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Author Topic: Vox Machina - From the Same People Who Brought You Critical Role  (Read 23418 times)

Ghostmaker

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Re: Vox Machina - From the Same People Who Brought You Critical Role
« Reply #75 on: March 04, 2022, 11:18:52 AM »
Parody is protected free speech, though.

BoxCrayonTales

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Re: Vox Machina - From the Same People Who Brought You Critical Role
« Reply #76 on: March 04, 2022, 01:27:18 PM »
If WotC has grounds to sue VM for copyright infringement, then the Tolkien Estate has grounds to sue WotC for copyright infringement.

Omega

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Re: Vox Machina - From the Same People Who Brought You Critical Role
« Reply #77 on: March 04, 2022, 01:35:49 PM »
Parody is protected free speech, though.

Within limits. It can be contested.

Omega

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Re: Vox Machina - From the Same People Who Brought You Critical Role
« Reply #78 on: March 04, 2022, 02:00:14 PM »
But then TBH why would WOTC really protest if they publish Mercer worldbooks and it's probably biggest advertisement of D&D ever
Because, according to US IP law, if you don't defend trademarks, you lose them.  So the moment WotC turns a blind eye to one group using beholders, everyone can use them.

  Beholders fall under copyright, though, not trademarks, and copyright isn't lost if ignored. It's also very easy to file the serial numbers off of beholders and illithids and avoid the problem, so even a victory wouldn't win WotC much.

Eyeball monsters go back to at least The Trollenburg Terror from 1958, and possibly further back. Beholder-like creatures, minus the extra eyestalks usually, are ok. Just don't call them beholders or put eyestalks on them. IP infringement avoidance 101. Same with illithids/mindflayers. Squidhead monsters go back at least to Lovecraft and probably further back too. Again, just don't call them mindflayers and so on.

Its not that you need to file the serial numbers off TSR critters. You just have to find the source and use that or do like TSR oft did and rename something.

Chris24601

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Re: Vox Machina - From the Same People Who Brought You Critical Role
« Reply #79 on: March 04, 2022, 04:33:47 PM »
But then TBH why would WOTC really protest if they publish Mercer worldbooks and it's probably biggest advertisement of D&D ever
Because, according to US IP law, if you don't defend trademarks, you lose them.  So the moment WotC turns a blind eye to one group using beholders, everyone can use them.

  Beholders fall under copyright, though, not trademarks, and copyright isn't lost if ignored. It's also very easy to file the serial numbers off of beholders and illithids and avoid the problem, so even a victory wouldn't win WotC much.

Eyeball monsters go back to at least The Trollenburg Terror from 1958, and possibly further back. Beholder-like creatures, minus the extra eyestalks usually, are ok. Just don't call them beholders or put eyestalks on them. IP infringement avoidance 101. Same with illithids/mindflayers. Squidhead monsters go back at least to Lovecraft and probably further back too. Again, just don't call them mindflayers and so on.

Its not that you need to file the serial numbers off TSR critters. You just have to find the source and use that or do like TSR oft did and rename something.
There's also just the fact that, if you're not explicitly trying to sell D&D, there's no real need to use those specific monsters when much more commonly known ones like dragons, vampires, zombies, trolls, ogres, giants, demonic dogs, etc. are available.

I have no idea what turned up in later arcs of Critical Role, but all the stuff in season one of the animated series was pretty bog standard critters you'd find in any fantasy world (i.e. dragons, undead and giants) and some civilized races that you frankly don't see in bog standard D&D (wolf-men members of the rival mercenary gang in the first episode for example) so it'd be very far fetched for WotC to even think about trying to hit the show with anything.

Omega

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Re: Vox Machina - From the Same People Who Brought You Critical Role
« Reply #80 on: March 06, 2022, 03:56:07 AM »
There's also just the fact that, if you're not explicitly trying to sell D&D, there's no real need to use those specific monsters when much more commonly known ones like dragons, vampires, zombies, trolls, ogres, giants, demonic dogs, etc. are available.

I have no idea what turned up in later arcs of Critical Role, but all the stuff in season one of the animated series was pretty bog standard critters you'd find in any fantasy world (i.e. dragons, undead and giants) and some civilized races that you frankly don't see in bog standard D&D (wolf-men members of the rival mercenary gang in the first episode for example) so it'd be very far fetched for WotC to even think about trying to hit the show with anything.

1: also very true. I think though for some the problem develops where someone got their idea from the same source as TSR did, or was using this or that more iconic TSR critter in their campaign that evolved into their new product and they dont realize it could attract trouble later. Or its too integral to remove easily, if at all. At that point you need to do some tweaks small or large or give it up as the risks are too high.

2: Wolf-men sound alot like the Wolfen from Palladium, or the usual Japanese depictions of kobolds since they were basing off the earlier dog-like ones. Or on rare occasions gnolls because like 90% if the earths population failed zoology class miserably. I've lost track of the morons who think wolverine = wolf.

jeff37923

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Re: Vox Machina - From the Same People Who Brought You Critical Role
« Reply #81 on: April 13, 2022, 06:07:15 PM »
Just because its almost maybe funny, Honest Trailers did Vox Machina......


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH31K01rdKw


Somehow I think it is because ratings were low.
« Last Edit: April 13, 2022, 06:08:54 PM by jeff37923 »
"Meh."

Wrath of God

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Re: Vox Machina - From the Same People Who Brought You Critical Role
« Reply #82 on: April 13, 2022, 07:39:21 PM »
This dialogue between Epic Voice Guy and Mercer took me completely flat. It would be better if they just forced Mercer to read entire trailer ;)
OVerall one of more meh Honest Trailers.
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Rob Necronomicon

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Re: Vox Machina - From the Same People Who Brought You Critical Role
« Reply #83 on: May 12, 2022, 11:02:11 PM »
Knowing that this has anything to do with Critical Roll I'd rather shove glass in my eyeballs rather than watch it.

But even beyond those muppets writing it (and just from the honest trailer dudes) it looks so fucking cheesy and cliche with a load of that childish humor smeared all over it. Ugh...

The animation art style is rather decent but very kiddy.










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youtube shit:www.youtube.com/channel/UCt1l7oq7EmlfLT6UEG8MLeg

Wrath of God

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Re: Vox Machina - From the Same People Who Brought You Critical Role
« Reply #84 on: May 13, 2022, 03:54:43 AM »
Quote
But even beyond those muppets writing it (and just from the honest trailer dudes) it looks so fucking cheesy and cliche with a load of that childish humor smeared all over it. Ugh...

Not as much childish, as way worse - High School Humour.
"Never compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon.”

"And I will strike down upon thee
With great vengeance and furious anger"


"Molti Nemici, Molto Onore"

Ghostmaker

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Re: Vox Machina - From the Same People Who Brought You Critical Role
« Reply #85 on: May 13, 2022, 08:08:35 AM »
Still better than Rings of Power, I bet.

Rob Necronomicon

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Re: Vox Machina - From the Same People Who Brought You Critical Role
« Reply #86 on: May 13, 2022, 08:09:22 AM »
Quote
But even beyond those muppets writing it (and just from the honest trailer dudes) it looks so fucking cheesy and cliche with a load of that childish humor smeared all over it. Ugh...

Not as much childish, as way worse - High School Humour.

Fair point.
Attack-minded and dangerously so - W.E. Fairbairn.
youtube shit:www.youtube.com/channel/UCt1l7oq7EmlfLT6UEG8MLeg

Wrath of God

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Re: Vox Machina - From the Same People Who Brought You Critical Role
« Reply #87 on: January 25, 2023, 04:10:43 PM »
Quote
Still better than Rings of Power, I bet.

Most definitely. I'm gonna even say despite being riddled with High School humour (less so in season 2) it's quite consistently has more gravitas than Rings of Power. So there's that.

I must say I really enjoy how they presented Chroma Conclave in this season, this is really very impressive presentation of ancient chromatic wyrms in full glory.
So it seems this season kinda slows with wackiness a little bit, so it's kinda cool.

ALAS. There is one major thing in episode 2 that demands strong ridicule. I'm just gonna show you the screen




"Never compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon.”

"And I will strike down upon thee
With great vengeance and furious anger"


"Molti Nemici, Molto Onore"