Quote from: Steven Mitchell;974866I can understand that, but I allow people to watch if they want.  I spent some time watching other people play in my early GM days, and it was very instructive from the perspective of, "This is how not to do it."  Though I suppose technically I wasn't so much watching the game as watching the players' social interaction centered around the game.

I learned GM tips from actually playing in games with other people being the GM. That could be at a home, con, or store. I think it's really creepy when people just stand around and watch other people play RPGs because this isn't like baseball where most of us can't through a 95 mph baseball. Anybody can play D&D.

Quote from: Ulairi;974868I learned GM tips from actually playing in games with other people being the GM. That could be at a home, con, or store. I think it's really creepy when people just stand around and watch other people play RPGs because this isn't like baseball where most of us can't through a 95 mph baseball. Anybody can play D&D.

I mostly learned by being the GM.  And you definitely need some of that experience before watching.  But when I'm running or playing, I'm in the game, not a detached observer (or mostly not).  Watching the nuances of body language and listening to the nuances of a somewhat badly run game is highly instructive--and even more so if you can then watch the same things in one that works. Of course it's kind of creepy.  This person is analyzing your behavior while you play.  I tolerate it now (when it comes up) because it was useful to me.  Kind of a pay it forward thing.

If you don't like them don't watch them. Some people like them and find them enjoyable others don't just like just about everything else. No one is objectively correct in their opinion.

I tried to watch a few RPG sessions on youtube, but could never stand more than a few minutes. There's ONE I can watch, it's about a group of animals trying to prevent the 9/11 terror attacks. It has short, action packed episodes (~2 hours) and a hand grenade tossing kangaroo as one of the player characters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L57cm_eU5R8

Quote from: Nexus;974874If you don't like them don't watch them. Some people like them and find them enjoyable others don't just like just about everything else. No one is objectively correct in their opinion.

Hey you're right!  Let's institute a rule on discussion forums throughout the internet - no talking about stuff that involves any sort of subjectivity!  Objectivity only from now on!  

Quote from: Zevious Zoquis;974892Hey you're right!  Let's institute a rule on discussion forums throughout the internet - no talking about stuff that involves any sort of subjectivity!  Objectivity only from now on!  

People can talk about whatever  they want. But then if you choose to have a discussion in public, others are going to express their opinion of it. At least iI didn't set the thread on fire and station archers...

Quote from: Nexus;974874If you don't like them don't watch them. Some people like them and find them enjoyable others don't just like just about everything else. No one is objectively correct in their opinion.

Take a stand you fence-squatter!

Quote from: Many peopleI have watched some actual plays to see how a system works.

This is the only reason I do.  There are a lot of indie games that are atrociously written, and watching the author play out a session or two is often useful for determining what the author intended, as opposed to what he said.

Quote from: Nexus;974874If you don't like them don't watch them. Some people like them and find them enjoyable others don't just like just about everything else. No one is objectively correct in their opinion.

I can objectively say I am correct in my opinion that your opinion that no opinion is objectively correct is objectively correct, but isn't that contradictory then?

Quote from: daniel_ream;974962This is the only reason I do.  There are a lot of  games that are atrociously written, and watching the author play out a session or two is often useful for determining what the author intended, as opposed to what he said.

More accurate.

Quote from: tenbones;974944Take a stand you fence-squatter!

What grown man and a consenting fence to in the privacy of their own yard is their own business.

One Shot is interesting to have playing in the background if I'm doing something else.  But they have improv professionals on as guests, and the audio (it's a podcast) is spliced together a bit to streamline it.

But yeah - I'm not going to sit down and watch a full session.

Tabletop RPGs are not spectator sports. You have to fold, spindle, and mutilate the medium to make them something watchable- and thereby gut the power of the medium. Critical Role is an excuse for actors to get their faces and names out there between gigs. Acquisitions Inc. is PR for PAX and PA. You can see the influence of these two in others rising in their wake, especially those featuring 5th Edition (less so for Pathfinder).

There's something else to consider: the popular podcasts' presentations now define tabletop RPGs in general (and the game used specifically) to their audience, especially to non-players lurking in that audience, and I don't see this being good for the medium anymore than I did for Geek & Sundry's tabletop RPG series. The magic doesn't work when you're not at the table; you have to be participating to grok it. The only way around this is to do what the poker productions do: add live commentary that's off-camera, and fill downtime with explanatory bits and player spotlight bits. Guess what's unlikely to happen? Anyone actually doing that.

Watching a video to learn how to play/run a game is just fine. It's another way to show how it's done. That is not even on the same strange PLANET as watching for entertainment...

I do think it is a good thing for the hobby. Makes it all less esoteric and weird.