The Matt Mercer Effect

A few weeks ago, a Reddit topic comes up about Matt Mercer and the Critical Role effect and how it might affect the GM and player community, especially for the D&D players and those who are now coming in the hobby.

If you do not know it, Critical Role has become a popular YouTube program by showing D&D 5e games played by voice actors and actresses. They focus on acting and dynamic play. They play RPG even with famous Hollywood figures (like Vin Diesel and Terry Crews). For some, it is brilliant, while for others it is frustrating, as is the case of our friend from Reddit, who created the following topic in the forum:

How do I beat the Matt Mercer effect?

I'm running a campaign for a lot of first-timers, and I'm dealing with a lot of first-timer problems (the one who never speaks up, the one who needs to be railroaded, the NG character being played CN and the CN character being played CE). Lately, however, there's a new situation I'm dealing with. A third of my group first got interested in D&D because of Critical Role. I like Matt Mercer as much as the next guy, but these guys watched 30+ hours of the show before they ever picked up a D20. The Dwarf thinks that all Dwarves have Irish accents, and the Dragonborn sounds exactly like the one from the show (which is fine, until they meet NPCs that are played differently from how it's done on the show). I've been approached by half the group and asked how I planned to handle resurrection. When I told them I'd decide when we got there, they told me how Matt does it. Our WhatsApp is filled with Geek and Sundry videos about how to play RPG's better. There's nothing wrong with how they do it on the show, but I'm not Matt Mercer and they're not Vox Machina. At some point, the unrealistic expectations are going to clash with reality. How do you guys deal with players who've had past DM's they swear by?

|TL;DR Critical Role has become the prototype for how my players think D&D works. How do I push my own way of doing things without letting them down?

This last sentence is painful; think less of yourself because someone compares you to someone else. Do not do it. Never. Before I comment on what I think about it, here is Matt Mercer's answer:

Seeing stuff like this kinda breaks my heart. Regardless, the fact of the matter is our style of play is just that...our style of play. Every table is different, and should be! If they just want to “copy” what we do, that’s not very creative nor what makes the game magic at the table.

|I DO believe that it’s important for any gaming group to discuss expectations early into a campaign so everyone can get on the same page and avoid dissonance. However, it’s EVERYONE’S responsibility at the table to provide and add to the experience for everyone to enjoy themselves and the story, not just the DM. As I saw some comments below mention, you want a particular style of game? That level of commitments rests on YOUR shoulders. Consolidate your style and wishes with those of the other players and DM, and somewhere in that unique mix you will find your table’s special style of storytelling.

|Need I also remind your players that we are a table of professional actors, and I have been DMing for well over 20 years. We have spent our lives training in particular skills that allow us to get as immersed in the characters as we enjoy doing. Anyone can jump in as deeply, should they wish to, but EXPECTING that immediate level of comfort and interest is unfair and absurd. Do they want a deep, convoluted emotional journey like Scanlan? They better be able to bring it like Sam did. No? Then sit down and just have fun finding your own path. ;)

|PLUS, our style isn’t for everyone! Hell, just scan the comments below to see how many folks don’t like us, haha. I’ve played with many different players, ran games of many different styles and focuses, and I can tell you... there is so much fun variety to how a TTRPG can be played, they’re limiting their chances to enjoy it by trying to “play it just like us”.

|Anyway, I say the best course is have a very frank conversation with them about these things. Clearly say that your game will feel like YOUR game (meaning you and the players together), and it’s THEIR responsibility to bring to the table what facet they want to see in it. Show them this post, if it helps. In fact, show them this message:

|“Guys. Relax. Your DM is kicking ass, and is doing this for YOUR enjoyment and journey. Appreciate that, listen, build with them, and make this something UNIQUE. Abandon expectations and just have fun together as friends.”

|Anyway, so sorry. Things like this are never my intent. It’s a weird, wild west these days. Your gonna be great, friend. <3

It's sad to see how many GMs and players are frustrated with their abilities after watching online games by experienced players who have years of experience rather than focusing on their skills and enjoying the game with their friends. Some internet figures seem to struggle to want to be an example of GM or player.

Playing an RPG game is an intimate experience shared among a group of people, usually between friends. I say intimate experience because not all groups record, make live games for others to watch or post reports of their sessions. If we count the number of channels and groups that do this, we can say that less than 1% of the RPG groups share some of their personal experience on the internet in some way. That is, the only people who will share the fun, sad, and exciting moments of our games are ourselves.

We should not deprive ourselves of our way of playing, of living the experience of our history, just because we want to make the things as the people from a channel or podcast that we like. Some games are rehearsed, or they talk about how things need to go before the game starts, although the story and decisions are still on the improvisation. We must have our voice and meet only our expectations, rather than wanting to be like someone.

The people who play RPG since before the internet, know what it was like to play like this: we had no idea how other groups played. We read the books we had and played the way we think is right, and everyone loved to be part of it. Even today, when I was at some RPG Con here in Brazil, I played some games in a style that I had never experienced before. Why so many demands and expectations if what we want it to spend time with our friends and have fun? Unless you work with RPG or are game designers, understand your reality and attend only to your wishes and talk to your group.

It is normal to want to be better at what we like to do. But we are not professional actors, and maybe we do not even have as much experience with RPG yet. Sometimes it's not someone famous that makes us feel that way. Maybe some GM or local player affects our way of seeing ourselves ("I wanted so much to be like them"), and this is only good until the moment that makes us want to evolve within our reality, instead of thinking we are not good enough.

We need to be the best that we can be.