Was thinking on this and it hit me that there are a few valid reasons.

The big one that dawned on me is that is akin to listening to a radio play.

Others probably like watching for the same reason people like any spectator sport. It is fun for them. Seeing how it all plays out.

And others probably lean to the more visually appealing ones like especially the animated ones.

Similar to how some people like reading play logs.

I don't know.  I find it deadly boring.

Quote from: yosemitemike on December 13, 2023, 07:39:11 AM
I don't know.  I find it deadly boring.

I find alot of spectator sports really boring. My grandfather LOVED watching wrestling though. Live or on TV.

I just never found Critical Role very entertaining. Some snippets are. But the overall shows are just not my thing.

Zee Bashew though had a little series of semi-animated retellings of a campaign and that was actually entertaining to listen to and watch.

Quote from: yosemitemike on December 13, 2023, 07:39:11 AM
I don't know.  I find it deadly boring.

Same. I also find watching sports boring. I can watch nature for hours though and not be bored.

Quote from: Omega on December 13, 2023, 07:34:53 AM
Was thinking on this and it hit me that there are a few valid reasons.

The big one that dawned on me is that is akin to listening to a radio play.

Others probably like watching for the same reason people like any spectator sport. It is fun for them. Seeing how it all plays out.

And others probably lean to the more visually appealing ones like especially the animated ones.

Similar to how some people like reading play logs.

Do they? I mean do they like to watch others play?

You referenced Wrestling in another post, well watching Wrestling is exactly like watching "others play".

Just like in Wrestling it's all theater.

Why do my kids seem to like watching Nastya open up boxes of shit she got instead of actually opening up their own boxes? No idea, but that kid is making a million dollars a month doing it, so yeah...boggles the mind.

RE: wrestling, pro wrestling before kayfabe was broken was legitimately one of the coolest things ever. I haven't seen it since around 2002 because it took a terrible turn because of, you guessed it, online horseshit. The internet has destroyed A LOT of things with the ability to disseminate information that probably shouldn't be so easily accessible.

ideas, seeing how the adventures turns out.  Some of my thoughts.

I'd rather play jazz, and hear it from within the band, than listen to someone else play it.  Despite that, I still enjoy hearing some good jazz.  For one thing, there are a lot of people who play it much better than I.

In theory, the same could hold for RPGs, but I don't know of any viewable RPG sessions that would have enough quality to justify spending my time to watch them.  The one's I've tried are like the equivalent of listening to some twelve year old jazz musicians who picked up their instruments two years ago, or maybe some late teen/early 20's musicians more interested in playing for the camera than playing the thing.

I only watch them when I'm going to run/play a new system, and want to see it in action. Then I dip.

I think it's really boring. I mean I can kind of understand listening to it because I tend to listen to YouTube videos while I paint miniatures. However, to just sit and watch would be beyond boring. The same goes for stuff like watching battle reports of Warhammer or other miniature games.

I often hear a lot of people say they watch people play D&D because they can't play it themselves. My problem with this is that: a. if you have time to watch someone play, then you must have some time to play, and b. it's easier now more than ever to find people to play with, albeit they're not gonna be top notch players. Barring that, try to get people interested in it.

Don't get me wrong, some people really are just that busy and I'm not ribbing on them. But I think if people tried to make a group, and to find one, they'd be surprised how available RPGs can truly be.

Personally I can't get into it. But i know people who love it, and I also know gamers who don't get as much gaming in any more who get vicarious enjoyment through it. There are all kinds of new formats on youtube that don't really fit into traditional entertainment. I find I like watching movie reaction videos for some reason (and I can't even come up with a list of justifications for enjoying it, it just entertains me)

I watch quite a few actual plays. Like most other people my primary reason is to get a free sampler of systems, modules or settings, before I invest my own time or money into them. There's really no better way to find out how a game works in action. That said, there's been a few "actual play series" I've stuck with, and kept watching/listening after I got what I needed about the game. .

As to why, partially it's just because a lot of time in the car, and it's pretty easy to listen to an actual play in the background. But Equally, I just find it engaging to watch how other people approach my hobby. I think Steven Mitchell's jazz analogy is a pretty apt one. Jazz, like roleplaying, is a discipline in which doing things "your way" and playing well with others is often more important than "playing it right", but at the same time there is a lot of technical skill, and you can benefit from seeing how others do it. A good RPG session is a bit like a jazz jam session: a group of players bouncing off each other and not trying to entertain anyone but themselves. A good actual play is like getting to listen in on the jam session. You can pay close attention and pick lots of little tricks and techniques, or you can just kind of vibe along.

I tried Critical Role once, and didn't make it through the first episode. Matt Mercer's endless speechifying wore me down pretty quickly. To use the music analogy, it'd be like going to a rock concert where the lead guitarist insisted on forcing a 5-minute solo into every song. All the actual plays I've enjoyed have followed the jam session model. Grim Jim's streamed sessions, which I've reliably enjoyed, always start with a disclaimer that he doesn't care about anyone's entertainment except for his players. Other channels I've enjoyed (including 3d6 Down the Line, 11 Foot Pole, Fantastic Dimensions, and Dungeon Musings) don't come out and say it, but seem to be starting from the same place.

Quote from: ForgottenF on December 13, 2023, 08:30:53 PM
I watch quite a few actual plays. Like most other people my primary reason is to get a free sampler of systems, modules or settings, before I invest my own time or money into them.

This. But, to me, it was true only for a while. I watched some CoC videos and one of them taught me what not to do an the Keeper when I ran it.

I watch unboxing videos of wargames and tabletop games thay interest me, for obvious reasons. And, for some reason, watching someone playing a wargame is not boring - at least to me. Of course this is true for games I do have/want to buy.

I never watched Critical Role. I glanced at it a couple of times and I decided that my own campaigns are better.

I do enjoy battle reports for mini wargames I follow.

I dislike videos of people playing RPGs. Not sure why. I think it's that RPG gameplay is so much more open that I'd rather play than watch.

I don't consider Critical Role to be watching people play an RPG. I think it's it's more about the personalities involved than the game itself.

A better question is why do people like listening to professional voice actors, actors and youtube influencers playing D&D?

Because they are paid to be entertaining and its their job, that is why people like to watch them.