What Makes a RollPlay Show Fun to Watch?

[Usling34 (Twitch: uzling)]

GM and Cast is the most imporant to me. I litterly found itmejp channel just over two months ago and a hole new world opend up. Finaly someone using twitch.tv to make something besides “look im playing this game please give me your money”. In the little time iv been around I have managed to catch up on swan song, 17 weeks of the original rollplay show and ofc dark side balance of power, and ofc court of swords and several other one shots and proberly even more that I cant even recall. I have also had the plesure of joining some of the cast of rollplays channels, especialy mister Adam Koebel, sir what you do is so special with office hours and the many rollplaying show your apart of.

So as I said for me GM and Cast matters, I simply loved all the shows iv seen so fare… but after 17 weeks of the original show I had to take a break. Thoe I must say that the original cast that started it all did a very good job, big shoutout of Geoff and itmejp… I realy have a big problem with the GM of that show + the girl in the cast. At the point of week 17 in the show the hole D and D campaign has just become move to this place “fastforward” kill this stuff "move to this place “fastforward” kill some shit. And not to mention where is my pet where is my pet can I buy a new pet ? or let me steal some money and then repeat that 50 times inside an hour… or I want to buy a xbow of magic blabla… so yes the person doing the job… if its the GM or the cast it realy dos matter who is in the show to me. Dont get me wrong ill get back to the original show and go true every single episode… just because Geoff and itmejp is enuff for me as a person. And to the ppl who might thing im beeing negativ here or going directly towards sertain ppl… ill be honost… I personaly couldent do any better than any of thoes ppl, but then again this is just me and how I feel. I simply cannot get enuff of rollplay shows and everything happening with Adam on twitch.

And to the man that started it all itmejp… keep up the good work, and maby a special request from a person who lives in Denmark and very funky timezone. Would it be possible to start the shows like one hour before you normaly do ? CoS is litterly 22:00 - 02:00 CET and just moving that one hour so it would be 21:00-01:00 would be super epic, sorry for the wired extra stuff but just had to put it in there as on one hand love to see it all live but with only 3-4 hours of sleep before the next days work it sometimes is very hard.

[gladpingvin42]

Obviously cast and production are important factors, but some of the smaller stuff can have a big impact to. For me some of the most important things that makes me enjoy the show is:

• Persistent and recurring NPCs (Like Connor Wu or Rajani Van Dorne from Swan Song, Oris from Solum or Maurice from Mirrorshades) that have depth and appear in multiple episodes.
• When the players get really into their characters. Both Mirrorshades and Swan Song was good examples of when the players got really into their characters and, for example, made less effective decisions - because thats what the character would do.
• I might be in the minority here, but I enjoy when there is effort put into following the rules correctly. Thats one thing that I miss from Solum, Neal would not stray away from finding the correct rule even if it took a minute or two to find it. I remember a episode of Misscliks when almost an hour was spent of debating if Anna’s character would fit through a hole or not. While it slowed the show down somewhat, I enjoyed the debate and the dedication to correctness.

[NoorElBahrain (Might be Captain Marvel)]

You could have just been vague and general about things you dislike (even though it does not really fit into this topic. ) There is absolutely no need to go into that with such depth about Neal and Gen in this topic or any topic for that matter.

[ScratchNSn1ff]

Adam has said multiple times that killing characters is the least interesting thing you can do, he’s very much a fan of the characters Swan Song and Mirrorshades are very much perfect examples of that. but part of the Court of Swords show is that either the players play (and RNGesus alloweth roll) well enough to survive or they don’t.

Edit: just thought i’d also add if you dislike the show for the reasons you gave that’s fair and valid i just thought it was worth pointing out it’s not that adam is just being bloodthirsty for shits and giggles.

[grafzhl (Twitch: no742617000027)]

I’m probably repeating myself but in my mind, Swan Song was the perfect show. I’ll try to examine why I feel that way.

Cast - The most important factor for all shows I think. The chemistry in Swan Song was on point. Maybe Steven got picked on a little bit too often (noticed that when I watched the whole thing for the second time), but he’s a champ and it seemed he didn’t mind too much. The interactions between any two of the cast members were guaranteed to be either hilarious or unexpectedly profound. Also every player on Swan Song had the rhetoric skills necessary to improvise authentic in-character dialog on the fly. Think of the conversations between Pi and Sicarian or between Pi and Higgs. @viriskali15 mentioned risk-taking. Every player on Swan Song had that mindset, even without a system like ‘Instincts’ or ‘Believes’. I think of Sicarian boarding the pirate ship, wiping out the Madari leadership and facing Titan, Piani unbraking Pi and her ordeal with the eye, Higgs randying Randy as early as episode 1 and many people after that, Prosper with his own views on AI religion and Erik’s crystal obsession and ultimate sacrifice. The players were curious and eager to explore the sandbox that was Asgard Sigma. And they were attached to their characters, to the point of being very emotional at times - think of Sicarian leaving the crew. Of course for the players to shine in such a way, there needs to be a fantastic …

GM - I played a lot of pen & paper roleplaying games back in the day, but never was I blessed with a GM like Adam. The games I payed were cool, but in retrospect they all were extremely linear, as in accept mission, plan mission, execute mission plan, collect reward, upgrade equipment/advance character, repeat (we were playing Shadowrun mostly). All of that in a very sterile and somehow lifeless world that felt as if it existed only for our characters to carry out missions in. Adam’s worlds on the other hand feel very much alive and authentic. It feels like the characters can leave their mark on the world but that it would keep spinning if they bit the dust instead. However, this works better for some groups of players than for others (to bring it back to the cast briefly). Swan Song is the prime example of a group of players that unconditionally accepted Adam’s invitation for a wild ride. The Mirrorshades group was a lot more conservative, as is the Court of Swords group so far. So, yeah, the GM and an ability to tell bigger-than-life stories in a could-be-life world is the second most important factor for a good show, but you got that down Adam, so don’t worry about it. (Add in here all the advice typically given on Office Hours to further describe what makes a GM great.)

Setting and system - Aren’t nearly as important as cast and GM. Much of the memorable moments from Swan Song don’t stem from the setting or the system but from the interactions and conversations between PCs and NPCs. In the end, it doesn’t matter if a player faces a hard choice or a tough question on a space ship or in a medieval castle. It matters that they face it and have to think about it and lose their sleep over it. And the shape of the dice the player rolls to resolve whatever they’re confronted with also doesn’t really matter (as long as the system doesn’t get in the way of storytelling as was the case with Shadowrun sometimes). However, there might be synergies when the cast loves the setting, as seemed to be the case with Swan Song.

Things like production are important, but are what I consider ‘must-be’ qualities (Kano model, anyone?). It’s tough for the one running the production to only ever be noticed when something goes wrong (and believe me, as an sound/audio guy I know what I’m talking about) but that’s how it is. And ‘production’ doesn’t have to be a full-on live set either. A decent enough overlay, clean sound and a way of showing the viewer all the important things (cast cameras, dice rolls, maps) is all it takes so the ‘production’ criteria is met, I’d say.

[destraudo]

hmm. This sounds like a reference to court of swords. The thing here is that bluntly put killing characters is not Adams style. COS has this very hardcore approach because one of the original drivers for it was to feel more like the original rollplay solum in this respect. Watch literally any other show where Adam DM’s and you will see this.

As others have mentioned many a time adam has used the catchphrase ‘killing characters is the least interesting thing i can do’

[haloson29]

I’m a total newcomer to the RPG world and it was Court of Swords that got me into it. I really enjoy the cast involved, GM included, and what grips me most is the story that unfolds. What I love about CoS and other RollPlay content is the uncertainty, because while encounters with NPCs and the settings are prepared by the GM, the conclusions of those encounters is never certain, so you can never tell exactly what is going to happen and that makes it very exciting! I also enjoy the behind the scenes stuff, like Character Creations and Post Episode discussions. Seeing how a character develops from the beginning and watching how they evolve as time goes on I find fascinating.

The effort in preparation by the GM is also very important to bring the whole world the RPG is set in to life. The more descriptive and thought-out, the easier it is for cast and audience to understand, imagine and react to that world. I also like that cast and GM can interact with each other easily and can share a couple of jokes and tease each other with friendly banter, it feel much more relaxed and makes it more enjoyable to watch.

[Absent_Minds]

I have to say i have never played DnD or any type of tabletop roleplay game in my life, not that i haven’t wanted to, just never had the chance so my reasons might be less to do with the systems of games and that.
For me it is a way of escapism, the GM discribes the setting and story, and the cast walk the winding path before them but things can take a complete change in direction in a second due to the cast having a role in the paths they choose.
Rollplay shows tend to feel like they are more personal than others i’ve seen, like when you see a film that hasn’t had a massive hollywood backing, has a low budget and comes out being your top film of the year because of that.
Maybe it’s just me rambling on but just thought i’d put my take on it, i enjoy them, the cast and crew are awsome and they always make me laugh.

[UselessTies]

I am seeing a lot of people talk about player chemistry, and I certainly do agree, but I think it’s important to point out that it’s less about player chemistry and more about the game giving space for players to have interesting relationships with their characters. I think back to my two favorite Rollplay series, Swan Song and Mirrorshades, and especially Mirrorshades, the entire strength of those shows were the character relationships. So while player chemistry is important, it’s more important that the chemistry is focused on creating interesting NPC-PC-NPC relationships.

And on that note, for me, it is important to have a system that facilitates that sort of game. For this reason I am more excited to see Rollplay:Blades than any of the other new shows since Swan Song.

[Deemmou]

I’m probably repeating myself but for me the most significant contribution is the Cast synergy and the GM (Which Rollplay already has a great GM)

[MrSinister6]

I think it’s a mix between a system that is easy to understand but also flexible, a cast that is focused on enjoying the game rather than ‘winning’ (which usually amounts to power-gaming I guess), and a GM that is willing to not only put up with but support the cast trying to enjoy themselves. All of that together makes me

[Lurid21]

I think that the best RollPlay experience have had all of those things in just the right quantities.

Quality cast is integral. The cast absolutely has to have chemistry with both the GM and each other or the audience quickly loses interest. This can carry a weaker system, but a strong system cannot account for a lackluster cast.

Also, the GM absolutely HAS to understand that this is not a weekly tabletop session in someone’s basement. This is a livestreamed experience and the audience is as important to its success as the cast is. Cinematic storytelling is critical in this regard. The audience latches on to characters who are more robustly developed and have real, emotional connections with one another and the world they exist in.

Ultimately, the most significant marker of success is obvious enjoyment. When the cast is seen enjoying their experience, the audience will feed off of their emotions. So long as the cast is having fun, so will we.

[Alconns]

Cast, Cast, Cast!
Casting the right people together can make or brake a role-play experience for me.
I’ve unfortunately had to skip some shows because I just could not get into the role play/personality/voice of a cast member.
You also need to have a person that can lead well (for me its someone like Geoff) , to come up with ideas and move the show forward, you also need people that can banter/make jokes, and of course be invested in their role-playing
Having someone like Geoff, who is always seriously invested into his characters, but is not stiff thanks to his ability to banter/joke (his attempts at lawyering), but most importantly the fact that he always tries to tell how he envisions the actions he does, and sometimes in a very funny way (e.g. the funny and ludicrous decapitations, which became so memorable). So even if things go sour in the game its still fun and funny.
He does not wait for the GM to ask him to tell how his attack/action looks like (something that sadly happens a lot, where Adam has to ask a player “so can you describe me your attack? How does it look like?”, ect). When he rolls great or bad, he always tries to translate the roll into a fun narrative.

Casting the right people together is important because you really can tell if the players have a great chemistry or not.

The experience is so much more compelling when you have the feeling its a bunch of friends that play and have FUN role playing together!

A great cast can transform a poor setting or story into something incredible/gripping/fun/funny, not the other way round!!!

Don’t know it it helps or not, but that’s my opinion

[Kol_Saresk]

For me, I would say it is the cast and their shenanigans.

I said this in the “Introduce yourself thread”, but I got started watching Rollplay through Balance of Power because one day youtube recommend the video. I honestly had no idea what to expect because I have never been involved with roleplaying games and I had no idea if watching people play it would be a good experience or a bad one.

Turns out, I should have been looking for the adjective “awesome”. And to me, what makes it awesome is how much effort the GMs put into creating their worlds(or using already existing ones in the case of Balance of Power and Age of Rebellion), and that the characters are willing to go full blown into it and help it come to life. It’s almost like listening to an audio novel. And so, I have had no problem whatsoever subscribing to the Patreon because I get to listen to the MP3s at work, and then if I have time during the day, I can watch different shows on the youtube channel.

But I mean, everything about it and how it all comes together is what makes it for me.

[Bianca_X23]

A cast with great chemistry. With the West Marches there was some groups I was more excited about than others. Cause I knew certain players with other players would cause chaos. Which I loved.
Players RPing the hell out of their characters. That automatically is a for me!
Now I don’t watch Critical Roll. But I watch HighRollers. And with them its only that one group. Occasionally there will be a guest. But a thing I REALLY love about RollPlay is that its not only ONE show. Its several different ones with different players through out the week. So its never really the same setting every time.
Another thing for me would be story. I also enjoy good well rounded NPCs. I think one of the NPCs I really liked as of recently was Hazan from Court of Swords.
Hhm… I think those are the main things. I don’t mind new systems. Always fun seeing new stuff other than 5e D&D. Like BoP! Took be a good few episodes to understand how the dice worked but got it eventually. And Dogs in the Vineyard. That one was different. But got the system pretty fast and really enjoyed it!
Let’s see… hhmmm… The community is great. I think that another thing that makes RollPlay.
Oh one more thing I have been enjoying is the Patreon videos. Whether is character creation or the after show talk. The after show stuff have been really good. And I love listening to what was going through the players minds when so and so happened and whatnot. There were times I would finish watching West Marches and wish there were after show talks. So really glad you guys started doing them.

[Karamor]

I think about any point I could make about cast has been made right now and DM importance can not be overstated either, but is also mentioned enough, so I’d like to say:

• System and player engagement with it.

Many here say the system doesn’t much matter for them. To me it matters a lot.

Yesterday we could see extremely well how a system fitting the story being told and engaging the players adds so much to the show.

Hand in hand with that is players who actively try to get into it. One of my favorite moments from CoS is actually Dan knowing that he could cast a cantrip and a spell. (Which Adam then immediately shut down until GM chat started spamming.)
It sounds minor at first, but knowing the rules pertaining to your character and their abilites is such an improvement for viewers. Viewers experienced with the system don’t get distracted and new viewers get less confused.

Another good example is the contrast seen between the players in the BoP games. While the system is flexible enough to accomodate rather free form ideas, Cooh’s preparation roll, then used to have a scrambler on him when he needed it, was such a nice way of engaging the mechanics, instead of the dark side who just got lucky when trying to get the cloaking device. An enjoyable development for sure, but also pure luck. (I know that RAW Cooh’s roll would not have been in the book, but that’s what I’d say is also part of it: Creative use and justification of the system.)

Edit: One thing I’d really like, though, would be for the cast to be off Twitch chat. I’d say any important rule corrections might easily be relayed by a mod and the BoP live show showed how much player engagement increases with less distractions.

[Xaphere]

First is cast synergy. I think that a cool and compelling story can be created in any setting or system, but if the players at the table aren’t up for it everything falls flat. It’s not about any single person (Geoff or Jesse to name some fan favourites ), it’s about the chemistry between players. I believe that was the difference between Light and Dark side in BoP. It felt like the Dark side were a bunch of friends playing games together, bouncing jokes and ideas off each other. By contrast on the light side the players were waiting for everyone else to finish talking so they can recite their line and move the plot forward. Granted I’ve watched only the first two episodes from both sides and then skipped all the way to Abregado-rae missions, so maybe later it gets better.
And second production value. JP and Adam are such professionals in their respective fields that watching them work motivates me to do great in mine.

[Dakiana]

One of my biggest factors is absolutely the cast. Some people don’t have personalities that appeal to me or make bland characters or never really play to their characters. I prefer players who are involved in the world and their player and make it fun for the people watching. It also really helps when the cast flow really well together.

Next, GM. Adam is amazing and it really shows. Matthew Mercer is amazing and it shows. Harper was great and did well for the one shot. Adam and Matt really get involved with their world and are very good about letting the players come up with crazy plans and never just saying no to the craziest schemes. It really lets the world live and breathe when a fantastic GM is setting it up and keeping up with his players. Adam is incredibly quick on his feet for keeping up with cast members and it allows it to feel sandbox and never railroaded and makes for a great game to watch.

The things that make them special for me is a combination of a great world, a GM who can stay on his toes and an excellent cast. Then you get invested in players and their characters and you remember their epic moments as much as the character themselves would remember it.

[Raptor1944 (Twitch: nomad1944)]

For me it is cast chemistry (GM included) and story. If players are enjoying each others company and are immersed in the story, it really does not matter to me what kind of system they are playing. But there has to be balance, there can not be 4 chaotic players, or 4 logically playing players, etc…

[AbyssionKnight]

Cast Chemistry, Cast Playstyle Diversity, and general game atmosphere are the big factors me.

I love the show’s feel of being a bunch of friends getting together to play a game, and that natural laid back atmosphere, willingness to make jokes and be silly, are a large part of what makes me love Rollplay more than other shows. I’ve also found that when the cast have a great bond and relationship, that I enjoy the show far more than casts that don’t really know each other well, and are there purely just to play the game.

Playstyle diversity is important to me, as shown with CoS. When we had a group of serious, roleplay focused players who were very cautious, the show was still enjoyable, but it wasn’t exciting. Once Geoff was added to the mix that changed, since Geoff enjoys seriousness and roleplay, but he’s much more interested in doing bad ass things and having fun (as seen by the constant decapitation jokes).

Beyond these things I feel the System and Setting are pretty irrelevant. For example, I loved the original Rollplay cast, and would happily watch them goof around in any system, provided they’re having fun; Same with the Mirrorshades cast.

As for the GM, I don’t find that anywhere close to as important as the above items. Yes, you want a GM who can be creative and willing to let players try to do unusual or unexpected things, but beyond that I don’t care if they make accents, tell the story as if it’s a tv show, or describe things as if they’re reading it from a book. Those things can add some nice flavour, but they’re not what I’m watching for.

Oh, and Pre-show is pretty much always my favourite part of Rollplay, so never remove that completely. If you really want you could make that a patreon reward video or something, but I find it’s the part that adds a ton of that atmosphere and ‘just a group of friends’ vibe that I love about Rollplay, so I hope you never remove it from the stream.