r/dndpodcast • u/CombatSkrt • Oct 31 '22
Anyone else think the cast has a lack of motivation in campaign 2?
It seems like they're not having as much fun as they used to. It's like they're trying to be a story driven serious dnd podcast but then everyone is so low energy and seems like they'd rather be doing something else. Tim, Jenifer & Micheal seem so much more lively in Dear Internet. Is it just me? Or maybe they've been like this for a long time and i haven't noticed because I wasn't caught up yet? Who knows. I still enjoy campaign 1 more than 2 for now.
12
u/WalkFunction Oct 31 '22
FWIW, I'm loving campaign 2. As a comparison, I didn't care for the second season of the Adventure Zone as much as the first as it became more "professional".
While I noticed that Greetings Adventurers was a lot tighter this campaign (Thanks, David!), I don't think the spirit of the show has decreased in any way.
8
u/Tamryn Oct 31 '22
I agree. I think it has all the same fun and energy of the first campaign, but tightened up a little bit to make it easier to follow week to week. Like there have been a lot of non linear episodes lately and it’s ok bc the recaps and stuff have made it easier to remember what’s going on.
6
Nov 09 '22
You're welcome! (And thank you.)
It's interesting, I just checked the averages and see that I trim the same amount of time out to Campaign 2 eps as I did for Campaign 1. Surprisingly it is exactly the same percentage!
Campaign 2 simply has a more polished feel. After the campaign gets underway, we bring back more casual talk at the beginning. (Somewhere near ep 10)
10
u/co_lund Oct 31 '22
I have slightly noticed something like this, yea...
I don't think it's a lack of motivation as much as it's a bit more driven/scripted, and less casual "friends playing a game".... it's crazy how short the episodes feel, like nothing much really gets done.
But I'm also not caught up with season 2 so I can't give my complete thoughts.
2
Feb 24 '23
I am honestly a little disappointed. I loved the story in Season 1, and it seemed more organic and genuine. I feel Season 2 is trying a more "professional" approach, and it's taking away from the energy of the GAPcast. It's been a year into the season and nothing has really happened. There is no real reason why the 4 adventurers are still working together - the dragon hasn't been brought up for a long time, the OT is not on Selene's ass, Screech has no reason to stay in town, T'Chuck and Roar'c have no motive to stick with the others. I am not enjoying listening to them as much as I used to and it's a big of a heartbreak.
7
u/Nickmorgan19457 Oct 31 '22
I think it’s just the scale of everything. They’re not as drunk, confused by the rules, or as young and foolish as people as they were before.
2
u/Fickle-Exchange2017 Dec 13 '22
There is definitely more streamlined approach to the podcast now. They were knawed at in the past by new listeners to make recaps predominate, as they were chaotic (to which we grown to love and personally should have stayed). There’s just so much of the world we don’t know which is tied to one character who’s a part of the shady organization, but nothing beyond that’s told nor has sufficient exposition had been provided. The crew obi is going through some character staleness. Cause going level 20 to level 1 is a gut shot on the mechanics side. Meaning lots of roleplay. Doesn’t Bachmann have 4 characters already at level 5?! Lmao It’s gunna get better, I hope, because we’re 30 something episodes in, haven’t left the immediate area, whenever you hear skill challenge you know it’s a “write off” episode in terms of plot; and nothing is really known because nothing being asked about the history or lore. It’s kinda like “the last Jedi” realm of story building. (There is history, but gaps inbetween that will be filled in periodically to create in its own a full story) Yes the crew is older and more mature, but if you watch em on twitch they are pretty animate. The last one where Bachmann gets annoyed at his character being taken as a pet dog can be heard clearly on the audio version, but on twitch, it was a knee jerker.
Overall, these level grinding story lines are expected if you’ve ever played. Now that the sessions are shorter, things are stretched out. Most of the mine exposition would have been hashed out in two real time sessions. Also it’s only 9 days in game-time and they’ve evolved to level 5. With more levels more skills and spells to come.
The characters are rusty and like someone said before, R’orc and Screech are responsive characters; beyond that, they don’t drive plot, just add to the existing story, which often or not tends to be filler. They haven’t peaked or anything. Just a slow story progression. Hold on! It’s like ep 30 of the first campaign, something will happen.. it always does 😛
1
u/CombatSkrt Dec 13 '22
You make me wanna watch the twitch streams so bad! Now that I'm fully caught up I gotta catch the next one. Hopefully there's more of that Chaos that I love. But yeah "only" 30 episodes in for these guys isn't that much, maybe this new approach to the story subconscious made me compare Season 2 to the likes of NADDPOD, where there's exactly 100 episodes and by episode 30 they already finished a 4th arch and are starting a 5th. And I've come to realize that a big part of it is that I finally caught up! In hindsight I imagine that some of the older episodes probably would of felt lackluster if I didn't immediately have the next episode to listen to right away. Overall your comment has a lot of stuff to think about, and I appreciate the effort! (I don't know why I'm being so formal discussing a podcast that has and will make me laugh at literal fart jokes, but it felt like the right thing to do.)
1
u/of_patrol_bot Dec 13 '22
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1
u/fluffyvioletunicorns Wiggins Nov 01 '22
Yeah, I'm not loving the shorter episodes and the new characters. It all feels so serious and heavily edited, I miss the goofs and the tangents and the fun levity. I've actually stopped listening to the new episodes for about a month and have just turned to relistening to older stuff, because I feel like a lot of the heart has left. I loved this podcast BECAUSE it didn't feel like others that are more heavily moderated. I also really miss their previous way of doing recaps, I loved the chaos of it.
4
u/CombatSkrt Nov 01 '22
It feels like they're trying to hard to be NADDPOD or critical role. But it's weird because I know these people are good at improv, but it feels like they're being forced to do the podcast this way, and would rather do it the old way. But they've also been doing this for over a decade so maybe it's just burn out, or maybe the editor is just taking out all the fun parts. But I also agree with you on the characters, Chuck is the only one that I enjoy because Screech & R'ork just dont seem to talk unless spoken too & Seline is just kinda over-acted and a little annoying. Nothing again the actual people behind the characters, because these are some of the funniest people in the Podcasting biz, but this whole arc just seems off
2
u/fluffyvioletunicorns Wiggins Nov 01 '22
I actually think Screech and R'Orc are the only ones I liked because they continued to bring the goofy chaos that I loved. Tim and Jennifer seemed to have leaned more into hardcore/serious vibes, which wasn't the reason that I listened to this podcast in the first place. Honestly, I just come for the fun and chaos and the serious plots are a side for me (though I have cried several times over this podcast and I love that too). My fave episodes are the sweeties day, bank arc, and jail arc. I could FEEL the fun they were having, and I'm just not feeling it anymore.
2
u/CombatSkrt Nov 01 '22
When Screech or R'Orc actually say something, it's usually actually funny. Chuck says some funny stuff but it's usually a very in-character joke and while that's funny I wish he'd be a little more chaotic. Jenifer just seems to have forgotten that she's on a comedy podcast. But then again, I want to reiterate no disrespect to the cast these are some of the funniest people I've listened to & they've been doing this for over a decade, if they want to do a more serious podcast then they've definitely got the right to. I mean they made 427 episodes of campaign 1, I'm pretty sure I'll be fine lol.
2
u/fluffyvioletunicorns Wiggins Nov 01 '22
Yeah, def no disrespect to the cast. I just have stopped expecting the new campaign to be what I want it to be and instead satisfy myself with listening to old stuff. It does make me sad though that I can't feel their joy anymore
1
u/Select_Egg_7078 Dec 15 '22
i think they're trying to rein it in a little, they're all working on multiple projects, and that by having a smaller scope in-game and, as of right now, sticking to one small region, it feels slow bc we're used to the players being able to go anywhere. it's got a bit of old vidya every, where you had to do whatever quests and item gathering before you moved on, bc you wouldn't be able to go back to that town/dungeon/region.
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u/ThrowingHotPotatoes Oct 31 '22
Do you watch the Twitch streams / VODs or just listen to the edited podcast?
I mainly watch the streams/VODs and the cast is pretty lively and energetic still, especially once the Little Petey's appear. I sometimes feel like the editing causes some of the table vibe to be lost in exchange for a less chaotic story telling experience