Maybe it's just the channels I'm subscribed to but I'm a bit surprised at the prevalence of the carnival barker style videos advertising since the OGL debacle last year with the biggest two culprits being MCDM and DC20.   I subscribed to both to see what types of new mechanics they may introduce but I don't think their video style is to my tastes as overly positive best thing since sliced bread tone (even when they're clearly changing their previous mechanics described in the same way).   

With MCDM, I expect the comically cartoony over the top tone and acting from Matt at this point but now the new guy James (aka Lurch) feels like he's been cosplaying as Matt during recent videos too with a tone that is obviously NOT his normal given his long history of normal interviews in the past.  After raising millions of dollars, their ruleset seems about to the same level as my own homebrew jotted down in a simple text file in my freetime given how they're constantly changing and rechanging core principles of the design.  Ironically, the most recent Q&A was shockingly normal with Matt looking like he pulled an all-nighter prior to the interview and James being his old self. 

With DC20, the dungeon coach did his usual manic mile a minute spiel extolling his recent modern marvels of game design where he shockingly added in the dex equivalent stat to his defense mechanic instead of the constitution equivalent to make his "perfectly" balanced armor system as well as the unprecedented step of introducing a bard who sings to the mechanical benefit of the party members!  Why hasn't anyone ever thought of these genius moves before!??!    I stay subscribed because on occasion there is a good nugget of game design info but it's getting difficult to get through some of these videos.  I admit this might sound like "old man yells at cloud" but I think a bit of humility and a more nuanced tone would help both games.  I just figured I'd mention it before they introduce tiktok style dance game mechanic video shorts to the TTRPG video space... 

Quote from: RNGm on March 11, 2024, 02:01:09 PMWhy hasn't anyone ever thought of these genius moves before!??!

The term of art "fantasy heartbreaker" is now old enough to drink in all fifty states.

As for the carny barker problem, that's just how YouTube works.  "Professor Dungeon Master"[1] has done a good video on how YouTube boosts or hides videos based on title, the thumbnail art, whether the viewer clicks on it first, second or third when the "suggested videos" list is presented, etc.  They're playing the algorithm for greater engagement and revenue.


[1] Oh, Jesus fucking Christ.

Yeah, I understand but I still want to vent (hence the old man shouting at cloud joke) about the annoying nature of it all.  It's always the bestest mechanic EVaR until they realize it's not and replace it with the MoST bestester mechanic in gaming...  It's hard enough to separate the wheat and chaff when you have a manic pixie (if pixies were middle aged men) talking in your ear.  I get the feeling that they're all competing more with each other as the unoffical offical alternative to current D&D to soak up the people who already as opposed to actually competing with D&D itself and drawing people away from it.