Like many people here I'm really, really enjoying The Chain livestreams and wanted to gush it all out at Matt & Co whilst also providing my unrequested opinions (disguised as 'feedback') in the unlikely event that any of it is actually useful. I've refrained from commenting properly until we all had the chance to get a few episodes under the old belt.
I have to admit I struggled with the first episode but have quickly developed a love for this story. The plot, characters, production quality, artwork, roleplaying, DMing, etc. It's all extremely good. I must point out that the one thing I really love above all else is how well Matt leads the game. Yes, he's an incredibly experienced DM but he's always humble & never comes across as someone who thinks he knows it all - quite the opposite. It really makes the game relatable, it's not dissimilar to how my friends and I play D&D. I'm in the UK so I can't really comment on chat-interactivity for the stream, but on the surface it appears to be great.
Now that I've fully restrained myself from gushing out endless praise (edit: I have no self-restraint apparently): as a viewer I do feel obliged to offer as much feedback as possible in the hopes that at least some percentage of it is remotely useful, so I'll list it below and anyone is more than welcome to add to it or to ask for explanations (I'm not expecting anyone to even read this mess but I'll have done my civic duty!).
Production: The quality is fantastic. Yes, there are little hiccups like the cameras being hit but Matt does a 10/10 job of basically saying "Oh yeah, we can change that next time. No worries." and it's all forgotten. Jerry is clearly the MVP! I was a little disappointed he didn't pop his head down on-stream and wave hello when he was in the room! We hear so much about him but don't get to see him. Sound/light levels are perfect, as is video quality. It's one of those things most people only think about when it goes wrong! Continue doing what you're doing, basically.
Characters: They have all really begun to get their stride on with the roleplay and the fumbling over abilities has mostly disappeared now, which was to be expected when running new characters. We haven't seen as much of Copper or King as we have from the other characters yet, but there are a number of good reasons for that. Nails' plotline in particular has been extremely interesting to watch (especially for those watching the Campaign Diaries). There have been sparse few full-on Conversations Roleplay dedicated sections but (A) we are only 4 episodes in, (B) not every game has that, and (C) that's only one form of Roleplay, they've been RPing actions really well without prompt.
Players: I've got nothing but praise so any constructive criticism will mostly be forced... be prepared for more glowing reviews!
- Anna: Bubbly and witty, Anna has really shined in almost every episode, making Judge one of the most quotable characters. I was really surprised to read on her Twitter about her suffering with anxiety(?) but it's wonderful to be so open about it & I'm sure we're all very supportive. Judge has been one of the major stars of the show so far, for sure and I think Anna's huge, joyful personality plays a big part in that. The only constructive criticism I'd have for Anna that she sometimes perhaps gives in to the others too easily in the chaotic moments while the rest talk over each other. (I'm reaching a bit here to find criticism!)
- Lars: Matt said it best about Lars on here: He's a stoic dude. Man, do I love Lars already. I think a few of the comments on here just don't get Lars yet (and that's OK!). Lars' character may not have been at the forefront yet, but Lars is probably my favourite player: Tactically astute, witty and very, very dry. Easily the person my eyes drift to first when something happens. I don't really have much constructive criticism for Lars. For the viewers he could definitely announce more about his spells or what attack he's rolling for, but I also think that's just how he likes to play his character & I enjoy it either way.
- Tom (Nails): Tom is absolutely owning his role. Matt is railroading him a little bit for plot reasons, for sure, but he's really enjoying it and it shows massively. Given it's his first D&D campaign, his roleplaying is far above and beyond what I would expect of a brand new player to achieve this early. Nails is tied with Judge for my favourite character and it's purely down to Tom's roleplaying. Constructive criticism for Tom: the mic could definitely be used more for dramatic effect, but be careful not to overuse it! I know that's a contradiction but I'm struggling here..
- Tom (Copper): Tom no.2 has been a bit quieter than the rest - which doesn't imply "worse" - but when he does engage fully, he has some really great moments. Tom, out of everyone, has the best face to watch. He will often have a sly grin on his face, or be chuckling to himself and I get the feeling he reads ahead of most of the party. He's a really witty, funny guy and I was very encouraged when Matt said in the Diaries that he just takes time to warm up in this situation RP-wise because, while he's a really good player, he has the potential to be an excellent one if he's even more engaged. I can't wait to see more from him.
- Phil: For the first episode and a half I really just didn't get Phil. After this latest episode: I get Phil. It's like this episode, and some of last, he really came out of his shell and hit everything you want to see in a player. His RP was terrific as The Commander (Sweet), he was efficient in combat and he was really engaged with the story. Phil absolutely MADE Episode 4 for me. Matt mentioned he takes time to warm up... but when he does: call the Fire Brigade.
- Matt: Given this entire project is (I think) DM Matt's brainchild, it's no surprise that he's a major player in the entire thing. It's FANTASTIC to see everything he's been teaching for years in practice. You know what? I also think it's great to see Matt breaking his own rules when necessary (see: Episode 1) and being humble/confident enough to just be himself and not some fake know-it-all persona that's so common all over Youtube/Twitch. It's really encouraging to see him make mistakes and roll with it, it makes me feel less inadequate as a DM when I make mistakes! Matt's entire personality really makes the show what it is. The constant chatter and banter coming from behind the DM screen is extremely enjoyable, as is the lack of fear of profanity. My only constructive criticism for Matt would be to sometimes be a little more descriptive in terms of enemies' and rooms' appearances (obviously it's situational); sometimes it can be hard to follow with my mind's eye as I can't always fully see all the minis or make out every detail.
Materials: It's wonderful to see all the art etc. that has been created. It would be really cool to see it on display during the break. Also: I'm not a big fan of the grid/graph paper myself, I much prefer to use premade maps. That's probably the only minor criticism of the entire production. If I were more artistic and didn't just rip mine from Pinterest, I'd offer to make some myself. I also really loved the little boxes you all got for dice!
Tertiary Resources/Videos: The campaign videos are undoubtedly very enjoyable and are a fantastic learning resource. I've yet to watch the worldbuilding streams, but that's probably because they were released before the first episode - I'd prefer to watch them when I've got an idea of the world in-game, but that's more personal preference than anything else. Anyway. I wondered whether any of the other players would be interested in doing single or group videos about their characters? It would certainly be something I'd watch. Just an idea.
Expectations / Performance: I'm surmising there are probably some targets and goals for the project. I honestly hope it exceeds all of them and becomes a raving success. It would be interesting for us viewers and a nice call-to-action, if needed, to see what any of these are and whether we can help - as well as being in the interests of full transparency. That all might be out there already, I honestly haven't looked, which tells you all it should about how important that really is in the grand scheme, I guess.
My rambling rave about how good this series is, is now over. Hopefully that's not a complete waste of everyone's time!
Submitted February 25, 2019 at 03:30AM by TheMerseyMaestro https://ift.tt/2Ebt3uz
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