It's funny. Anyone remember Mortality Radio? Used to be a regular user here (Adlon) before he passed away last year. Anyway, long, LONG before Youtube and whatnot was a thing, he, and others, were doing live streams back in the early 2000's. And I never heard a single person complain about it, or grumble about it or have anything negative to say about it at all.
Now that live plays are actually popular, it seems that they are a bad thing.
I cannot possibly fathom how it could impact someone's game, but, apparently I'm out of touch with the pulse of the average table. Fairly mainstream actors promoting the hobby? NO, we say. That must never happen. Thousands and thousands of people tune in to watch Critical Role and thus the hobby grows by leaps and bounds? Not on my watch. Dammit.
The amount of "git off my lawn" going on here is eye watering.
Did the Mortality Radio change the D&D landscape? No. Did Critical Roll change the D&D landscape? Yes.
If there's something in the D&D (community) that I don't like, but
doesn't impact the D&D landscape, then I
can just ignore it as it
doesn't change D&D.
If there's something in the D&D (community) that I don't like, but
does impact the D&D landscape, then I
can't just ignore it as it
does change D&D. This news item clearly shows that it's changed core D&D (DMG).
See the difference? I have been able to ignore this particular popularity game for the last decade or two, but with the direct influence in the DMG, how can I ignore it?
It's not that I dislike streaming per se, I watch a ton of streaming/YouTube. I just dislike this particular version of streaming, it feels/sounds fake to my ears/eyes. Again, this is what I think, I can absolutely see the appeal. But I also don't like reality TV, like Big Brother, dating shows, etc. These RPG streaming series fall right smack in the middle of that category for me.
Facebook might have been instrumental in connecting D&D communities together, do you want Meta consulting on the DMG? I wouldn't.
I don't need to like everything D&D. Some people don't like D&D Lego... I don't mind them not liking that. I think that making a MtG D&D sourcebook is cool. But I don't want D&D Lego or D&D MtG becoming core D&D in the PHB/DMG/MM either.
At what point are we no longer allowed to say that we don't like something? This has 0 political angle, this is purely what someone likes or doesn't. I'm not even being dismissive of the two consultants or the streaming they do. At a certain point I have to start wondering if people are just looking for a fight when you disagree with them...