rpg

72 readers

1 users here now

This community is for meaningful discussions of tabletop/pen & paper RPGs

Rules (wip):

Do not distribute pirate content
Do not incite arguments/flamewars/gatekeeping.
Do not submit video game content unless the game is based on a tabletop RPG property and is newsworthy.
Image and video links MUST be TTRPG related and should be shared as self posts/text with context or discussion unless they fall under our specific case rules.
Do not submit posts looking for players, groups or games.
Do not advertise for livestreams
Limit Self-promotions. Active members may promote their own content once per week. Crowdfunding posts are limited to one announcement and one reminder across all users.
Comment respectfully. Refrain from personal attacks and discriminatory (racist, homophobic, transphobic, etc.) comments. Comments deemed abusive may be removed by moderators.
No Zak S content.
Off-Topic: Book trade, Boardgames, wargames, video games are generally off-topic.

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

sirblastalot@ttrpg.network

TripHammer@ttrpg.network

Primarch@ttrpg.network

BrentTaylor@ttrpg.network

Avogadro@ttrpg.network

It's not Critical Role, it's Podcasting Itself (ttrpg.network)

submitted 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) by sirblastalot@ttrpg.network to c/rpg@ttrpg.network

7 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I recently started a new campaign. Two players (one who has played in my games before and their SO, who has been begging me for a spot for years) unexpectedly dropped out, moments before our first session. Their reason was somewhat baffling; they said they didn't want to spend "all day" on this, despite the game only going from noon to 3PM. They seemed to think this was a totally unreasonable expectation on my part, despite them previously having stated they were available during that time. This puzzled me.

I've been musing on this, and the strange paradox of people that say they want to play D&D but don't actually want to play D&D, and I've had an epiphany.

A lot of people blame Critical Role or other popular D&D shows for giving prospective players misplaced perceptions, often related to things like your DM's voice acting ability or prop budget, but I don't think that's what's going on here. My realization is that, encoded in the medium of podcasts and play videos, is another expectation: New players unconsciously expect to receive D&D the way they receive D&D shows: on-demand, at their house, able to be paused and restarted at their whim, and possibly on a second-screen while they focus on something else!

I don't know as this suggests anything we as DMs could do differently to set expectations, but it did go a long ways to helping me understand my friends, and I thought it might help someone here to share.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 16 points 4 months ago

This is very true for all parts of life. I kind of feel bad for people who fall into it, a little. Folks just say yes to stuff and end up committing to like two DND games, a book club, a morning run, and a bowling league. Then they're just exhausted and unhappy.

Accurately imagining your future self is not a skill everyone has. Like, I'm awake and energetic right now at 1pm, but will I be the same at 6am to go for this morning run I'm being invited to? I think a lot of people just can't do that. They can't, I don't know, have empathy with their future self.