I know this is an old vid, but I just felt compelled to say, thanks for being online as an actual person. You recognize and own your opinions, feelings, and mistakes. You let us learn from them, and you don't pretend to be infallible or impenetrable. What you do on this channel is incredibly valuable. Thank you.
Sorry you and your friends had to deal with all that hate Matt. The internet can be a shit show. Still, I really liked your party, such interesting and funny people and characters. I still look forward to your videos and hope you know that you guys still have at least a couple people rooting for them :)
There is a very good way of interacting with chat outside of responding to chat users. There is a german pen and paper show which is pretty successful and it has people working behind the scenes aswell, and sometimes the DM will show questions like: "Which enemies will the players face as they reach this cave?" - And then people in chat get to vote on what enemy they encounter for example. It's really great fun.
Personally, I prefer the condensed campaign diaries. It fits better when you're using events for examples and you are free to talk about what worked and failed. And it's easier to keep up with time wise.
I understand why people like Critical Role, but I much prefer Matt's 40 minute diaries to 4 hours of watching people play the game. It's like being told a story vs watching people make a movie.
Other people had the same idea as I did.. or along the same vein.. I was thinking something like drinking the contents of a screwdriver, but separately. First the orange juice an then a shot of vodka. :P
I'm glad you guys did what you thought you had to. Just letting you know though, as a DM just starting out, I found watching you guys playing INCREDIBLY helpful. To see a group of people who aren't actors, and how you engage them, and how they play (differently from CR, but that's good here) was so good for me. My players aren't actors, and getting them to engage can be difficult. I learned a lot from those couple streams, so thank you! So glad you guys did it, but I understand why you had to stop.
I too, enjoyed watching the play. I didn't have the constraints of time others have been commenting about. This was my background noise/entertainment as I did my housework. :) But it gave me a more real sense of how play goes, rather than the false expectation of CR. (My family are actors/artists, but the freedom that it's OK to have to look up a rule, or discuss how that works is OK) The constraints of being fun, interesting and keeping the pace of the story up must be incredible! I'm just happy if we get through our three hour session with a feeling of accomplishment and enjoyment.
I have always thought that actual play vids are boring. I love playing but watching other people play feels like watching paint dry. I would much rather watch your diary than a real game. Nice comment about the distraction of the live game. I always feel that the more brain power you relegate to other tasks the less you can concentrate on being a good DM. great vids, thanks for all you do.
100% agree. I might watch one of those at some point if I've got a 4 hour block of free time and somehow have nothing better to spend it on so I can see what this veteran's GM style actually looks like, but I really prefer the campaign diaries which are condensed down into something that's actually helpful for me improving my own GMcraft.
Mostly I don't like it either. I've encountered one show, which is really well made, which I enjoy, but other than that, I don't watch entire sessions either.
Your John McClane analogy is dead on. I really do think that is what is most rewarding for the players, getting their ass kicked and barely making it through. We shouldn't want the PCs to fail, we should want them to make it through a hard fought battle. But every now and then, when the PCs get caught with their shoes off, we need to schieß dem fenster, "shoot the glass."
phew. no offense but I just didn't have the time to watch the streams so I'm glad the condensed diaries are back. Some of us have poor excuses for lives interrupting our youtube/twitch viewing at inopportune times y'know.
When someone mispronounces a word, it's because they learned it by reading independently. Took me years to figure out how to say "satiate". Great vids, Matt. You are really opening my eyes to D&D and the great fun it can be. I can't wait to buy some dice, some graph paper, and start sucking until I get great. :D Thanks for being a river, man. :D
A dynamic return to your regular, excellent form. The higher production level and the ugh perfect colour balance, made it a joy to sit back and watch from start to finish.
Matt thank you for posting the streams. I have watched the all those hours of footage, not only do they stand up on their own as entertaining, they are informative as well. I've changed the way I get my players from 3rd person to first person by watching your stream, and it feels smoother. Without the videos of your stream I wouldn't have as much fun. Thank you. .. And your players for letting you record them. Thank you.
Man, I hate it when my players find a way to bypass all of my content. I just break a little inside when it happens and I think to myself "All of that content I build for them to enjoy just... Gone!" But then I remember that I can just reuse it somewhere else.
Thanks to Matt and your entire group for giving streaming a shot! Honestly I'd be happy with an audio podcast of your sessions. I generally multitask and do my own DM prep with something on in the background like a gaming podcast or Critical Role or your videos. A pure audio format would be perfect for me. Just putting it out there.
Hey Matt, I feel ya on the twitch audience. I used to stream my sessions a few years ago and had 50-100 people watching. Those numbers pale in comparison to yours, but eventually a few ultra rules lawyers or people that lack empathy, showed up in chat. Luckily, the people I modded were quick with the ban hammer, so my group didn't see much of it. In the end, I stopped due to the lack of fun I was having. I was participating in chat, keeping an eye on comments and letting the adventure get away from me. I did stop getting subscribers in bulk due to this and it's been pretty linear since then. Technical issues were abundant in my sessions for the first year or so, as they're hard to track down or something that you didn't notice in session (if you don't have an extra guy just doing the audio/video stuff), so I understand some of the technical stress of wanting quality to be better. Even on RUclips I get comments that, "Some X doesn't work like that" or "they're not supposed to have magic users for X monster". I guess the difference is that people have free time when watching a stream and some of them feel empowered to give direct criticism (constructive or not). I enjoy these campaign diaries very much and have entertained the thought of doing them for my campaigns sessions for a good while. Your diction is quite good and you have an energetic personality when you're talking. I have to really think about what I'm going to say with a basic script and I get tongue tied with sooo many takes, so doing this proves difficult. That being said, I'm going to start streaming again soon. Hopefully I'll be able to ignore the fact that we're online, and encourage my players to not listen to the chat. Cheers, great stuff as usual. Sorry for the wall of text, this just resonated with me.
Thank you for all the work you put towards this channel, Matt. You've definitely made me a better GM, and made my my group's play sessions better as a result. Sorry to hear about all the production and audience issues. The internet is a harsh place. People like to write down & post every little thought they have, whether it be good or bad. Facing all those cynical, critical, or down right insulting comments can easily drag any person down. As for the play sessions, if recording it isn't an option perhaps showing us your games just isn't meant to be. Although seeing your games would be really cool, if it is taking up too much of your time and is too complicated maybe it just isn't worth the hassle. Thanks again another great video.
Critical Role and Acquisitions Inc. are the only D&D shows I can really watch. I think you're right about it not being a spectator sport, and they're the exceptions.
Depends on the person. I found Matt's stream to be better than AI by quite a bit, but it's more because it was truer to what D&D is in my eyes. Honestly as long as the audio/video isn't cringe-worthy, I think it's fine. I thought the stream was good, but Matt has high standards and it was having a negative effect on his game, so I don't remotely blame him for stopping.
They have thousands upon thousands of people. What do you expect? Text-based chat is not built for that. Imagine a couple hundred people talking through eachother in the same room? Its unmanageable. Now amplify that and give everyone a megaphone.
It was a real game, warts and all. I wholeheartedly agree with your defence of your friends and players> I was sad that the technical difficulties made it hard to watch, and very hard for you to DM. I was delighted when The Chain appeared, showing that a variety of real people playing a real game could make absorbing watching. More strength to you. Your stress on creativity, and on the different ways that people can enjoy playing the game, is worthwhile, and encouraging. I am delighted that your material is "out there", and that I can recommend it to anyone who is interested in playing or DMing. Thank you.
I hope that you're still enjoying doing the other forms of content aside from streaming. I absolutely love the way that we can hear the story from your perspective in the campaign summaries.
I really like the Campaign Diary style you are doing. The enjoyment of listening to you narrating what happened during the game is entertaining, and you still give tips and advice. I really like that because I really can see how the story unfolds. Great stuff. TBH if you did this as a subscriber I would really consider it. PS: I bought Stronghold and really think about buying your books in the hope of a narrative style similar to this channel.
If the campaign diaries aren't too much trouble for you, I love 'em. They're fun and constantly give little tips about DMing and playing to keep in mind. If you can continue these, even if it's not every week, that would be amazing.
i love it when players come up with interesting ways of using spells and abilities like the silence spell. sounds like it was a really terrific session!
Matt you have got to be my favourite D&D guy on the Internet. Honest, transparent and to the point. So helpful to see and hear how you run your games and you give me something to snider with every diary I watch. Thank you and yours for all you do for the community!
One of my favorite channels on RUclips. Thanks for all the tips and info. Currently building my campaign where I will weave a larger story around all the content released from the Wizards of the Coast. Once my DM is done with his run I will take over for him, and thanks to you I'm feeling much more confident about it.
Agreed about streaming and Twitch. So much upfront effort and cost. I personally love the recaps, you are in incredible storyteller. I can't imagine playing on camera, I'd play so differently. Anyway, I appreciate whatever you make. Your recaps are better than my games. :P
I did enjoy the streams, but I am glad to see the Campaign Diaries return. I understand 100% why you want to stop the streams, and perhaps if you return at a later date many of the issues will be resolved. I still think the World Building streams work very well, though Collabris is near completion. Well done for giving it a shot. I do believe D&D can be, as you say, a "spectator sport", but every game of D&D is different. The flow can be dramatically altered session to session, player to player. I've been watching High Rollers recently and have loved it, but I watch it "offline" on RUclips as I did with your streams. I agree that it is unlike other Twitch content because you cannot have that live interaction with the streamers which is "the juice" of the streaming experience.
Hey, I was just watching your railroading vs sandboxing game (which was AMAZING!) But I had to stop and find this one, just to make sure you made it through the pneumonia ok. I'm really glad to see that you did!
The second bit here is just some back story and thanks, but I have a profound level of respect for your attitudes surrounding content creation, and more importantly in placing your friendships and the those people above any kind of brand you might be building. That takes a distinct strength of character, and I am glad that you made that call. I'm a "second generation" tabletop gamer, I have many fond memories of lurking at the edge of my parents table as they played hoping that one day they would let me join. As a result, to this day I can sit and enjoy watching other people play video games, board games, and tabletop games. It's not necessarily the game I'm watching, its the people and its just really heartwarming to see people that enjoy each others company come together and do exactly that with a central construct to focus their attention (the game itself). Of course, I have learned a great deal from sitting and watching not only your "Running the Game" but also in watching and comparing style and processes. Every GM is different and I think that's something to be embraced and we all have something to learn from each other I think.
Hey dude, I'm a first time DM and your series' have been immeasurably helpful to help shine a light on an actual D&D game. I love Critical Role, don't get me wrong, but I feel it doesn't accurately reflect the normal game. So, I really, really appreciate your help on this. Thank you!
I just wanted to say that while I can certainly tell from watching the youtube replays of your sessions that it was certainly wearing on you, thank you for doing it. I have enjoyed these diaries and while I can utterly sympathize with the growing pains of trying something new without a support staff I still found them enjoyable to listen to while I multi tasked other projects.
I love this, I'm so glad you're back, I just did not have the time to watch the streams, but I do mean to sometime. You have a great way of telling a story, it's never boring. I'm engaged and inspired, you're the best.
I know I'm late in viewing these diaries, but I think you're group was really awesome and I couldn't find anything wrong with the live video of your sessions. I began with the original redbox set before graduating to AD&D but played 2nd edition the longest. When I was at sea in the Navy my good friend Jeff and several other friends who I still communicate with via Facebook introduced me to 3rd edition and we played for several years. I unfortunately never got into 4th edition but am just now coming back to 5th edition and teaching my wife and son to play. I've never been a DM before so I find your campaign diaries and tips for running the game extremely useful both as fuel for inspiration and as practical advice for running an interesting game. So thank you for all that you do. You're amazing and fun to watch.
On the topic of players bypassing plans. We were playing epic level characters fighting a Great Red Dragon, awesome fight, but we were kitted out for anything and the fight wasn't going well for the dragon. DM's thought: When they kill the dragon he'll roar crash backwards sealing off their way out and force us to think of another solution. My thought: I can cast Spook and intimidate the dragon into being an ally. Some RPing and dice rolling later. We left the dungeon with a dragon ally in tow. My DM just stood there shaking his head.
Matt, thanks for how you treat the game and your friends. You've got a great perspective on all of this. It was fun watching you and your friends play, and I learned a lot from watching it live, but you're making the right call.
I feel so bad that you've been having such a hard time with it. I just want to say on behalf of the majority here that we really appreciate all that you do for us!
Matt, I just want to say your videos have been incredibly helpful to me as a new DM. I appreciate your group streaming your game and exposing themselves -- it was really helpful to see how your game runs, but I never imagined the amount of work and problems that could arise. I'll be watching any content you choose to release. Thanks for everything you do.
I'm sorry that there were so many people not adding anything constructive to this whole experience. I really appreciate all of your work to get more people involved in D&D so I though I could share a positive story. Because of this channel I learned to DM and convinced my friends, who now live all over the US, to play. Before we would see each other or talk every few months, but now we are all on video chat every other week for 4+ hours. It has really helped us reconnect. I'm also now just hooked on D&D and always want more so I'm now also helping to DM adventure league nights every week at a local game store. Thank you Matt
Matt your videos are insightful, full of great ideas, and highly appreciated. You have been a very helpful component, to me running my own DnD games the last several months. Im happy to say I've been able to get both family and friends to join me on my own campaigns, Thanks Again, Keep em' coming.
Hey +Matt! I agree with you on the 'watchableness' of the stream but keep your head up, because now you know what you would need in order to do it right - and not from someone telling you but from experience. Also, one day in the future there will be something to stream on that is a little less hectic when it comes to the chatting mess Twitch has going on. Honestly though sir, your recaps of the games in your Game Diary, are fucking great. You could literally run a game, come to us, and tell it all as if it were a bedtime story and we would watch it haha Also your advice is wanted and fuck the haters! I would suggest maybe turning the chat off during the game completely and just playing - and you guys were charming and engaging, dont listen to those assholes out there looking to ruin someone's day to make themselves feel better. I dig what you do, and I dig how you view this little thing of dungeons and the dragons - so keep it up and I know one day you WILL produce something you would wanna see when it comes to streaming a live DnD session!!
My good man - ignore the evil monkeys online. You are doing a bang up job. I haven't played D&D for years and you absolutely rekindled my love for the game! Keep it up! : )
Matthew Colville I have watched all your videos over the last 3 months. been playing a long time and i really enjoyed a lot of your tips. I learn and steal from every Dm I watch run. I really hope you keep putting out videos !!
I have been watching your videos and i actually skipped the live recordings. I love this one on one feel we get from your video. The way you speak and and describe things is fantastic.
I just wanna say "Thank you". You got me DM'ing a simple homebrewn game for people who never roleplayed before and they're all loving it. Keep being awesome.
Matt, I really appreciate everything you've made and done for us. I'm also really sorry the internet was garbage to you and your friends - which is even worse as they don't have a platform to defend themselves. Bummer-inducing stuff is now out of the way. I've DM'd a few times for friends, but they were with vets. I recently ran a game for a vet and two newbies and I used a lot of stuff from what I saw on your videos. It helped me a lot and I really, really want to thank you for all the awesome content you've put out. You gave me the DM itch again; thank you!!!
Myconids aren't difficult to deal with. You just need a judicious application of heat along with some butter, garlic, olive oil, and a sprinkling of oregano. Also, the word "gibbering" is pronounced with a J sound.
Wow, I rarely have actual Laugh out Loud moments. You got me with "professionally charming people". Thank you Matt, for all you do. This channel is so fun and does give me new and good ideas to bring to my game table. (high five)
I believe in the "Silent Majority" who enjoy watching, and rarely comment. I think you're making the best call for your friends and your enjoyment. Thanks for the videos Matt! I spent an afternoon trying to trace out each of your parties and their paths (Ruby Knight, TRSoQA, RV, SoA). It was solving a mystery trying to understand all the overlapping threads between each (Lady S, Sir R the Chill).
Matt, thanks for continuing to do the recaps....I'm definitely enjoying the story of the campaign regardless if it watched lived or recaped. I can definitely understand the frustrations with the live stream, but know we're going to watch whatever content you put out.
I agree wholeheartedly with you about the stream. I enjoyed the first two and then began losing interest, not because it wasn't interesting, but because I preferred the "Running the Game" and "Campaign Diaries" much more. I love those episodes very much. I believe the reason is because you exude the love you have for the game in them and it's very infectious. Thank you very much for sharing your campaign with us. Thank you for sharing the tips and tricks you have with us as well. I've been unable to read very much of the copy of Priest I bought but I'm hopeful to be able to finish it on vacation in October. I've been running games since the mid to late 80s and sometimes you get in a DM rut and seeing other DMs and how they react really helps break you out of your shell. Not to mention you're reaching a whole new generation of gamers. Once again Thank you.
The live streams took a long time to watch through, and I enjoyed them, but agree that if the live stream is distracting you from DM functions, then I wholeheartedly agree that you give your best to your game friends, and we still benefit from these Campaign Diary recaps. :) Thank you Matt.
Matt, I'm one of the MANY that is grateful for your channel. You've pushed me to DM again in life. You've also taught me to be patient with my players. Haters gonna hate. Love you, brother.
Credit to you Matthew for going to those steps to try and get a stream going, I didn't realise there were so many hurdles to getting something like that going.
Excellent! For a while I thought I had lost the very thing that I liked so much about these diaries; an inside view of the politics and intrigue as well as an exploration of possible outcomes in your fascinating games. I like the style of these videos. The streams were not what I was looking for. Your summaries are much better for me and there is something unique about them. I look forward to hearing more.
I see that Zombicide in the background you have! Such a fun game! Also a good primer for DnD combat. Playing that with friends helped get us rolling on doing the D&D group that I'm now DMing.
What i really like about Matt is that addresses and confronts the people that were cancer. This says a tremendous amount about Matt's character. That he stand up for what he believes in and also protects his friends. With Respect - Rax
"The Die Hard experience" is such a great phrase. Pretty much encapsulates what (my style too, at least) GM/DMing is all about creating. Getting smacked around a bit and sometimes losing your shoes, but winning by being more cunning, clever and/or crazy than the other side. :P
I am sorry that the internet sucks. I hope that you are feeling better after stopping streaming. I enjoyed watching you guys. If you go back to streaming I will watch again. Thanks for the good times and I will continue to watch this in the lead up to me running my first game. :)
This may be a thread resurrection but I;d like to say "thank you!" for your streaming rant at the end. I'm working in a field where my client was forced to pick up streaming as a way of interacting with stakeholders over the pandemic and by pure default have ended up running most of the (successful) streams over the last two years because I couldn't find anyone else to do it and I produced my own at a standard which (while I was never happy with) it was more than good enough for the rest of the organisation. Even when we hired so called experts I had to step in and show them how to do basic stuff, it's not easy.
I watched all of the twitch streams over the last 2 days, at 1.5x speed so I could get it all in. I loved watching you guys play, but I understand completely why you stopped, just don't stop giving us the campaign diaries please.
With this explanation, I fully respect why you stopped streaming... Your goal was never to run a streaming DnD game, so when all these technical issues cropped up, there was no incentive to continue as opposed to going back to running the game you like to run after giving us a peek. Thank you very much for all the effort you put into giving us a peek into your games!
personally, I watched all the streams as like background podcasts while I played games, and I found them quite enjoyable. it really showed me what realD&D play is like with Matt at the helm, which is more or less exactly what I was loking for. If the technical difficulties were that bad then dang go right ahead and don't put yourself through that
You are the pro, strange but this type of content got my sub. There is a lot of guys streaming or giving advice in a better format that you, however only you sir tell the story like this. I love it, make me want to buy your books. Amazing!!
So, love this channel, seen every video at least twice. One question though - for the one titled "Different Kinds of Players", you mentioned you'd do a future video on engaging the different types of players. Are you still planning on doing that? I ask because that psychological element - getting into the players heads and finding ways to get them vested in the game fascinates me.
After watching live streams of campaigns (the Chain and both CR) I just appreciate my players really being on top of keeping up with their PC's skills and abilities in game mechanics terms really helpful.
Hey Matt! Glad to see a new diary. I know streaming was probably easier but I really dont have to time to watch 3-5 hours of it. I absolutely love your content in this style. Not that you shouldnt stream of course. Just that Im glad to see more of THIS over that. As for the negativity. Thats what ive heard from many content creators. You simply have to figure out a way to handle it, or just ignore ANY incoming communication. I dont want you to become like some people and give up content creation because of 10% of people. Youre one of the best content creators on youtube. :)
Well said Matt. You honestly said what needed to be said. Also I enjoy the episodic recaps more than the streams. Keep up the excellent D&D vids! Thankyou
Matthew, I appreciate your efforts in providing us a view into your D&D games. I agree fully with your reason to stop. Anything that impacts your fun is reason enough to eliminate it from the equation. I enjoy your Campaign Diaries and enjoy listening to you speak on D&D. Please keep up the exceptional work.
I agree with you about streaming DnD. I prefer your teaching videos and diaries explaining specific situations you came across dming. I would really like to see a series where you spend 15-20 minutes talking about specific monsters and how to make the most of them in an encounter.
I know this is an old vid, but I just felt compelled to say, thanks for being online as an actual person. You recognize and own your opinions, feelings, and mistakes. You let us learn from them, and you don't pretend to be infallible or impenetrable. What you do on this channel is incredibly valuable. Thank you.
26:50 Rare footage of Matthew taking a pause between sentences.
Lots of fast talkers on RUclips, Matt is one of the few I don't mind listening to.
Arktiks His fast talking is one of the many reasons I enjoy his videos. All of the other people the talk about D&D on youtube talk pretty slow.
Hes one of the ones you can listen to at 1.5x speed and still understand
Sorry you and your friends had to deal with all that hate Matt. The internet can be a shit show. Still, I really liked your party, such interesting and funny people and characters. I still look forward to your videos and hope you know that you guys still have at least a couple people rooting for them :)
Hear hear!
There is a very good way of interacting with chat outside of responding to chat users.
There is a german pen and paper show which is pretty successful and it has people working behind the scenes aswell, and sometimes the DM will show questions like: "Which enemies will the players face as they reach this cave?" - And then people in chat get to vote on what enemy they encounter for example.
It's really great fun.
That opening joke is on par with "We have both kinds of music here: Country *and* Western" :D
I love it, after this comment being up for two whole years only 9 people caught that reference.
@@danieltgrissani What makes you think so?
Alresu: It only had 9 thumbs up at the time.
Gathered that, but why do you think the get-it-like ratio is 1:1?
@@Alresu you got a point there
Personally, I prefer the condensed campaign diaries. It fits better when you're using events for examples and you are free to talk about what worked and failed. And it's easier to keep up with time wise.
I understand why people like Critical Role, but I much prefer Matt's 40 minute diaries to 4 hours of watching people play the game. It's like being told a story vs watching people make a movie.
"Your fun is wrong!" Got to love the internet. Love what you do sir. Keep it up!
I really think "Patented Colville Screw" should be the name of a cocktail of some kind.
where all the strong liquor is at the bottom of the glass...
Layered: Rye Whiskey on bottom, Grenadine in the middle and Orange juice on top. It has to have orange juice because screw is in the name.
It would be awesome if the grenadine and orange juice would be both above the rye whiskey in a turnstile way to also make the screw.
Other people had the same idea as I did.. or along the same vein.. I was thinking something like drinking the contents of a screwdriver, but separately. First the orange juice an then a shot of vodka. :P
I'm glad you guys did what you thought you had to. Just letting you know though, as a DM just starting out, I found watching you guys playing INCREDIBLY helpful. To see a group of people who aren't actors, and how you engage them, and how they play (differently from CR, but that's good here) was so good for me. My players aren't actors, and getting them to engage can be difficult. I learned a lot from those couple streams, so thank you! So glad you guys did it, but I understand why you had to stop.
Well, we're gonna start again in a couple of months! Smaller group, better gear. Should be more fun for us and more fun to watch.
I too, enjoyed watching the play. I didn't have the constraints of time others have been commenting about. This was my background noise/entertainment as I did my housework. :)
But it gave me a more real sense of how play goes, rather than the false expectation of CR. (My family are actors/artists, but the freedom that it's OK to have to look up a rule, or discuss how that works is OK) The constraints of being fun, interesting and keeping the pace of the story up must be incredible!
I'm just happy if we get through our three hour session with a feeling of accomplishment and enjoyment.
how are you doing now
Nice to see the next, well third I guess, generation start up. I hope you will have much fun.
I have always thought that actual play vids are boring. I love playing but watching other people play feels like watching paint dry. I would much rather watch your diary than a real game. Nice comment about the distraction of the live game. I always feel that the more brain power you relegate to other tasks the less you can concentrate on being a good DM. great vids, thanks for all you do.
^ This. Yes.
BUMP^
100% agree. I might watch one of those at some point if I've got a 4 hour block of free time and somehow have nothing better to spend it on so I can see what this veteran's GM style actually looks like, but I really prefer the campaign diaries which are condensed down into something that's actually helpful for me improving my own GMcraft.
MCDM is doing a good job of making full games interesting.
Mostly I don't like it either. I've encountered one show, which is really well made, which I enjoy, but other than that, I don't watch entire sessions either.
Your John McClane analogy is dead on. I really do think that is what is most rewarding for the players, getting their ass kicked and barely making it through. We shouldn't want the PCs to fail, we should want them to make it through a hard fought battle. But every now and then, when the PCs get caught with their shoes off, we need to schieß dem fenster, "shoot the glass."
"Sitting there, doing nothing, mesmerized by the voice..." Sorta like us watching these videos, eh?
I love how ethical and fair you are with people, not just us (your audience), but also with your friends. Thanks for caring so much.
Please keep the Diaries in this form. This style of recap is incredibly entertaining with you being able to comment and elaborate.
phew. no offense but I just didn't have the time to watch the streams so I'm glad the condensed diaries are back.
Some of us have poor excuses for lives interrupting our youtube/twitch viewing at inopportune times y'know.
When someone mispronounces a word, it's because they learned it by reading independently. Took me years to figure out how to say "satiate". Great vids, Matt. You are really opening my eyes to D&D and the great fun it can be. I can't wait to buy some dice, some graph paper, and start sucking until I get great. :D
Thanks for being a river, man.
:D
My example is Bas Relief, which is pronounced Bah, and not Bass, as I have said it for years.
2 years after and you made me forget how to pronounce satiate
A dynamic return to your regular, excellent form. The higher production level and the ugh perfect colour balance, made it a joy to sit back and watch from start to finish.
Matt thank you for posting the streams. I have watched the all those hours of footage, not only do they stand up on their own as entertaining, they are informative as well. I've changed the way I get my players from 3rd person to first person by watching your stream, and it feels smoother. Without the videos of your stream I wouldn't have as much fun.
Thank you.
.. And your players for letting you record them.
Thank you.
I think this is the only time I'd seen you get genuinely mad, when talking about people hassling your friends. You're a good friend.
"Sigurd successfully stealths past the duergar guards" is my new favorite tongue twister.
Hours of D&D for 30 minutes of fun. I think you made the right choice, Matt. Keep being awesome.
Man, I hate it when my players find a way to bypass all of my content.
I just break a little inside when it happens and I think to myself "All of that content I build for them to enjoy just... Gone!"
But then I remember that I can just reuse it somewhere else.
I guess that in Matt's case it's not as bad, as he didn't actually put effort to create all that content himself.
Thanks to Matt and your entire group for giving streaming a shot! Honestly I'd be happy with an audio podcast of your sessions. I generally multitask and do my own DM prep with something on in the background like a gaming podcast or Critical Role or your videos. A pure audio format would be perfect for me. Just putting it out there.
Hey Matt, I feel ya on the twitch audience. I used to stream my sessions a few years ago and had 50-100 people watching. Those numbers pale in comparison to yours, but eventually a few ultra rules lawyers or people that lack empathy, showed up in chat. Luckily, the people I modded were quick with the ban hammer, so my group didn't see much of it.
In the end, I stopped due to the lack of fun I was having. I was participating in chat, keeping an eye on comments and letting the adventure get away from me. I did stop getting subscribers in bulk due to this and it's been pretty linear since then. Technical issues were abundant in my sessions for the first year or so, as they're hard to track down or something that you didn't notice in session (if you don't have an extra guy just doing the audio/video stuff), so I understand some of the technical stress of wanting quality to be better.
Even on RUclips I get comments that, "Some X doesn't work like that" or "they're not supposed to have magic users for X monster". I guess the difference is that people have free time when watching a stream and some of them feel empowered to give direct criticism (constructive or not).
I enjoy these campaign diaries very much and have entertained the thought of doing them for my campaigns sessions for a good while. Your diction is quite good and you have an energetic personality when you're talking. I have to really think about what I'm going to say with a basic script and I get tongue tied with sooo many takes, so doing this proves difficult.
That being said, I'm going to start streaming again soon. Hopefully I'll be able to ignore the fact that we're online, and encourage my players to not listen to the chat. Cheers, great stuff as usual. Sorry for the wall of text, this just resonated with me.
Coming back to this after the new stream went up, it's real nice to see that the other stream went better than this one did.
Thank you for all the work you put towards this channel, Matt. You've definitely made me a better GM, and made my my group's play sessions better as a result.
Sorry to hear about all the production and audience issues. The internet is a harsh place. People like to write down & post every little thought they have, whether it be good or bad. Facing all those cynical, critical, or down right insulting comments can easily drag any person down.
As for the play sessions, if recording it isn't an option perhaps showing us your games just isn't meant to be. Although seeing your games would be really cool, if it is taking up too much of your time and is too complicated maybe it just isn't worth the hassle.
Thanks again another great video.
Critical Role and Acquisitions Inc. are the only D&D shows I can really watch. I think you're right about it not being a spectator sport, and they're the exceptions.
Depends on the person. I found Matt's stream to be better than AI by quite a bit, but it's more because it was truer to what D&D is in my eyes. Honestly as long as the audio/video isn't cringe-worthy, I think it's fine. I thought the stream was good, but Matt has high standards and it was having a negative effect on his game, so I don't remotely blame him for stopping.
I'd throw the West Marches or really anything itmejp hosts or run by Adam Koebel or Steven Lumpkin onto that list.
You should check Itmejp's stuff with Adam Koebel as DM
Even with subscriber-only chat on, the Critical Role Twitch chat is ridiculous.
Subscribers only and slow mode.
Yeah, that slow mode is out to like 5 minute waits now... It's a bummer, but it's entirely necessary.
Any chat really. As the userbase grows, the probablity that there are some douches in it approaches 1.
They have thousands upon thousands of people. What do you expect?
Text-based chat is not built for that. Imagine a couple hundred people talking through eachother in the same room? Its unmanageable. Now amplify that and give everyone a megaphone.
4Head EleGiggle
It was a real game, warts and all. I wholeheartedly agree with your defence of your friends and players> I was sad that the technical difficulties made it hard to watch, and very hard for you to DM. I was delighted when The Chain appeared, showing that a variety of real people playing a real game could make absorbing watching. More strength to you. Your stress on creativity, and on the different ways that people can enjoy playing the game, is worthwhile, and encouraging. I am delighted that your material is "out there", and that I can recommend it to anyone who is interested in playing or DMing. Thank you.
Fuck the haters Matthew. Thanks for all your tips and what you are doing to share the love of our mutual hobby.
I hope that you're still enjoying doing the other forms of content aside from streaming. I absolutely love the way that we can hear the story from your perspective in the campaign summaries.
Great video Matt! It sucks streaming didn't work out but it was good while it lasted. Thanks for making helpful and entertaining content!
well we might stream again...
I really like the Campaign Diary style you are doing. The enjoyment of listening to you narrating what happened during the game is entertaining, and you still give tips and advice. I really like that because I really can see how the story unfolds. Great stuff.
TBH if you did this as a subscriber I would really consider it.
PS: I bought Stronghold and really think about buying your books in the hope of a narrative style similar to this channel.
I love the Gibbering Mouther and it is probably my favorite monster. I loved the way you used them for that encounter as well! :D
If the campaign diaries aren't too much trouble for you, I love 'em. They're fun and constantly give little tips about DMing and playing to keep in mind. If you can continue these, even if it's not every week, that would be amazing.
i love it when players come up with interesting ways of using spells and abilities like the silence spell. sounds like it was a really terrific session!
Matt you have got to be my favourite D&D guy on the Internet. Honest, transparent and to the point. So helpful to see and hear how you run your games and you give me something to snider with every diary I watch.
Thank you and yours for all you do for the community!
The Campaign Diary and DM advice are great! Thanks for getting back to the good stuff
Oh yes, Balathothormog, patron of the Mine of Phlapdoodle.
hmmmmmm PHLAP TOODLE DOODLE
One of my favorite channels on RUclips. Thanks for all the tips and info. Currently building my campaign where I will weave a larger story around all the content released from the Wizards of the Coast. Once my DM is done with his run I will take over for him, and thanks to you I'm feeling much more confident about it.
Agreed about streaming and Twitch. So much upfront effort and cost. I personally love the recaps, you are in incredible storyteller. I can't imagine playing on camera, I'd play so differently. Anyway, I appreciate whatever you make. Your recaps are better than my games. :P
Totally understand your frustration. Thx for the work you do. New to dnd and was asked to DM for a group, use your videos to get better.
I did enjoy the streams, but I am glad to see the Campaign Diaries return. I understand 100% why you want to stop the streams, and perhaps if you return at a later date many of the issues will be resolved. I still think the World Building streams work very well, though Collabris is near completion. Well done for giving it a shot.
I do believe D&D can be, as you say, a "spectator sport", but every game of D&D is different. The flow can be dramatically altered session to session, player to player. I've been watching High Rollers recently and have loved it, but I watch it "offline" on RUclips as I did with your streams. I agree that it is unlike other Twitch content because you cannot have that live interaction with the streamers which is "the juice" of the streaming experience.
Hey, I was just watching your railroading vs sandboxing game (which was AMAZING!) But I had to stop and find this one, just to make sure you made it through the pneumonia ok.
I'm really glad to see that you did!
I really appreciate the amount of work you put into this!
The second bit here is just some back story and thanks, but I have a profound level of respect for your attitudes surrounding content creation, and more importantly in placing your friendships and the those people above any kind of brand you might be building. That takes a distinct strength of character, and I am glad that you made that call.
I'm a "second generation" tabletop gamer, I have many fond memories of lurking at the edge of my parents table as they played hoping that one day they would let me join. As a result, to this day I can sit and enjoy watching other people play video games, board games, and tabletop games. It's not necessarily the game I'm watching, its the people and its just really heartwarming to see people that enjoy each others company come together and do exactly that with a central construct to focus their attention (the game itself). Of course, I have learned a great deal from sitting and watching not only your "Running the Game" but also in watching and comparing style and processes. Every GM is different and I think that's something to be embraced and we all have something to learn from each other I think.
You're the best Matt! thank you for making all of this content for us to enjoy
Hey dude, I'm a first time DM and your series' have been immeasurably helpful to help shine a light on an actual D&D game. I love Critical Role, don't get me wrong, but I feel it doesn't accurately reflect the normal game. So, I really, really appreciate your help on this. Thank you!
I just wanted to say that while I can certainly tell from watching the youtube replays of your sessions that it was certainly wearing on you, thank you for doing it. I have enjoyed these diaries and while I can utterly sympathize with the growing pains of trying something new without a support staff I still found them enjoyable to listen to while I multi tasked other projects.
I love this, I'm so glad you're back, I just did not have the time to watch the streams, but I do mean to sometime. You have a great way of telling a story, it's never boring. I'm engaged and inspired, you're the best.
Thank you for all you've done on this channel. As someone who is trying to become a better GM, I've found it invaluable. Please keep it up! (:
So happy you used the firestorm peak map
Love the map, adventure is cool too
Loved the Jerry reaction. Fits for so much internet commenting.
I know I'm late in viewing these diaries, but I think you're group was really awesome and I couldn't find anything wrong with the live video of your sessions. I began with the original redbox set before graduating to AD&D but played 2nd edition the longest. When I was at sea in the Navy my good friend Jeff and several other friends who I still communicate with via Facebook introduced me to 3rd edition and we played for several years. I unfortunately never got into 4th edition but am just now coming back to 5th edition and teaching my wife and son to play. I've never been a DM before so I find your campaign diaries and tips for running the game extremely useful both as fuel for inspiration and as practical advice for running an interesting game. So thank you for all that you do. You're amazing and fun to watch.
On the topic of players bypassing plans. We were playing epic level characters fighting a Great Red Dragon, awesome fight, but we were kitted out for anything and the fight wasn't going well for the dragon.
DM's thought: When they kill the dragon he'll roar crash backwards sealing off their way out and force us to think of another solution.
My thought: I can cast Spook and intimidate the dragon into being an ally.
Some RPing and dice rolling later. We left the dungeon with a dragon ally in tow. My DM just stood there shaking his head.
Matt, thanks for how you treat the game and your friends. You've got a great perspective on all of this. It was fun watching you and your friends play, and I learned a lot from watching it live, but you're making the right call.
I feel so bad that you've been having such a hard time with it. I just want to say on behalf of the majority here that we really appreciate all that you do for us!
I laughed out loud when you portrayed the mesmerized players. fantastic!
Matt, I just want to say your videos have been incredibly helpful to me as a new DM. I appreciate your group streaming your game and exposing themselves -- it was really helpful to see how your game runs, but I never imagined the amount of work and problems that could arise. I'll be watching any content you choose to release. Thanks for everything you do.
I'm sorry that there were so many people not adding anything constructive to this whole experience. I really appreciate all of your work to get more people involved in D&D so I though I could share a positive story.
Because of this channel I learned to DM and convinced my friends, who now live all over the US, to play. Before we would see each other or talk every few months, but now we are all on video chat every other week for 4+ hours. It has really helped us reconnect. I'm also now just hooked on D&D and always want more so I'm now also helping to DM adventure league nights every week at a local game store.
Thank you Matt
Matt your videos are insightful, full of great ideas, and highly appreciated. You have been a very helpful component, to me running my own DnD games the last several months. Im happy to say I've been able to get both family and friends to join me on my own campaigns, Thanks Again, Keep em' coming.
Thanks for the game summary!
Your reasons for stopping streaming make perfect sense - what's important is that you and your players are happy!
Happy to hear more of your stories of DnD!
Hey +Matt! I agree with you on the 'watchableness' of the stream but keep your head up, because now you know what you would need in order to do it right - and not from someone telling you but from experience. Also, one day in the future there will be something to stream on that is a little less hectic when it comes to the chatting mess Twitch has going on. Honestly though sir, your recaps of the games in your Game Diary, are fucking great. You could literally run a game, come to us, and tell it all as if it were a bedtime story and we would watch it haha Also your advice is wanted and fuck the haters! I would suggest maybe turning the chat off during the game completely and just playing - and you guys were charming and engaging, dont listen to those assholes out there looking to ruin someone's day to make themselves feel better. I dig what you do, and I dig how you view this little thing of dungeons and the dragons - so keep it up and I know one day you WILL produce something you would wanna see when it comes to streaming a live DnD session!!
My good man - ignore the evil monkeys online.
You are doing a bang up job. I haven't played D&D for years and you absolutely rekindled my love for the game!
Keep it up! : )
Matthew Colville I have watched all your videos over the last 3 months. been playing a long time and i really enjoyed a lot of your tips. I learn and steal from every Dm I watch run. I really hope you keep putting out videos !!
48 minutes?! Yayy lets to this!
omg! this made my crummy morning so much better.
yes man, it was like having breakfast with Matt in real life
I have been watching your videos and i actually skipped the live recordings. I love this one on one feel we get from your video. The way you speak and and describe things is fantastic.
I just wanna say "Thank you". You got me DM'ing a simple homebrewn game for people who never roleplayed before and they're all loving it. Keep being awesome.
Matt, I really appreciate everything you've made and done for us. I'm also really sorry the internet was garbage to you and your friends - which is even worse as they don't have a platform to defend themselves.
Bummer-inducing stuff is now out of the way. I've DM'd a few times for friends, but they were with vets. I recently ran a game for a vet and two newbies and I used a lot of stuff from what I saw on your videos. It helped me a lot and I really, really want to thank you for all the awesome content you've put out. You gave me the DM itch again; thank you!!!
"My faithful has no need to fear" - I finally understand that quote!!! Took me 5 bloody years.
Myconids aren't difficult to deal with. You just need a judicious application of heat along with some butter, garlic, olive oil, and a sprinkling of oregano.
Also, the word "gibbering" is pronounced with a J sound.
Yep.
So just like Mr T you can say "Quit your gibber-jabber!"
Dungeon meshi ?
Wow, I rarely have actual Laugh out Loud moments. You got me with "professionally charming people". Thank you Matt, for all you do. This channel is so fun and does give me new and good ideas to bring to my game table. (high five)
I believe in the "Silent Majority" who enjoy watching, and rarely comment. I think you're making the best call for your friends and your enjoyment. Thanks for the videos Matt! I spent an afternoon trying to trace out each of your parties and their paths (Ruby Knight, TRSoQA, RV, SoA). It was solving a mystery trying to understand all the overlapping threads between each (Lady S, Sir R the Chill).
Balathamog? Sap-suck-a-frog? Three yaks and a dog?
Susan?
oh my god Matt your head is so fluffy its ridiculous
I'm impressed
Thanks for putting in all this effort Matt. I really enjoy the content and hope you don't get too worn out by it all.
Matt, thanks for continuing to do the recaps....I'm definitely enjoying the story of the campaign regardless if it watched lived or recaped. I can definitely understand the frustrations with the live stream, but know we're going to watch whatever content you put out.
I agree wholeheartedly with you about the stream. I enjoyed the first two and then began losing interest, not because it wasn't interesting, but because I preferred the "Running the Game" and "Campaign Diaries" much more. I love those episodes very much. I believe the reason is because you exude the love you have for the game in them and it's very infectious. Thank you very much for sharing your campaign with us. Thank you for sharing the tips and tricks you have with us as well. I've been unable to read very much of the copy of Priest I bought but I'm hopeful to be able to finish it on vacation in October. I've been running games since the mid to late 80s and sometimes you get in a DM rut and seeing other DMs and how they react really helps break you out of your shell. Not to mention you're reaching a whole new generation of gamers. Once again Thank you.
The live streams took a long time to watch through, and I enjoyed them, but agree that if the live stream is distracting you from DM functions, then I wholeheartedly agree that you give your best to your game friends, and we still benefit from these Campaign Diary recaps. :) Thank you Matt.
Matt, I'm one of the MANY that is grateful for your channel. You've pushed me to DM again in life. You've also taught me to be patient with my players. Haters gonna hate. Love you, brother.
Credit to you Matthew for going to those steps to try and get a stream going, I didn't realise there were so many hurdles to getting something like that going.
Excellent! For a while I thought I had lost the very thing that I liked so much about these diaries; an inside view of the politics and intrigue as well as an exploration of possible outcomes in your fascinating games. I like the style of these videos. The streams were not what I was looking for. Your summaries are much better for me and there is something unique about them. I look forward to hearing more.
Hey Matt, just watching through campaign diaries and i wanted to throw out a shout to you all. Go on with your bad selves. You are all awesome.
I see that Zombicide in the background you have! Such a fun game! Also a good primer for DnD combat. Playing that with friends helped get us rolling on doing the D&D group that I'm now DMing.
What i really like about Matt is that addresses and confronts the people that were cancer. This says a tremendous amount about Matt's character. That he stand up for what he believes in and also protects his friends.
With Respect - Rax
"The Die Hard experience" is such a great phrase. Pretty much encapsulates what (my style too, at least) GM/DMing is all about creating. Getting smacked around a bit and sometimes losing your shoes, but winning by being more cunning, clever and/or crazy than the other side. :P
Thank you for the Streams. I really liked seeing you guys play and made me thinking about may be try starting a group at work.
I am sorry that the internet sucks. I hope that you are feeling better after stopping streaming. I enjoyed watching you guys. If you go back to streaming I will watch again. Thanks for the good times and I will continue to watch this in the lead up to me running my first game. :)
This may be a thread resurrection but I;d like to say "thank you!" for your streaming rant at the end. I'm working in a field where my client was forced to pick up streaming as a way of interacting with stakeholders over the pandemic and by pure default have ended up running most of the (successful) streams over the last two years because I couldn't find anyone else to do it and I produced my own at a standard which (while I was never happy with) it was more than good enough for the rest of the organisation. Even when we hired so called experts I had to step in and show them how to do basic stuff, it's not easy.
I watched all of the twitch streams over the last 2 days, at 1.5x speed so I could get it all in. I loved watching you guys play, but I understand completely why you stopped, just don't stop giving us the campaign diaries please.
With this explanation, I fully respect why you stopped streaming... Your goal was never to run a streaming DnD game, so when all these technical issues cropped up, there was no incentive to continue as opposed to going back to running the game you like to run after giving us a peek. Thank you very much for all the effort you put into giving us a peek into your games!
personally, I watched all the streams as like background podcasts while I played games, and I found them quite enjoyable. it really showed me what realD&D play is like with Matt at the helm, which is more or less exactly what I was loking for. If the technical difficulties were that bad then dang go right ahead and don't put yourself through that
You are the pro, strange but this type of content got my sub. There is a lot of guys streaming or giving advice in a better format that you, however only you sir tell the story like this. I love it, make me want to buy your books. Amazing!!
Great video series, and especially like seeing Shogun in the background, great game!
So, love this channel, seen every video at least twice. One question though - for the one titled "Different Kinds of Players", you mentioned you'd do a future video on engaging the different types of players. Are you still planning on doing that? I ask because that psychological element - getting into the players heads and finding ways to get them vested in the game fascinates me.
After watching live streams of campaigns (the Chain and both CR) I just appreciate my players really being on top of keeping up with their PC's skills and abilities in game mechanics terms really helpful.
Hey Matt! Glad to see a new diary. I know streaming was probably easier but I really dont have to time to watch 3-5 hours of it. I absolutely love your content in this style. Not that you shouldnt stream of course. Just that Im glad to see more of THIS over that.
As for the negativity. Thats what ive heard from many content creators. You simply have to figure out a way to handle it, or just ignore ANY incoming communication. I dont want you to become like some people and give up content creation because of 10% of people.
Youre one of the best content creators on youtube. :)
Well said Matt. You honestly said what needed to be said. Also I enjoy the episodic recaps more than the streams. Keep up the excellent D&D vids! Thankyou
Matthew, I appreciate your efforts in providing us a view into your D&D games. I agree fully with your reason to stop. Anything that impacts your fun is reason enough to eliminate it from the equation. I enjoy your Campaign Diaries and enjoy listening to you speak on D&D. Please keep up the exceptional work.
I agree with you about streaming DnD. I prefer your teaching videos and diaries explaining specific situations you came across dming. I would really like to see a series where you spend 15-20 minutes talking about specific monsters and how to make the most of them in an encounter.