 2022 02:13
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Mage_Boy posted:The Wil Wheaton trial of the take episodes are fun to watch if only to see how impossibly bad his terrible dice luck is. Khary Payton giving a pair of Wil Wheaton's dice to Matt at the end of an early C2 episode was such a great moment at the end of an already great episode.
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Feb 4, 2022 02:13
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loving Gina Torres, man.
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Feb 4, 2022 02:17
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Holy poo poo the planning sequence
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Feb 4, 2022 02:22
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Oh look everyone, No Mercy Percy's back.
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Feb 4, 2022 02:28
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Paracaidas posted:Holy poo poo the planning sequence The worthless, worthless planning sequences.
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Feb 4, 2022 02:28
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Wyld Karde posted:Oh look everyone, No Mercy Percy's back. i liked that that last bit in e6 was not a fight at all. always nice to defy convention and have it just be "percy has a gun, this guy has a hammer, lol"
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Feb 4, 2022 02:29
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Push El Burrito posted:The worthless, worthless planning sequences. Sorry, can't hear you over Minxie 
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Feb 4, 2022 02:30
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Push El Burrito posted:The best kills scene was very good. It had Hotis and the duergar that Keyleth slowly murdered and the bulette Grog bit the tongue off of. Yeah, Keyleth's bit in that was inspired. The reactions of the rest were great.
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Feb 4, 2022 02:30
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Fluffer And I can not stress this enough NUTTER This trio of episodes was so loving good
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Feb 4, 2022 02:33
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I’m glad I stuck with it. These last three episodes were much better than the first three. I also tried watching that one episode of the YouTube show and holy hell is watching other people play D&D boring. Really not my thing at all. I’m glad it got so popular though because I’m liking the cartoon. Edit: Question: was the cursed door joke something from the stream? Because it felt like it was. Edit edit: This post seems a bit down for how much I enjoyed the episodes, so I’m just gonna list some more things I liked about them: - the character banter is really well done and probably my favorite part of the show so far - I don’t think Scanlan is going to be the annoying character I thought he would be. In fact I really like what he added to these episodes - I really really like the Grog/Pike relationship - I really like Grog - I really liked the cursed door joke even if I’m not in on the entirety of the joke (bad dice roll is something we’ve all dealt with) - the creatures have all been super creepy and awesome - Percy being a psychopath is great Robobot fucked around with this message at 02:47 on Feb 4, 2022 |
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Feb 4, 2022 02:38
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Robobot posted:
Doors in general kinda got this reputation as Vox Machina's mortal enemy. Basically they got into a habit of finding doors that Vax couldn't just lockpick his way open and responding by throwing dumb poo poo at it until it opened every time
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Feb 4, 2022 02:51
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Yeah that particular door in the show took 3 people, 3 spells, and caused like 5 hp in damage to open. It was kind of the start of the running theme of doors being their archenemies. Also yeah, Grog and Pike are adorable and I love that Pike being incredibly strong was kind of shown in this. I just hope we get her and Grog yelling MONSTA!
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Feb 4, 2022 03:07
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Really strong trio of episodes. The way they portrayed undead shadows was inspired and way more menacing than the usual depiction in D&D. Also, was the particularly screwed-up looking zombie wolf a reference to the Darrington Brigade one-shot?
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Feb 4, 2022 03:15
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I feel like while episode 3 was where the show stopped being bad, episode 4 is where it actually started being good. Like it properly hit its stride at last.
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Feb 4, 2022 03:29
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Jesus that loving Sun Tree moment. Absolutely brutal and even knowing it was coming didn't soften the blow.
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Feb 4, 2022 03:40
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Robobot posted:I’m glad I stuck with it. These last three episodes were much better than the first three.  Robobot posted:Edit edit: Thread question I can't be bothered to look up: 1. With the episode ending on the burning building in the distance and the resistance rising up does that mean we're not getting scanbo?? Or do I have my timelines off? Lotus Aura posted:I feel like while episode 3 was where the show stopped being bad, episode 4 is where it actually started being good. Like it properly hit its stride at last. I'm really pretty happy with how all the relationships are being handled thus far. And that Pike is on screen and not at NBC!
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Feb 4, 2022 03:49
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Paracaidas posted:1. With the episode ending on the burning building in the distance and the resistance rising up does that mean we're not getting scanbo?? Or do I have my timelines off? Your timeline's off. VM killed Kerrion Stonefell as a group but then they split up to hit Duke Vedmeyer and Count Tylieri's house at the same time. Scanbo was him vs Vedmeyer.
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Feb 4, 2022 04:02
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Paracaidas posted:
They are setting up so much foreshadowing for this sequence, it has to happen in the next batch of episodes.
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Feb 4, 2022 04:06
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As an example of a moment that the stream's format really made hit, and how well they translated it to the show. https://mobile.twitter.com/dinasbracelet_/status/1489403690243010560 And the video format all cued up: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yE27NwtXjPY&t=9553s The way the horror spreads across the cast as they cotton on at different moments and how much glee Matt takes from it is just fantastic. It's Vax, Vex, Grog left to right across the top and Percy, Keyleth, Scanlan on your bottom screen. CuwiKhons posted:Your timeline's off. VM killed Kerrion Stonefell as a group but then they split up to hit Duke Vedmeyer and Count Tylieri's house at the same time. Scanbo was him vs Vedmeyer.
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Feb 4, 2022 04:07
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Yeah I remember being here two years ago swearing there was no way they could get The Sun Tree right, and now I must acquire a hat so that I may eat it.
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Feb 4, 2022 04:17
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DarklyDreaming posted:Yeah I remember being here two years ago swearing there was no way they could get The Sun Tree right, and now I must acquire a hat so that I may eat it. Yea I'm really delighted with how they managed to nail things so far. I'm not super shocked since they have a team of creatives who did the stuff who can say exactly how they imagined it and all but it's still managing to do a lot of small touches too like making certain enemies really loving imposing in ways they may not be in D&D due to mechanics and all.
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Feb 4, 2022 04:19
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AngryBooch posted:They are setting up so much foreshadowing for this sequence, it has to happen in the next batch of episodes. they're also setting up kiki talking to the sun tree lol, i hope Matt's the one doing it
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Feb 4, 2022 04:48
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eke out posted:they're also setting up kiki talking to the sun tree lol, i hope Matt's the one doing it Maybe they can pull McConaughey?
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Feb 4, 2022 05:05
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For anyone wondering about the door sequence, it's a clever adaptation of a side sequence they wouldn't have otherwise had time to include in the episode. Scanlan, Vax, and Percy split off from the party to investigate a church while trying to find Keeper Yennen (Travis and Laura were late to the session and Marisha volunteered to stay behind with Vex and Grog til they showed). When they got there, they found it was abandoned. Vax went to pick the lock and discovered it wasn't locked at all - it was barred from the inside with a heavy piece of wood. Oh okay, fine, Scanlan will Dimension Door inside and lift the beam. Problem: Nobody in this particular trio is strength based (Percy's a Dex Fighter). Scanlan rolls poorly and can't lift it. They stick a sword through the door and try to lift together but that leaves Scanlan holding the blade and he cuts himself. At that point, Vax asks if there's any windows and Scanlan admits there are, so Vax parkours in to help lift the beam. Except remember how nobody in this group is strength based? Yeah, Vax and Scanlan can't lift it even with Scanlan summoning an Unseen Servant to help. Marisha is absolutely losing her mind at this point so Scanlan finally concedes defeat and uses Bigby's Hand to solve the problem (which he hadnt wanted to do before because he thought it was a waste). Three spell slots and 4 points of damage to open a door that wasn't even locked, just heavy. Fans have helpfully animated a highlight reel of the whole situation. The animation is only a minute and a half but I assure you, it took them a solid 10 minutes or so in game. Classic D&D shenanigans.
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Feb 4, 2022 05:11
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Our game ended and some of us stuck around for the next batch of episodes. Holy loving poo poo the show has taken a step up from the first three. I'm glad the 4th episode just giving the characters time to talk with each other. It got to show Vox Machina as friends and not people that treat adventuring like it's a job they hate that the first couple episodes seem to give the feeling of. One of the things I was worried about was that they'd go too hard on the comedy but Scanlan and Grog have their comedic scenes done well. They have their funny moments on top their genuine moments and it doesn't ruin the tension (although no comment on the dog tentacle in mouth scene ). It was about time they showed Grog being a really caring guy because that's what he is in the campaign: A walking boulder with a peanut brain, big muscles and a bigger heart. Keyleth was my favorite character back when I watched the campaign because I related to Marisha's nervousness and seeing her adapted years after Marisha has gotten more confident while still keeping true to Keyleth's character is a nice thing to experience. It's also done a great job capturing the horror. The undead shadow things were nightmarish. My brain was tired and I didn't catch on that the people brought to the Briarwoods were murdered for the tree until the part where Percy froze in horror at the sight of it. . I swear that the animated plans sequence from Episode 6 looked like Dingo Doodles. Anyone else get that vibe?
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Feb 4, 2022 07:41
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For those who haven't watched the stream, I highly recommend you watch from where it is marked to about 1:05:00 and see why we love this show. Just watching how all of the cast gets into their roles it's just something special. When Laura starts attacking just look at their reactions and tell me you don't love this crew. Also it's really cool to see how what happened on the live stream translates into the fight scene on the animated show. Raged fucked around with this message at 09:56 on Feb 4, 2022 |
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Feb 4, 2022 09:37
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It is kind of surprising that they've restricted the characters' powersets for the animated series versus what they could do in the actual play streaming show, though I think they may expand on them over time. Presumably they thought giving the characters access to all the spells their streaming counterparts knew might be confusing for those unfamiliar with D&D (who might mistake the wide repertoire of spells for the characters being able to theoretically do anything with magic they can imagine). Most prominently, whereas Scanlan knew polymorph in the streaming show, it looks like in the series he'll be casting it from a scroll (whether he gets to keep it and use it long term IDK). Bigby's Hand seems to be his signature spell, plus they added a new "Scanlan's Foot" battering ram-type spell. He at least can cast lightning bolt, though not too well at the moment, so maybe the series will gradually expand their powersets overtime (such as when Keyleth casts Daylight for the first time in the series).
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Feb 4, 2022 13:55
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Paracaidas posted:As an example of a moment that the stream's format really made hit, and how well they translated it to the show. I tried watching this, since I figured a good well liked scene might be more indicative of the show instead of watching "the worst episode ever" and making a decision. Still extremely not my thing. Never got into Let's Plays or anything either, so I think watching people play non-competitive games just isn't something I find interesting.
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Feb 4, 2022 14:05
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Robobot posted:I tried watching this, since I figured a good well liked scene might be more indicative of the show instead of watching "the worst episode ever" and making a decision. Still extremely not my thing. Never got into Let's Plays or anything either, so I think watching people play non-competitive games just isn't something I find interesting. Push El Burrito posted:The best kills scene was very good. It had Hotis and the duergar that Keyleth slowly murdered and the bulette Grog bit the tongue off of.
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Feb 4, 2022 15:25
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Watched this batch of episodes and they were…..fine? Nothing offensively bad but nothing I really loved. My main issue is that I feel like there’s very little if anything in here that feels like it really came from the characters improvising or loving around. Like it doesn’t feel like a podcast adaptation at all, it just feels like something that was scripted normally, with all the jokes feeling like…..regular scripted jokes. The joy of something like this, for me, is seeing the improvised banter/goofing between the characters, and that’s what I was most looking forward to seeing in this show, but it feels like they’ve taken that vibe out of it completely. I mean maybe a lot of the dialogue is from improvisations in the podcast, but it sure doesn’t feel like it.
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Feb 4, 2022 16:11
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Escobarbarian posted:Watched this batch of episodes and they were…..fine? Nothing offensively bad but nothing I really loved. It was never going to be what you wanted. Unless they animate the actual play with table and all that's never going to happen. Some people might like that but I can't see it going down with a mainstream audience and if you do like that you can always just watch the actual play already. They could maybe try adding animations to the actual plays after the fact but that sounds like a very time intensive thing to do and you'd have a fraction of a fraction of the people who even bother with lets plays interested in rewatching it just to see a few seconds of something animated interspersed with the normal show. Maybe I'm wrong but I have to say that this animated show isn't just for existing critters, they're trying to expand their audience.
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Feb 4, 2022 17:13
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yea the entire purpose of this show has always been to create a more broadly appealing narrative product out of the hundreds of hours of improved silliness and storytelling so that both fans of the show and people who've never seen it can enjoy the campaign's overall story. It was always going to be a scripted and edited thing.
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Feb 4, 2022 17:24
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Show owns. I love it
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Feb 4, 2022 17:46
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^^ Escobarbarian posted:My main issue is that I feel like there’s very little if anything in here that feels like it really came from the characters improvising or loving around. Like it doesn’t feel like a podcast adaptation at all, it just feels like something that was scripted normally, with all the jokes feeling like…..regular scripted jokes.
lemonadesweetheart posted:It was never going to be what you wanted. Circling back to a comment I made last week after the first 3: Paracaidas posted:On rewatch there'll be 2 main things I'll be looking for: Paracaidas fucked around with this message at 17:57 on Feb 4, 2022 |
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Feb 4, 2022 17:55
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Paracaidas posted:I would definitely say that they left themselves the space to establish the briarwoods as creepy, powerful villains and did enough to build their whole group as credibly threatening... but that's also with my stream knowledge. Maybe those who are fresh to this would disagree? I'm not fresh to this at all but I feel like the strong use of undead minions does a lot to help push the Briarwoods as creepy, powerful, and a credible threat while also not being Literally A loving Dragon. Objectively, the ghostly assassins and undead dogs sent to retrieve Delilah's book are weaker opponents than a huge dragon, but they're still a threat. They just present a different problem and necessarily different solutions which VM has to figure out on the fly. Meanwhile, Delilah and Sylas themselves proved capable during the fight after the feast, but that was also with Scanlan out as a distraction, Vax having just fallen out of a window after having Sylas' teeth in his jugular, and VM not really being prepared for a fight at the time. And they did hurt Sylas (a little bit), so it's not like they went from killing a dragon to their attacks just bouncing off the next bad guy. I feel like they've struck a good balance here between 'increase in danger' and 'wild escalation of power level'.
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Feb 4, 2022 18:11
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Also there are tiers to dragons. that dude was no ancient dragon.
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Feb 4, 2022 18:14
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Count me as somebody who just couldn't get into watching the live show but really wanted to. The animated show is great and I am enjoying it way more than I expected. Not knowing what happened in the live show but being a DnD player it's been pretty obvious to me that things like the door scene originally stemmed from bad rolls in the live game and that has been neat to see. I am just really liking this and I expect it to find a big audience and hopefully ends up getting us more DnD shows down the road. It's also making me really want to find a new table and group to start playing again if anybody happens to live in Austin and play regularly.
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Feb 4, 2022 18:53
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If anyone really wants to get into the gameplay sessions in Critical Role but find themselves bouncing off of the early episodes, I suggest starting with campaign two. It’s miles less janky than the start of campaign one and much more geared towards having a story and an audience.
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Feb 4, 2022 18:58
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Paracaidas posted:I would definitely say that they left themselves the space to establish the briarwoods as creepy, powerful villains and did enough to build their whole group as credibly threatening... but that's also with my stream knowledge. Maybe those who are fresh to this would disagree? I’ll offer my perspective on it. I think the dragon fight showed that when they work together they can handle really bad situations. The undead attack at their house showed that too. So when I see most of the characters struggling to fight the vampire couple, but only Pike and Grog trying anything together, it just makes me think they were caught off guard and they’ll obviously beat the vampires when they realize “together we’re stronger” or whatever. Percy one-shotting their general was kinda cool because I was thinking “ugh, gonna have to watch the gun malfunction or something so there can be a fight” but nope! All in all I think I can see where the story is going, but that kill of who I thought was gonna be a driving force character has me second guessing myself. I guess that was a really long drawn out way of saying I think they showed the group are competent on their own, but are still struggling to find ways to work together n battle. And that while the vampires are certainly a viable threat to them and the area, it’ll be more so the party’s fight to lose than the vampire squad overpowering them. Robobot fucked around with this message at 20:06 on Feb 4, 2022 |
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Feb 4, 2022 20:04
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