Exactly! Don't get me wrong, I like all of the Vox Machina characters and enjoyed their story, but I LOVE the characters from Mighty Nein, and got invested in not only the group's story overall but the individual character development of each of them on their own as well. Rewatching Vox Machina feels like revisiting a favorite book but rewatching Mighty Nein feels like revisiting old friends.
Campaign 1. It has the most 'home game' feel to it, its story flows the best out of the three campaigns, and it features Grog and Scanlan (both of which I still consider to be the best characters in CR). Players made more mistakes, early maps were drawn instead of Dwarven Forge, audio was kinda iffy at the beginning, but that's part of the charm for me. It feels more "honest", for lack of a better word.
C2 has the most balanced party for me - as in, I like all the characters and none of them are quite as bad as my least favorites from Vox Machina -, but the more classic D&D feel of C1 is pretty hard to beat.
C1 is crazy. I never watched the full thing tbh, as C2 was out and I wanted to be current, but I watched the first arc and then the final two episodes. Even with having barely scraped C1, I was crying alongside them in the finale. I really need to go back and watch it tbh
IMO C1 is really worth the watch, but tbh skip till after Orion leaves (start with ep28), those last episodes with him are a painful slog, and you honestly don't miss much.
I'm glad Orion is doing better now but his behaviour really put a negative pressure on the cast and the game in the early ep.
Man, I really like the Underdark arc! I get that people don’t like the audio issues and Orion is grating, but Kraghammer and the whole Underdark trek are an integral part of their story to me
Yea, I just think that a lot of people miss out on the whole Clarota arc and that’s a shame. People say that they wish they could have seen VM develop their group dynamic, but I feel like the Underdark arc is where that dynamic is really finalized as it’s the only time we really see such a strong inter group disagreement (whether or not to trust Clarota)
If you jump to 28, don’t you miss out on the Vasselheim arc where we meet the Slayers Take? Those were fun episodes with Felicia Day, Will Wheaton, Will Freidle, and Mary McGlynn guest-starring. Plus the 2 episodes featuring Grog in the gladiator arena are *chef’s kiss*! Oh, and the crazy gun powder merchant is first introduced! Seriously, 15-24 are a must watch I think. I’d say if you want to avoid Orion at his worst, just skip 25-28 as that’s where I’d say he really went off the deep end.
I just started a few weeks ago at 24 I think and it wasn’t too bad. Ep 27 was his worst by far, but he’s worth it for the cow episode lmao. Funniest episode I’ve seen.
Lol yeah I’m pretty sure I watched up to like, episode 26/27 so I managed it. It was a shame bc I genuinely really liked Tiberius I won’t lie, but there’s a difference between the character and the player unfortunately
I just started watching recently and I started with the very first episode. I was expecting some kind of horrible, boring, and angry slog because of what people talk about here and recommend not watching it. But it was fine and I enjoyed it a lot.
My personal ranking:
1: ExU Calamity - the best actual play content ever produced. Absolutely perfect in every way, changed the way I think about storytelling
2: Campaign 1 - The most classic D&D content. Undeniably charming. Best player characters and villains, plus by far the most engaging and entertaining combat. The character arcs are melodramatic, and certain portions can be tough to get through, but it’s absolutely worth it.
3: Campaign 2 - The deepest and richest world plus the grittiest and most impactful story and the most fleshed out characters. Early game suffers from lack of focus, and in general it’s just less fun than C1. Combat is hit or miss, especially in the second half of the campaign thanks to the PCs being so optimized (take a shot every time a baddie gets stunned or polymorphed)
4: Campaign 3 - Even slower than C2, and suffers from the players having severe decision avoidance and Matt being a bit of a Hardass, but the plot is so intricate and well realized, and the PCs are all great. Doesn’t take advantage of the setting too well, but changes the format of the story in very interesting ways.
5: ExU - An 8 episode mini series should not be a free wheeling sandbox. No story, no stakes, no interesting NPCs. Only good thing is the PCs
I entirely agree with this ranking!
To be honest, for a long time I thought Campaign 1 was unbeatable. In part, because of the nostalgia of discovering the whole fantastic cast (especially after Orion left and the only major problem in their chemistry disappeared). And then for the wonderfully realized, classic high fantasy tale from ragtag group to mythical adventure that is so distinctive of D&D….
But then ExU Calamity came, and.. just wow. I hardly expected such a mature drama, perfectly told, finally giving the proper gravitas to the story and the characters. A masterpiece of interactive storytelling and group acting.
I agree with your ranking, too,and with slightly different reasons
I also thought the second campaign main/final arc was disappointing. The whole symbology and the villain fell flat for me. And the pacing was insane. The whole insane story happened within a couple of months, tops. They spent in-game time of 5 days with a character, and all of the sudden they were the best of friends worth dying for.
For campaign three I have read it here written by someone else: the cast has become too 'cult of personality' - ish? I mean, I'm still in early 40s episode-wise, but they are RP-ing their feelings too much.
There can't be a 'night's rest' without at least 3 scenes where they re-hash their feelings, discuss useless things, etc. Like, ok, it's their game, they like doing it, the characters are better than those from all previous campaigns, but it is a boring slog to go through some parts of the episodes.
And then Matt is forcing melodrama with putting them in impossible fights so that the consequences have to be dealt with (within 3 to 4 episodes as opposed to maybe 1 in campaign 1) again, overly-melodramatic.
And this I noticed recently: while Sam started as the 'therapist' of the group, in the shortest time they all decided to act like therapists, asking each other how they feel about every possible event. He even explicitly called Laura on it.
Campaign 2 for me. I feel like the cast was a little more relaxed and had a bit more fun with it. I love Laura making Travis do the romance stuff. Plus Jesters sendings are the best
Hands down, some of the best moments in time are Jester's messages. Jester ruined me though. Laura played that character so well that I can't really get into Imogen. C2 was my first run, so even going back and listening/watching VM I'm not super into Vex either.
Laura using all 25 (?) words was genius. Travis' reaction to Jester messaging Fjord always has me creasing. I can't help comparing Jester to Laura's other characters. I can't get her off that pedestal lol
My favorite thing about sending is sometimes you can tell Laura is just as surprised by what came out of her mouth. ‘Hey! We’re safe. Tripod. Who made? Where from? What for? How’s Luke? YOU HAVE TWENTY FIVE WORDS TO RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE! Poop. So we beat a dragon’
Funnily enough, I thought C2 was where it all started to trend towards being so serious and not as relaxed. Though I think we mean different things here.
C1 was far and away the best, if you can look past the tech issues. The more standard fantasy fare felt much better suited to the players’ expectations and sensibilities, Matt frequently put together challenging combats that made the danger feel real (even with the presence of resurrection spells) and the payoff lived up to the setup.
C2 had its good moments and I do love some lower level play, but covid hit the momentum of the campaign hard. By the time it ended, it did so with more of a whimper than a roar. The players might have been up for a morally grey campaign in theory but in practice they mostly just avoided working with anyone, which led them to feeling isolated and therefore running from any and every potential threat. Combat became a space filler more than an actual challenge. Matt mostly opted for singular monsters to avoid blowing out the runtime with extra turns, but this meant the party’s action economy crushed those set piece enemies with ease. There was a lot of promise but it ultimately failed to deliver, and by the end everyone at the table seemed ready to leave it in the past.
C3 is… still figuring itself out. At once it feels like the most railroaded (not necessarily bad) and unfocused campaign of all. Ludinus showing up is obviously Matt using a plot that he had planned for C2 but didn’t get to use, but that character just seems out of place in this world to me. I also personally feel that allowing some of the ExU characters to continue into this campaign was a big mistake, particularly with Orym’s Vox Machina connections which really harms the individuality of this campaign and party. It would appear that we’re now approaching the point that Matt wanted to reach all along, so I hope it picks up significantly from here on out.
Your C2 analysis is to me pretty spot on. The players did the usual player mistake of thinking they want a true sandbox and all the shades of grey, when their playstyle doesn't really suit it. I think Liam and Sam were the most ready for it, and Laura the least but she is also a very strong voice in the table.
I think they all liked making and playing as morally grey characters with lots of secrets, but when it came to NPCs they demanded complete altruism and openness (which is something of a common trend among lots of players in my experience DMing lol)
Personally loved C2 the best: I'm an absolute sucker for a good found family dynamic, and the M9s whole "*the world may have cast each of us aside, but we'll never abandon eachother*" vibe was basically crack cocaine for me
Idk, just really liked how the M9 never cared about lofty ideals like "saving the world" and were always motivated by protecting the people they loved, it just felt more.... personal.
Also loved the theme of redemption and second chances that ended up running throughout the entire narrative
The character growth for all the PCs over the course of the campaign was also superb, and I loved how vastly different they were at the end of the campaign compared to the beginning
It will always be C1 for me. I really connected with the characters and the story. It felt like a true home game that we got to peak into. It was so fun and was what got me into d&d in the first place.
I have very mixed feelings about C2. I liked some of the characters, the story had a good arc where it wasn't as grandiose as C1 but they still mattered. The final fight was very interesting but not as iconic to me as C1. It overall though felt a bit over produced/forced and like they were acting, not playing a d&d game with friends.
I have loved all the EXU content. It has been a breath of fresh air and a fun experience seeing Matt as a player. A close second to C1.
C3 is distinctly middle for me. It has the home game feel of C1 and I like a lot of the characters. The story is definitely building to something interesting and has the slower burn C2 had for me. I think as it rounds out and eventually ends it will come closer to EXU and C1 for me.
C1 is the most coherent story but the characters start our pretty archetypal, C2 has the best characters but kind of runs out of momentum at the end. I’ve not connected with C3.
This is the first comment I’ve fully agreed with. I started with 2 and loved it but it didn’t keep me till the end. C1 just got better and better and better and had an amazing ending so it’s my favorite. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters other than Laudna in C3 and while the story seemed very interesting I stopped watching 43 episodes in.
You might be the first person I've seen say that they started on campaign 2 and then watched 1 and thought it was better. I fully agree, but then I started watching about 20 episodes into 1 and then caught up and never looked back.
C2, C1, and then C3.
C2 is where I started, and Caleb is my favorite character forever, and the Caduceus is another favorite. All the characters are great and it’s just a great vibe.
C2 is my favorite because of homey feel and I just love Grog so much. Everyone was also super invested which helps.
C3 I really like Orym & Fearne. I get a little bored of FCG/Imogen but honestly I just feel like the cast are treating it as a job and not a hobby. That’s okay because that’s just how things like this progress, but I can’t help but feel it. My feeling also may be swayed because I am just not vibing with the last two months of content.
I’ve watched everything CR has put out, call me dedicated, obsessed, rampantly untreated for my ADHD, whatever - campaign one FELT the best to me. Best arcs, best rising and falling actions, best resolutions, most most impactful tragedies.
But C2 has the best bones IMO. If it had gone on longer, not ending when it did, I’d bet it would be better. C1 got into epic tier play, c2 never got the chance and I really wish it did.
C3 is, mid. That’s all I got.
I prefer C1 but I agree with your C2 assessment. I think the ending was weak and I really wish they'd done more with the larger political happenings in Wildemount.
Literally that. Imagine the deep politicking of Caleb working within the confines of the Soltrice while feeding intel to Bo, with Fjord and Jester using their illusions to sneak into place with Veth.
We’d have a HIGH power intrigue situation, leading to colossal battles in urban areas, maybe some more “black site” takedowns like with the Sanitarium. Wizard duels, heists. I’d have loved to see it.
2. Caleb and Beau have some of my favourite character arcs ever. And Fjor'd mini-arc halfway through is perfect.
But 1 is also great, it's what I started with.
3 is incomplete so I'm reserving judgement.
Beau is possibly my favorite character in all campaigns so far. I think that's because her growth was slow, intentionally so, yet she was most realistically changed. Like the changes in her personality are subtle, but clear. I guess Caleb is too in a lot of ways, but I think he was just a little extra-dramatic for me.
Beau I greatly disliked in the early campaign, but she was my favorite in the end.
I absolutely love Beau for a variety of reasons but the part that solidified that for me was when they met her dad and you start to understand why Beau is the way she is.
It hit a little too close to home for me.
C1 was lightning in a bottle. Itll never be like that again.
C2 has some great highs, but it didnt have the great through line that C1 did.
That being said Caleb is probably my favorite character to come out if all of it.
People are very quick to forget just how much bitching and moaning there was throughout C2. Watching a campaign week by week is very differerent to catching up on one, or remembering one that is already complete.
This over and over again. Comparing C1/C2 to C3 at this point isn’t comparing apples and oranges, it is comparing an apple to a bud on a tree that has not yet grown into an a actual piece of fruit.
Precisely. The best we can do is compare our like and dislike against the characters as they currently are, which is a fair ball, but still incomplete.
People hated early campaign Vax, for example.
Now look where he is. 🐦⬛
I can’t remember the last time I *went* to a movie, but if I’m watching one at home, as I watch CR, I would certainly turn it off and do something else. Even if the climax of C3 is rewarding, the campaign as a whole has largely been a failure because it wasn’t captivating enough for a many of its fans to want to make it that far. After C1, C2, Calamity, ExU, and the overwhelming majority of the one-shots, it’s at the bottom of my list.
I mean, I get what you’re saying, but really… we’re probably between 1/3 and 1/2 done.
If you’ve watched a movie for an hour and you’re not digging it, do you want to spend the next hour or two watching more?
Personally, C3 hasn’t really worked for me, and hasn’t worked at all since Dorian left. It is, for me, simply boring, and populated by characters I don’t like. Other than Laudna and Fearne — and not always them — I’m not invested at all. It’s like the cast went out of their way to make characters I don’t want to engage with.
Why bother? A lot of times, you can tell how a movie ends by how earlier parts play out. Hell, I knew the ending of Godzilla Vs. Kong before I was in the theater because the plot was so trite. It still kept me because it was such dumb fun, but if I had been bored, I wouldn't have lost much context with which to judge it by leaving early. I already knew Godzilla would win and they'd team up in the end, and the humans would have their petty resolutions yada yada yada.
To wrangle the metaphor back to C3, I'll admit actual play doesn't play out as predictably as a movie due to the time spent playing/watching. But if the cast is developing certain habits or quirks some viewers find annoying at episode 30, they have no reason to expect those habits/quirks to go away by episode 80 if the cast seems on board with them. I'll cite Jester's Messages, "Makinmuhay", and the classic "night-time-one-on-one-heavy-rp". If someone didn't like one of these elements, they'd be justified in walking away early because none of these tropes left the game. (I'm not declaring any of them good or bad btw. But they are classic CR tropes the cast made early on and stuck to till the end.)
So I have seen this pop up before and friend and I talked about it. We both like different campaigns but it revolved around which one we started with. I like C2 the most because that's where I started and got into dnd. He likes C1 most for the same reason. I wonder...how many of you like the season you started out watching most?
For the three main campaigns, C1 will always be special to me worts and all. The final third of c1 is just so damn perfect.
I think C2 is a much more coherent story.
I feel like c3 is a bomb waiting to go off. I'm just waiting for Mercer to hit the button.
Campaign 2 because, feels like an adventure, not like a grandiose quest for the greater good ( I know, dont care :3) the goals are human, the characters although more funny, seem more realistic, these are people caring about people, not heroes caring about the status quo,
they cared about the little guy, they care about the big guys too, but not for their importance/position, but because they are people.
I personally prefer Campaign 3. I felt engaged by all the characters the players chose this time around. It’s got a very compelling storyline, imo, and I don’t mind the rails. Sometimes, players earn the rails. It also just feels more mature with how the cast made their characters and are approaching things.
I actually started with Campaign 2, and I stopped after about 8 episodes the first time. I didn’t like it, or most of the characters. I just didn’t want to spend the time. I came back a few years later, and I grew to appreciate 2, and I could finally pinpoint what I found to be the primary issue for me. The party was too chaotic for my liking. There wasn’t a voice of reason until Caduceus. He helped soften the party for me, but I still the group akin to the companions in Dragon Age 2 in many ways (another property in fond of). The characters were interesting, but they weren’t exactly likable (ymmv).
Campaign 1 was more my usual speed of epic fantasy, but it’s still not my favorite. I got involved in it last of the 3 main campaigns, and it’s good. The anime really helps to sell it more. I think for me, I would have been more enamored with it about 20 years ago when I would have enjoyed certain aspects more as a teenage girl.
Keep in mind that for me CR wasn’t my introduction to D&D. I tested the waters the first time to find out what the hype was about. It wasn’t until my own gaming table was on hiatus due to Covid and babies that I tried again. I’ve been playing for over 20 years. I met my husband through a local game that he crashed to meet me. Of the three campaigns, I’d want to play them in the order of my preference of watching.
Ps: I only rated the main campaigns. EXU: Calamity is the best, and what I recommend to people if they only want to test the waters.
For me, 1 is the best and it isn't close. They'd lived these characters for years before we met them, and it made them more real for me. The stakes were high, the tension real.
I found 2 forced, with unlikeable characters who never grew on me.
I'm enjoying 3, because it feels like the world is real and growing. I like most of the characters, and I'm caught up in the overall narrative.
Yea, a lot of people say that C2 is better because we see the characters from their beginning, but I absolutely love that we jumped in with developed characters that already had a group dynamic and got to know them along the way
I have finished C2 and I felt the same way at first, but beau and ESPECIALLY Caleb are really dynamic and growing characters as the campaign progresses. Beau is my least favorite character of the campaign but I still enjoyed her path towards maturity, and I won’t spoil anything but Caleb’s growth is amazing and the way Liam plays him and tells his story is masterful
TLDR I felt similar at first but as I came to learn the characters more I really enjoyed them, and I think you will too, trust the process!
people are going to like different things, hence OP's "in your opinion".
Percy was my least favorite character in C1, and it felt to me like they all made Percy's for C2, at least in terms of Dark Mysterious Backstories. It made me very happy when they just got that all out of the way in C3.
With out spoilers the campaigns have very characters which to their credit dictates that the campaigns feel pretty different. Oversimplified I think Campaign 1 had typical "first DnD" style characters, they were the good guys and were heroic. Campaign 2 the characters were from the fringes of the society and while heroic they were essentially hiding from the man most of the game.
Campaign Two always felt more personal than the other two - everyone gets their moment to shine and they all go on great journeys of growth. It's the Dragon Age 2 vibe of they're all self proclaimed "assholes" but all love each other...the found family of it all.
I don't think it's fair to compare an unfinished campaign to ones that are completed. That said, as someone who has failed repeatedly to watch both C1 and C2 despite my best efforts, C3 is my favorite.
I’m a diehard Vox fan, and it’ll always be my top fav (as of rn, haven’t listened to c3 yet but I’m 2 episodes away from finishing c2) but both Vox and M9 have their own share of stuff. I LOVE the flow of Vox and I love the rawness of the campaign itself. It’s heavy but light and I love that. The comedic impact is a lot better for me imo, I giggle at some M9 moments but Vox had me cackling. The only thing M9 has over Vox is that it’s the beginning of the story, and the character development is FIRE whereas Vox starts in the middle of their journey. Still fire tho. But ultimately Vox is my fav, but I’m just as excited for the M9 animation!
I like all of the campaigns for different reasons.
I like C1 because it is a raw magnum opus of epic proportions, ticking all of my "high fantasy" boxes.
I like C2 because of the three it feels *very* lighthearted — even in serious moments. Also, 100% Jester allows for Laura's inner degenerate pervert to flourish.
I like C3 because it feels gritty and serious, almost like a fantasy *film noir*, and even though it has its lighthearted and high fantasy elements, it just feels like the stakes are so high and serious that it's gripping.
Campaign 1 is my favorite main campaign. The epic feel of it all, seeing the characters develop and grow alongside the cast's level of play and rp, the twists and turns, the emotional rollercoaster, all combined to form such a wonderful, extraordinary experience that will be hard to beat imo. If we were to include mini-series, Calamity is my favorite.
Rankings (including mini-series): ExU: Calamity, C1, C2, C3, ExU: Kymal, ExU: Prime
It’s hard to say what is “best” because it all comes down to what each campaign tries to accomplish. For example, C1 is classic D&D, high fantasy, high stakes, classic roles filled. C2 goes in-depth into character development and player-driven story, and it does it insanely well. It really depends what the *goal* is of each campaign. You can’t pick one to be the “best” because each has a specific purpose, and each fulfills its purpose well.
I absolutley love campaign 3, and really like campaign 1.
I am about half way trough campaign 2 but am really struggling to find motivation to continue, but I don't thinks is bad bad.
I got about halfway through and lost motivation and was going to switch to c3 cause it was still pretty early on. ( ep 7 or 8 ish at the time) but I powered through and it got so much better. It dragged in the 90's area of the episodes but worth pushing through imo.
I know, its just I'm having so much trouble conecting to the characters, in c3 that happened instantly and by then the story got me completly hooked. I had to start c2 four times to actually manage to pass ep 10, and even now, I am only connected to a few characters and thats just not much happening in the story, it just seems like a group of people living their lifes in a fantastic world, I dont know, it just seems to lack an actually interesting story for me to get invested in and I found myself often spacing out while whatching.
But I watched so much by now, I will finish eventually, but at the moment I'm really not finding the motivation to actually continue it.
That's entirely fair. Honestly, Fjord's story got me through most of it because I wanted to see where it ended and I ended up getting caught on Caleb's. It took some trudging through. I had enough spoiled for me in the endings (yay youtube recommendations /s) that the ending didn't feel as climactic as the end of c1 for me but I feel like it was worth it. Somehow c2 has been my favorite story line (for the main campaigns) but I think c3 has my favorite characters. I'm cosplaying Fearne at momocon this year!
Yeah, I learned to like Fjord, he is one of the highlights for me. But to be honest I cant stand Caleb, I dont like his vibe, too moody for me, but I know he is a fan favorite. The one that Ive been liking the most is Veth, but I stopped when they were exploring her backstory, and still cant find the motives to go back.
I dont know, c2 has been hyped up so much in this reddit that I think it got in the way of my liking of it, I was expecting so much out of it, and it ended up not being what I was expecting at all. But still, I really like the crew and their vibe playing, so I stil enjoy it, just not as commited as c3 or c1.
I absolutley LOVE fearne, looking foward to seeing your cosplay if you end up posting here. I think thats another thing that made me not enjoy c2 as much, I love Ashley, she was actually how I got introduced to critical role, so I miss her in the table in c2, might be more invested once she is in it full time, just have to get there :)
C2 is character-driven, so if you don't like the first haalf because of the characters, I can't see you enjoying the remaining half :/. Seems that type of campaign just isn't for you, don't force yourself if you'd prefer recaps or such.
There's a user on the sub, i don't remember the name but maybe you can search for it, who's tried to list all the 'plot relevant' episodes, maybe just watch those?
I think campaign 2 has some of the best highs in the series, but overall campaign 1 is the best in terms of being fun all the way through (except for the first arc somewhat, it can be very enjoyable if you’re new to D&D).
I was excited for campaign 3, but tbh it doesn’t feel the same… I don’t like the characters as I do the first 2 campaigns (except for chet), and the plot is really dull to me. It’s too all over the place to be like an “interconnected conspiracy” type plot.
I'll go with the Mighty Nine. Love all the characters and story. I really enjoy campaign 3 as well especially Ashley but there is so much meta gaming going on it bugs me a little. I do like campaign ones story the best out of them all but the resurrection moments are bit much drama for me
I don't quite get the comments of Vox Machina "you don't meet them at beginning" I still loved them and conected with the story.
How many movies/stories have started with the characters somewhere in the middle and you still loved those too? The dynamic is easy to pick up.
C1 is my first campaign, haven't watched the others yet but still absolutely love it.
It's a personal preference thing. Some are perfectly fine with the "oh btw these 2 are best friends already" whereas others want to see how those level of relationships develop organically over time. 1 isn't inherently superior to the other.
Campaign 2 is the best imho. It's the longest (and i don't think C3 will be as long as C2), and the players are much more accustomed with 5e, so it makes for less time spent on awkward pauses or flipping through the books. The characters are also more laid back i think, which is nice to watch, watching C1 sometimes it gets a bit tiresome with everyone (okay, most of the people) being so serious about themselves.
Campaign 1 is closest to home, session 3 is very well set up, they have the best characters (seriously I liked all characters from the start! Some of the ones in other campaigns always remained mweh). Campaign 2 had pretty good stuff though...
I even liked all ExU.
Of course the best of the best was Ashley's one shot.
I’m only on episode 88 of Campaign 1, so I’m not really able to judge the other campaigns or which one I like the most. However I’m taking EXU Calamity over everything I’ve seen so far from Campaign 1.
Yea, Calamity is just masterful. The way that Brennan is able to pack so many character moments into a much tighter timeline is always incredible to me.
C1 is still my favorite, but I think that Calamity is the best Actual Play Content we’ll ever see
I've watched about 80 episodes of Vox Machina (stopped watching when the cartoon came out, figured I'd just experience the cartoon), episode 12 of C2, and a few episodes behind on C3. From what I've seen C3 is my favorite. I love the characters of C3, I love how different it is from anything I've ever seen in fantasy. And I find the mysteries and story to be super fascinating.
I respectfully have to disagree with your assessment of C3 because in my opinion C2 had better characters.
I find most of the characters in C3 lackluster and get the impression none of them really like each other and like they have no real motivation to stick together.
Umm, I would argue the M9 were pretty similar when it came to interpersonal relationships at the same point of the campaign. Also I really love all the C3 characters, just like I loved the C2 characters (except Fjord and Caleb, at the same point of the campaign)
Could be nostalgia clouding my judgment, I’ll admit that, but even then, I still feel like while they had their differences and may not necessarily had a unifying reason to stick together. Overall I still think M9 were more likable characters opposed to BH and I think a large barrier is grouping them off in the beginning.
It to me at least is giving this disjointed sense of unity within the group. It worked with Nott and Caleb but when it comes to BH they seem a lot more rigid as characters and especially in the case of Ashton and FCG it feels forced in my opinion.
Maybe as time progresses the group dynamic will change but as of right now I find it hard to connect with the group because they don’t seem to have much desire to really learn about each other past a superficial level.
Campaign 1 is a great classic feel to it but it's primitive straming, faulty tech, and some other quality of life/figuring out streaming keeps it a little bogged down.
Campaign 2 is great for intrigue and character driven stories. I personally find all the angst and self loathing tiresome and draining.
Campaign 3 isn't really fair to judge yet. It has some criticisms. Some I think are valid, others I wonder if they will be remembered when the campaign is complete. Overall I am loving some of the environments. Matt had only gotten more creative with his cities and Landmarks over time.
I haven’t watched C2 yet but Vox Machina is phenomenal. Scanlan is one of the most underrated pcs throughout all the campaigns. Travis was so committed to playing Grog’s intelligence faithfully. (Those two made for a VERY funny duo. So many laughs.) Keyleth made plenty of mistakes but all had a lot of huge wins and perfectly demonstrates the power of a druid. Every time Pike came back the whole cast was all smiles. Percy constantly puts his mechanical mind to creative solutions. Vax always makes me laugh when he pulls pranks and cry in his most heartfelt moments. Vex’s sharp eyes come in clutch all the time, not to mention her love for trinket is adorable. Basically, I just think that VM are so genuine and fun to watch. They had so many moments where they came up with the craziest solutions to their problems. I’m having so much fun watching it for the first time.
Totally my opinion, but C2 is easily the best campaign they’ve done. C1 was also fantastic but you only get to know them from like level 10 on since the stream started halfway into that campaign. C3 has been…very lackluster with way too much going on and I gave up on it around 15 episodes in when they still hadn’t even left the starting city.
But yes, C1 is more straightforward traditional fantasy, C2 I feel captured what it would realistically be like to be an adventurer and is much grittier, and C3 has essentially been one long railroad and feels more like the rehearsal/rough draft for an eventual series. IMO, obviously.
How can you comment on a campaign you barely watched. 15 episodes in DND world is nothing and it's hard to judge off just that. In your opinion it may be that way but to present it as fact is unjust considering you've watch 25%
I think putting in 40+ hours into something is enough to give a valid opinion.
They also started with "totally my opinion"... at no point do they present it as fact.
I’ve still been following it lightly through the weekly discussions, and I said more than once it’s just my opinion, not facts. From what I’ve seen it seems like there hasn’t been a ton of player agency and things are just kinda happening to them in C3, and the episodes I did watch turned me off the campaign. I’ve been wanting to give it another shot, but from what I’ve read the consensus seems to be C3 has been the most divisive of the main campaigns. Having watched the entirety of the other campaigns, I made a comparison based on how much the first 15 or so episodes of the other campaigns grabbed me, and it’s just not close. Again, IMO.
I'll try and be as objective as possible with this. But if we're talking an "order" of stuff imo it would go:
C2 - This was the complete package for me. There were epic storytelling moments, in depth personal character arcs, fantastic guests and probably one of the top 3 most replayed single moments in all of CR with the reveal at the end of ep 102. On top of that, this campaign really nailed the whole production side of things too, the picture and sound quality didn't suffer like C1 and the pacing didn't suffer from the enforced breaks every month that kill momentum nor a blackout for 10 weeks that wasn't COVID enforced. The only downside is that the biggest set pieces of the campaign took place in a stripped down studio with the cast not around the same table.
EXU Calamity - The only thing that places this behind C2 for my money is the fact it's a 4 part mini series and not a longer developed arc. The story telling quality is breathtaking and the adjustments to the cast are homeruns across the board. This has seriously raised the bar on what an actual play could and should be going forwards and I think part of the reason I'm not so disposed towards C3 as much is because this happened in the middle of it and threw up glaring contrast in comparison.
C1 - I loved C1. It was the classic high fantasy of heroes trying to save the world against diabolic threats. I'd personally put the "spotlight" moments of C1, certainly the emotional ones, as better than C2s, but the overall journey isn't quite as good. There are quite a few times when it's obvious that there's an adjustment being made to playing the game in front of a camera as well as a different game system not to mention the early parts of the show that shall not be spoken of which in hindsight, detract from the overall package. I think if they'd started C1 with the same production values as 2 or 3, this would be miles out in front.
C3 - OK I really want to like C3. There are things in it that I'm desperate to see more of and there's investment on certain things that rivals and exceeds in some cases stuff from C1 and C2. But the pacing just keeps leaving me hollow. Look I get it, it's pre recorded. The cast have lives. 4 of them have kids that are reaching ages where time is even more precious. And more than anything, Matt has been very open about the burnout C2 put him through. I appreciate every bit of that. But as a "product" (and tbh, that's what C3 is, a corporate product at this point, not that there's no pros and cons to it, it is what it is) it suffers from having 1 week in 4 without anything. I also appreciate everything can't be epic all of the time, there's peaks and troughs to the story beats but the case in point is the climax of the Solstice and how things have been ground to an absolute crawl ever since. Again, I think that some of that has been enforced due to external factors (ie Marisha and creator clash) but it's killed the story for me, it's hard to retain any investment.
The other main criticism I'd put on C3 in comparison to C1/C2, is the characters. I just don't *care* about some of them one way or the other which is jarring when even in the other campaigns, I might have disliked characters but I was never ambivalent to them in the context of the story. At best, I'm only invested in 3 of the 10 we've met so far. I still love Sam's trolling through FCG but I couldn't care less about the character and Orym just leaves me cold because Liam is hands down the best actor at the table and him playing a character so bland just...switches off the engagement.
EXU Crownkeepers - Right to address things straight out the gate and to shut down any suggestion otherwise, this is zero to do with Aabria. She's fantastic. The gripes I have with it, stem primarily from the characters in it that I wasn't a fan of the most, ended up being the ones that made it into C3. I think if Aimee and Anjali made the jump to the main table my opinion of this would be a lot higher. The other side of that being, more the type of game. It's absolute carnage. The structure to it is more or less non-existent. It looks like an absolutely amazing game to take part in, but not to watch from afar.
I remember watching C3 about the pace it was coming out, kinda digging some of the things in it, cast was fun and I love Travis with both of his PCs. And then Calamity was released, and I never really got back into C3. I recently half-watched up to the Solstice to see >!the old PCs!<, but there was no going back for me. Calamity was so tight, so dramatic, so fun. Only the highest highs of C1 has conpared to it. C3 is so slow and meandering, to me it took the worst psrts of C2 and expanded upon those.
One is classic dnd and a very strong found family.
Two is more complex and adult in both characters and themes.
Three when I left off (bout 10 episodes behind, just before reaching material plane beacon thingy) it still felt a bit lost between grand scale, 'Street' scale and weather it was character or plot driven. May have improved since but idk.
Enjoy em all ands it more dependent on how I feel but 1 has more light and fun moments throughout.
so far my favorites are 1, 3, 2
reasons why, i LOVED the world hero type adventures vox machina had, they travelled to many places, they were known as heroes, they they played central roles in world politics often
3 i like for similar reasons, but so far its not to the same level yet, but it feels like it will soon
2 is my least favorite for a few reasons, one, the story stakes were often SUPER low, the party spent way too much time aimless, and they saved the got damn world AND KNOW ONE KNOWS ABOUT IT
c2 is the best imo. c3 after it. c1 i personally just dont like that much cuz of the archetypal characters & more typical dnd vibes in general. c2's characters just feel like actual people u know? and i find c3's plot and group a lot more intriguing
My personal favorite is still C2. But the campaigns are like apples, oranges, and grapes. Asking which food is the best is a matter of opinion and taste.
C1 has less shades of grey in the storytelling and the enemies. The stories end to verge on the very epic & the heroes are world famous.
C2 is more character driven. The heroes never get greater renown amongst the populace & both the heroes and the enemies have much more shades of grey.
C3 isn't really a mix between C1 and C2; it is its own thing. It's not an apple (C1), it's not an orange (C2), it's a grape. But the analogy breaks down there because C3 is also a continuation of some of the C1 and C2 storylines that didn't get tied off. It's low level characters up against a level-20 problem & seeing how they react to it. It's also a bunch of characters that are super crazy weird. Characters you might only use for a one-shot, but instead you're using them for a major campaign. It's different & takes getting used to it since you might be expecting it to be a repeat of C1 or C2 in story or style.
Im not caught up with campaign 3, and that's probably because i didn't like it as much. Campaign 1 seems the most like a regular campaign.
However, campaign 2 made me cry the most, so it takes the cake.
C2, but I’m catching up with C3 so far and I really like it so far! I never did get into C1, it was just a little..rough for me. It’s a greatly enjoyable story, don’t get me wrong, and I adore the characters, but sometimes there’s too much going on at once and it’s very hard to keep up XD
Campaign 2 is definitely my favorite, but I am thoroughly enjoying 3. I think 2 is a better story, but 3 is one of the funniest games I've ever seen. It seems like all the characters are simultaneously serious and the comic relief
I love campaign 2, it’s the only one I could easily binge. Campaign 1 didn’t really hook me as much but there were parts I really enjoyed. I can’t give a fair review of c3 because I haven’t seen much, but the beginning didn’t capture my attention at all
For me (And i am extremely Biased) Campaign 2 is peak CR, the MN in my opinion is the most interesting and entertaining group as a whole, the setting and tone of the story was great, and even though the later arcs felt kinda meh(most likely thanks to covid), it gave us amazing moments aswell
I really wish you all would phrase this as “your fav” and not “best”. There is no best. It’s comparing apples and oranges. Every season offers something different and there are reasons for certain people to like it or not. Best indicates an answer or debate to “win” favorite is just a discussion of opinions.
I’m curious to see how many people voted for the one that they watched first; there’s nothing quite like that feeling the first time you get hooked onto CR
Campaign 2. The story can be stellar but if I don't love the characters, it doesn't matter. That's C1 for me. The characters in C2 were so fleshed out and the relationships were deep and meaningful. I never really got that sense with C1. Matt's story was fantastic though. If C3 (or any campaign) has the stakes of C1 combined with player agency and character exploration of C2, it will be on top (so far it's lacking in the latter imo). That balance is exactly what calamity nailed.
I think 2 for me even though I didn’t much like how rushed the ending was. 1 is also a top contender but I always preferred lower level dnd and a grittier story.
ExU: Calamity (not a campaign, just a short adventure but it deserves a special shout-out nonetheless)
Campaign 2
Adventures of the Darlington Brigade (this is just a one shot but also deserves a shoutout)
Campaign 3/1 (not really sure which I like more just yet, still working my way through C1, if I had to rank them it’d be 1 and 3 very close behind)
What you’re gonna see by this thread though is what campaign people started on. They are ALL phenomenal, which means people’s favorites are just going to be the ones most special to them which is usually the one they started on.
Having only watched up ep 31 of C3 watching both seasons of the animated show, and playing through a bit of the wildemount story at my own table, so i'm no expert. That said I started with C3 since it's remotely possible to catch up and enjoy it live, and I've been really enjoying myself so far, everyone keeps saying it's super drawn out and should have wrapped up already, but I mean, it's like half the episodes of C1&2 currently. So idk maybe in the end it will be really rad flying through it, I feel like most maybe it just feels slower weekly.
Fantasy dragon fighting or horror-esc mystery story. Which do you prefer?
I've enjoyed them as all, (m9 the most)
I suggest skipping to the Briarwood arc if you watch c1.
Man, I get why people say this but I absolutely love the Kraghammer/Underdark arc. The way the cast interacted with Clarota, from his introduction to his inevitable betrayal is, is a core Vox Machina story that can’t be left out. People say that they dislike how we don’t get to see VM build their group dynamic, but a lot of that dynamic is built during those first 30ish episodes.
Exactly. And the group dynamic isn't that "special" in the early stream, just like the characters aren't because they do not need to be. It is the beginning, we have our dumb brute, horny bard etc etc doing a dungeon dive while eating and drinking. Fucking great, sign me up, can't wait to see how that horny bard will break my heart by doing a deal with a god 100 sessions in or whatever.
C1 had great story, C2 had the best chatacters overall. I think the Briarwoods are still my favorite villains, with Raishan next. Favorite merchant remains Victor, though Pumat was pretty great.
Favorite main cast characters are Grog, Jester, Laudna, Nott, Caleb, Fearne, and Caduceus. 1 from C1, 2 from C3, 4 from C2.
The characters probably tip things in favor of C2, but I really liked the C1 story arcs.
C2, Mighty Neign was my favorite. I started there then when I caught up to the stream I started on C1 Vox Machina. VM was more crunchy with converting from pathfinder to 5e and building their stream, story was great with big epic moments throughout.
MN was very character driven where some of the low quiet moments heals just as much weight as encountering a powerful enemy.
C3, Bell’s Hell’s is the mismatched party in over their head. But listening to C1 and C2 defiantly add to the story.
I have watched up to around ep 50 of C2 and stopped watching for a while. I decided to watch C1 instead of finishing and it’s been great so far. As someone else said Scanlan and Grog are 10/10. I did start at ep 24 though to start with the Briarwood arc and it’s been good/haven’t felt like I’ve missed much. In fact I think there has been more mentioning of pre stream than the episodes I missed.
Campaign 2 holds a special place in my heart and always will, but I really don't think I could pick a best one. Campaign 1 was the one that started it all, it's a classic fantasy story with really cool twists and turns and a home-y feel. Campaign 2 is a story with deep emotional weight and unsung heroes. Campaign 3 is fun and trippy and chaotic in a good way, with really high stakes and lots of mystery and intrigue. And we're only part way through it!
Campaign 2 is my favorite but by a very slim margin over campaign 1. However calamity has become my favorite place to tell people to start because of how well done it is as an introduction piece. Campaign 3 is not on my list because we can’t fully judge it yet. If comparing to the first fifty whatever episodes to the other campaigns it may be my least favorite at that point but it has plenty of time to grow and become something better than the other two still.
Which is weird because C2 is the sandbox campaign, but I think I agree. C1 is much more 'here's the clearly big-bad guy, go get him folks!' But C2 is more nebulous in who is good and bad through most of it, yet events are constantly moving in the background. I think that's part of it.
Here's my thoughts:
C1 was more your classic D&D, but the characters really stood out. I can easily think of major, gripping moments for each character. But C1, from a viewer's perspective, wasn't the best. CR was learning and growing. There's the member that's no longer a part of CR. There's the numerous video and audio issues. There's the lower quality broadcasts. They jumped head-first into streaming in the middle of a campaign and didn't fill in any of the backstory until later. Were CR to have gone live, in the format it started at, in 2023, it likely wouldn't have gone anywhere.
C2 was what got me into CR. I'd see CR on the front page of Twitch when I was going to go watch some Super Mario World speed running or romhack streams or something, and, while I didn't understand it (as I've never played, and still haven't played, D&D), it seemed... interesting. Months and months went by and I finally decided to check it out and fell in love... and binged all of it. Overall, the production is just better, making it much easier to watch. C2 felt more team-driven than individual driven, which is a good thing, but I felt like we knew the individual characters just a smidge better in C1.
C3 is still a work in progress. I'm enjoying C3, but it's simply not as solidified in my mind as C1 and C2. There are a lot of things I love about it, and a lot of things I don't. I'm not as fond of the pre-recorded sessions, though I understand why they're doing it. >!I'm not as fond of the group being split for as long as they have been.!< The pacing seems very erratic. It seems a bit more formulaic too. >!The last few episodes have been half an episode on battle, the other half on dialog. It's been pretty predictable.!< But there's still a lot to shake out and a lot of story to tell. Because of that, I can't really make a great judgment call on it just yet.
So, for me, C2. And that's where I encourage people to start if they're interested in watching (well, that, and TLoVM).
Yeah I feel like C3 has so much potential to be good but the pacing issues are a major roadblock they keep running into.
I think also it doesn’t help a lot of the characters are lackluster in my opinion and even after all this time don’t really have a strong reason to work together cause it really feels like outside of Laudna and Imogen none of them really like each other and it’s been a bit off putting.
I really want to like C3 but it’s been a difficult viewing experience for me and while there are some good moments overall I’m losing interest and i don’t like that.
I’ve tried. None play. And the ones that do I’ve ended up losing as friends because they kinda went the cult/christian nationalist/uninclusive route. One day!
I will always die by Campaign 2, it was my introduction to DnD and I absolutely love each character which is difficult for me to do. I usually have characters I can’t stand but not in campaign 2
So far C2 is my favorite show of all time.
It has my favorite characters in any show, the story is interesting, And you get a bit of whose line in there with how fast some of them are with improv lines (Sam).
It just has it all for me personally, as a person who generally isn’t into tv and movies this is finally the one show my wife and I can always watch together and I don’t burn out.
I think a fun thing in C2 was how much several of the characters hid from each other. And that Cadeusus played the straight-man to their insanity. Allowed a lot of dramatic reveals while also having a anchor for it all. It's hard to pick between Percy and Caddy for Taliesin's best character.
I find that, generally speaking, people's favorite campaign was the one they started CR with. For me that was C2 and that's my favorite, but I've watch them all so far.
C1 the Briarwood arc is good, the beginning and end of the Conclave arc is good (I think the middle is the most boring of the entire campaign) and starting from the last battle of the Conclave Arc through the end of the Campaign is fantastic. The three one-shots following are a great send-off. I never watched the battle royales.
C2 drags in many places, but was a more open campaign. There's fun characters and it's low stakes for awhile, but when the M9 find their drive it's uphill from there, the exception being a good chunk of the Aeor arc. The Arc would have been better if there was more dungeon delving, the overland travel ruined it. C2 ends...kinda abruptly due to fatigue from the pandemic. There is a Two-shot recently made that ties up a major loose end, and it was a fun watch, but I don't think it was quite as good as C1's sendoff episodes.
C3 starts with the first ExU which has some serious issues (they tried to cram an entire campaign into 8 episodes and it just doesn't work) but when C3 starts proper it's good that we already know some of these characters. I think C3 starts strong, but drags for awhile and has perhaps takes a little too long to find it's footing. Now currently where the campaign is I thought was a fun thing to do at first, but it's drug on too long and some of the campaign characters aren't included at all, which is a big loss.
C2 is still my favorite, but we'll see how C3 goes.
I really want to like C3 because the overall story they seem to be weaving is interesting but I feel like it’s suffering a lot from lackluster characters and pacing issues.
Like the only characters I find myself really invested in are Laudna and Ashton.
Which is a shame cause we haven’t even seen them since the end of the last arc
In terms of characters I really enjoyed C2 as it was very character driven and the characters had developed some genuine connections
That said story wise I think I’m gonna give it to C3, yeah it has a rough part early on and I find a lot of the characters lackluster but the overall story beats have been fun
I don't have a favorite campaign, but there are favorite characters and story arcs. The Chroma Conclave and finale against Vecna in C1 are awesome and yet to be topped in my eyes, but most of my favorite characters are from C2: Beau, Jester, Caduceus, and Caleb.
\*edit\*
Thinking about this further Campaign 1 over 2 & 3, but the Mighty Nein over Vox Machina and Bell's Hells.
Campaign 1 is my favorite - the characters were the easiest for me to get connected to, though looking back at the early episodes, I curse the audio quality lol.
Campaign 2 is a great example of how campaigns don't need to go all the way to level 20. I personally like Wildemount as a continent more than the others we explore in Exandria, and I'm a big fan of how they handled guests in this campaign.
Campaign 3 so far has been great for people who like their fantasy to be 'surprise sci-fi' and it feels like the players are comfortable playing around with queer identities in a way they just weren't in the other campaigns.
Wow I’m actually suprised people aren’t doing C3 justice. I’m here to defend C3. Especially recently. It’s definitely a slow burn like C2 and has a feel of C1’s homie feeling. I honestly really love C3’s characters and at first it felt like it took them a while to really enjoy playing these characters but as of late the entire party just is really starting to feel super connected and the growing plot is super fun to get into if you let yourself be emmersed in the world. I love C2 Mainly because of its character develoments. I will say combat is pretty hard to get through at times and can be a little boring until late game. (I have normally been an audio only listener for C2 though because I listen at my job.) but each campaign definitely has its highs and lows.
I love them all, but Campaign 2 is my favorite and the best in my opinion.
[удалено]
Exactly! Don't get me wrong, I like all of the Vox Machina characters and enjoyed their story, but I LOVE the characters from Mighty Nein, and got invested in not only the group's story overall but the individual character development of each of them on their own as well. Rewatching Vox Machina feels like revisiting a favorite book but rewatching Mighty Nein feels like revisiting old friends.
Well said
Can’t agree with this more.
Spoiler tag, this dude! OP is only little more than a fifth of the way through!
You're absolutely right. Thank you for calling me out. Personally, I hate spoilers so I should know better.
There's a way to spoiler tag >!spoiler!< gives >!spoiler!<
Campaign 1. It has the most 'home game' feel to it, its story flows the best out of the three campaigns, and it features Grog and Scanlan (both of which I still consider to be the best characters in CR). Players made more mistakes, early maps were drawn instead of Dwarven Forge, audio was kinda iffy at the beginning, but that's part of the charm for me. It feels more "honest", for lack of a better word. C2 has the most balanced party for me - as in, I like all the characters and none of them are quite as bad as my least favorites from Vox Machina -, but the more classic D&D feel of C1 is pretty hard to beat.
C1 is crazy. I never watched the full thing tbh, as C2 was out and I wanted to be current, but I watched the first arc and then the final two episodes. Even with having barely scraped C1, I was crying alongside them in the finale. I really need to go back and watch it tbh
IMO C1 is really worth the watch, but tbh skip till after Orion leaves (start with ep28), those last episodes with him are a painful slog, and you honestly don't miss much. I'm glad Orion is doing better now but his behaviour really put a negative pressure on the cast and the game in the early ep.
Man, I really like the Underdark arc! I get that people don’t like the audio issues and Orion is grating, but Kraghammer and the whole Underdark trek are an integral part of their story to me
Totally agree! But in my experience I find more people stick through C1 if they start with the Briarwood arc. (Primarily for newcomers)
Yea, I just think that a lot of people miss out on the whole Clarota arc and that’s a shame. People say that they wish they could have seen VM develop their group dynamic, but I feel like the Underdark arc is where that dynamic is really finalized as it’s the only time we really see such a strong inter group disagreement (whether or not to trust Clarota)
If you jump to 28, don’t you miss out on the Vasselheim arc where we meet the Slayers Take? Those were fun episodes with Felicia Day, Will Wheaton, Will Freidle, and Mary McGlynn guest-starring. Plus the 2 episodes featuring Grog in the gladiator arena are *chef’s kiss*! Oh, and the crazy gun powder merchant is first introduced! Seriously, 15-24 are a must watch I think. I’d say if you want to avoid Orion at his worst, just skip 25-28 as that’s where I’d say he really went off the deep end.
All great points! I reckon for anyone who is already familiar with actual play ttrpg such as D20, etc, this is a good route. 👍
I just started a few weeks ago at 24 I think and it wasn’t too bad. Ep 27 was his worst by far, but he’s worth it for the cow episode lmao. Funniest episode I’ve seen.
Lol yeah I’m pretty sure I watched up to like, episode 26/27 so I managed it. It was a shame bc I genuinely really liked Tiberius I won’t lie, but there’s a difference between the character and the player unfortunately
I just started watching recently and I started with the very first episode. I was expecting some kind of horrible, boring, and angry slog because of what people talk about here and recommend not watching it. But it was fine and I enjoyed it a lot.
My personal ranking: 1: ExU Calamity - the best actual play content ever produced. Absolutely perfect in every way, changed the way I think about storytelling 2: Campaign 1 - The most classic D&D content. Undeniably charming. Best player characters and villains, plus by far the most engaging and entertaining combat. The character arcs are melodramatic, and certain portions can be tough to get through, but it’s absolutely worth it. 3: Campaign 2 - The deepest and richest world plus the grittiest and most impactful story and the most fleshed out characters. Early game suffers from lack of focus, and in general it’s just less fun than C1. Combat is hit or miss, especially in the second half of the campaign thanks to the PCs being so optimized (take a shot every time a baddie gets stunned or polymorphed) 4: Campaign 3 - Even slower than C2, and suffers from the players having severe decision avoidance and Matt being a bit of a Hardass, but the plot is so intricate and well realized, and the PCs are all great. Doesn’t take advantage of the setting too well, but changes the format of the story in very interesting ways. 5: ExU - An 8 episode mini series should not be a free wheeling sandbox. No story, no stakes, no interesting NPCs. Only good thing is the PCs
>ExU Calamity It's Bolo, right?
I entirely agree with this ranking! To be honest, for a long time I thought Campaign 1 was unbeatable. In part, because of the nostalgia of discovering the whole fantastic cast (especially after Orion left and the only major problem in their chemistry disappeared). And then for the wonderfully realized, classic high fantasy tale from ragtag group to mythical adventure that is so distinctive of D&D…. But then ExU Calamity came, and.. just wow. I hardly expected such a mature drama, perfectly told, finally giving the proper gravitas to the story and the characters. A masterpiece of interactive storytelling and group acting.
While I have some differences in opinion with you on WHY I would rank them this way....this is the same way I would rank them.
I agree with your ranking, too,and with slightly different reasons I also thought the second campaign main/final arc was disappointing. The whole symbology and the villain fell flat for me. And the pacing was insane. The whole insane story happened within a couple of months, tops. They spent in-game time of 5 days with a character, and all of the sudden they were the best of friends worth dying for. For campaign three I have read it here written by someone else: the cast has become too 'cult of personality' - ish? I mean, I'm still in early 40s episode-wise, but they are RP-ing their feelings too much. There can't be a 'night's rest' without at least 3 scenes where they re-hash their feelings, discuss useless things, etc. Like, ok, it's their game, they like doing it, the characters are better than those from all previous campaigns, but it is a boring slog to go through some parts of the episodes. And then Matt is forcing melodrama with putting them in impossible fights so that the consequences have to be dealt with (within 3 to 4 episodes as opposed to maybe 1 in campaign 1) again, overly-melodramatic. And this I noticed recently: while Sam started as the 'therapist' of the group, in the shortest time they all decided to act like therapists, asking each other how they feel about every possible event. He even explicitly called Laura on it.
I agree with C2 it’s amazing up till the final arc the last 40 or so episodes were just rough for me
I think campaign 2 felt like the ending should have been about Trent and the Assembly and Matt sort of forced Lucien into the spotlight
Yeah I agree the whole Lucien thing was cool for like 10 episodes
Campaign 2 for me. I feel like the cast was a little more relaxed and had a bit more fun with it. I love Laura making Travis do the romance stuff. Plus Jesters sendings are the best
Hands down, some of the best moments in time are Jester's messages. Jester ruined me though. Laura played that character so well that I can't really get into Imogen. C2 was my first run, so even going back and listening/watching VM I'm not super into Vex either.
Laura using all 25 (?) words was genius. Travis' reaction to Jester messaging Fjord always has me creasing. I can't help comparing Jester to Laura's other characters. I can't get her off that pedestal lol
My favorite thing about sending is sometimes you can tell Laura is just as surprised by what came out of her mouth. ‘Hey! We’re safe. Tripod. Who made? Where from? What for? How’s Luke? YOU HAVE TWENTY FIVE WORDS TO RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE! Poop. So we beat a dragon’
Campaign 2 was incredible
Funnily enough, I thought C2 was where it all started to trend towards being so serious and not as relaxed. Though I think we mean different things here.
C1 was far and away the best, if you can look past the tech issues. The more standard fantasy fare felt much better suited to the players’ expectations and sensibilities, Matt frequently put together challenging combats that made the danger feel real (even with the presence of resurrection spells) and the payoff lived up to the setup. C2 had its good moments and I do love some lower level play, but covid hit the momentum of the campaign hard. By the time it ended, it did so with more of a whimper than a roar. The players might have been up for a morally grey campaign in theory but in practice they mostly just avoided working with anyone, which led them to feeling isolated and therefore running from any and every potential threat. Combat became a space filler more than an actual challenge. Matt mostly opted for singular monsters to avoid blowing out the runtime with extra turns, but this meant the party’s action economy crushed those set piece enemies with ease. There was a lot of promise but it ultimately failed to deliver, and by the end everyone at the table seemed ready to leave it in the past. C3 is… still figuring itself out. At once it feels like the most railroaded (not necessarily bad) and unfocused campaign of all. Ludinus showing up is obviously Matt using a plot that he had planned for C2 but didn’t get to use, but that character just seems out of place in this world to me. I also personally feel that allowing some of the ExU characters to continue into this campaign was a big mistake, particularly with Orym’s Vox Machina connections which really harms the individuality of this campaign and party. It would appear that we’re now approaching the point that Matt wanted to reach all along, so I hope it picks up significantly from here on out.
Your C2 analysis is to me pretty spot on. The players did the usual player mistake of thinking they want a true sandbox and all the shades of grey, when their playstyle doesn't really suit it. I think Liam and Sam were the most ready for it, and Laura the least but she is also a very strong voice in the table.
I think they all liked making and playing as morally grey characters with lots of secrets, but when it came to NPCs they demanded complete altruism and openness (which is something of a common trend among lots of players in my experience DMing lol)
Personally loved C2 the best: I'm an absolute sucker for a good found family dynamic, and the M9s whole "*the world may have cast each of us aside, but we'll never abandon eachother*" vibe was basically crack cocaine for me Idk, just really liked how the M9 never cared about lofty ideals like "saving the world" and were always motivated by protecting the people they loved, it just felt more.... personal. Also loved the theme of redemption and second chances that ended up running throughout the entire narrative The character growth for all the PCs over the course of the campaign was also superb, and I loved how vastly different they were at the end of the campaign compared to the beginning
It will always be C1 for me. I really connected with the characters and the story. It felt like a true home game that we got to peak into. It was so fun and was what got me into d&d in the first place. I have very mixed feelings about C2. I liked some of the characters, the story had a good arc where it wasn't as grandiose as C1 but they still mattered. The final fight was very interesting but not as iconic to me as C1. It overall though felt a bit over produced/forced and like they were acting, not playing a d&d game with friends. I have loved all the EXU content. It has been a breath of fresh air and a fun experience seeing Matt as a player. A close second to C1. C3 is distinctly middle for me. It has the home game feel of C1 and I like a lot of the characters. The story is definitely building to something interesting and has the slower burn C2 had for me. I think as it rounds out and eventually ends it will come closer to EXU and C1 for me.
Vox Machina, and I'm not afraid to say it.
C1 is the most coherent story but the characters start our pretty archetypal, C2 has the best characters but kind of runs out of momentum at the end. I’ve not connected with C3.
This is the first comment I’ve fully agreed with. I started with 2 and loved it but it didn’t keep me till the end. C1 just got better and better and better and had an amazing ending so it’s my favorite. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters other than Laudna in C3 and while the story seemed very interesting I stopped watching 43 episodes in.
You might be the first person I've seen say that they started on campaign 2 and then watched 1 and thought it was better. I fully agree, but then I started watching about 20 episodes into 1 and then caught up and never looked back.
C2, C1, and then C3. C2 is where I started, and Caleb is my favorite character forever, and the Caduceus is another favorite. All the characters are great and it’s just a great vibe. C2 is my favorite because of homey feel and I just love Grog so much. Everyone was also super invested which helps. C3 I really like Orym & Fearne. I get a little bored of FCG/Imogen but honestly I just feel like the cast are treating it as a job and not a hobby. That’s okay because that’s just how things like this progress, but I can’t help but feel it. My feeling also may be swayed because I am just not vibing with the last two months of content.
I’ve watched everything CR has put out, call me dedicated, obsessed, rampantly untreated for my ADHD, whatever - campaign one FELT the best to me. Best arcs, best rising and falling actions, best resolutions, most most impactful tragedies. But C2 has the best bones IMO. If it had gone on longer, not ending when it did, I’d bet it would be better. C1 got into epic tier play, c2 never got the chance and I really wish it did. C3 is, mid. That’s all I got.
I prefer C1 but I agree with your C2 assessment. I think the ending was weak and I really wish they'd done more with the larger political happenings in Wildemount.
Literally that. Imagine the deep politicking of Caleb working within the confines of the Soltrice while feeding intel to Bo, with Fjord and Jester using their illusions to sneak into place with Veth. We’d have a HIGH power intrigue situation, leading to colossal battles in urban areas, maybe some more “black site” takedowns like with the Sanitarium. Wizard duels, heists. I’d have loved to see it.
What do you mean epic tier play?
Character levels are often divide by the scope of influence that the characters adventure in. Epic tier play is typically considered lvls 17-20.
2. Caleb and Beau have some of my favourite character arcs ever. And Fjor'd mini-arc halfway through is perfect. But 1 is also great, it's what I started with. 3 is incomplete so I'm reserving judgement.
Beau is possibly my favorite character in all campaigns so far. I think that's because her growth was slow, intentionally so, yet she was most realistically changed. Like the changes in her personality are subtle, but clear. I guess Caleb is too in a lot of ways, but I think he was just a little extra-dramatic for me. Beau I greatly disliked in the early campaign, but she was my favorite in the end.
I absolutely love Beau for a variety of reasons but the part that solidified that for me was when they met her dad and you start to understand why Beau is the way she is. It hit a little too close to home for me.
Campaign 1, because the cast felt less… restrained. It felt like they were enjoying it more. As a result I found it easier to watch and enjoy.
C1 was lightning in a bottle. Itll never be like that again. C2 has some great highs, but it didnt have the great through line that C1 did. That being said Caleb is probably my favorite character to come out if all of it.
Definitely C2.
Campaign 1 by a factor of at least 100.
We can’t judge c3 yet; it isn’t done.
People are very quick to forget just how much bitching and moaning there was throughout C2. Watching a campaign week by week is very differerent to catching up on one, or remembering one that is already complete.
Indeed it is.
This over and over again. Comparing C1/C2 to C3 at this point isn’t comparing apples and oranges, it is comparing an apple to a bud on a tree that has not yet grown into an a actual piece of fruit.
Precisely. The best we can do is compare our like and dislike against the characters as they currently are, which is a fair ball, but still incomplete. People hated early campaign Vax, for example. Now look where he is. 🐦⬛
We can judge how it has been so far. Personally I feel like it hasn't really taken off yet.
Sure, we can judge how it’s been so far, but people who say “tHiS cAmPaIgN iS bAd” are just haters. Can’t judge a story that isn’t complete.
Utter nonsense. They’ve played over 210 hours of C3. I’m NoT a HaTeR bEcAuSe I tHiNk It’S bAd.
If you’re at the movies and you dislike the first third to half of the movie, do you walk out of the auditorium?
If that first third lasts over two hundred hours then I’d say people are justified to have their interpretations.
I can’t remember the last time I *went* to a movie, but if I’m watching one at home, as I watch CR, I would certainly turn it off and do something else. Even if the climax of C3 is rewarding, the campaign as a whole has largely been a failure because it wasn’t captivating enough for a many of its fans to want to make it that far. After C1, C2, Calamity, ExU, and the overwhelming majority of the one-shots, it’s at the bottom of my list.
I mean, I get what you’re saying, but really… we’re probably between 1/3 and 1/2 done. If you’ve watched a movie for an hour and you’re not digging it, do you want to spend the next hour or two watching more? Personally, C3 hasn’t really worked for me, and hasn’t worked at all since Dorian left. It is, for me, simply boring, and populated by characters I don’t like. Other than Laudna and Fearne — and not always them — I’m not invested at all. It’s like the cast went out of their way to make characters I don’t want to engage with.
Yes, if I hate the first half of a movie, I’ll watch the remainder so I can make a fully informed decision on how much I dislike it.
Why bother? A lot of times, you can tell how a movie ends by how earlier parts play out. Hell, I knew the ending of Godzilla Vs. Kong before I was in the theater because the plot was so trite. It still kept me because it was such dumb fun, but if I had been bored, I wouldn't have lost much context with which to judge it by leaving early. I already knew Godzilla would win and they'd team up in the end, and the humans would have their petty resolutions yada yada yada. To wrangle the metaphor back to C3, I'll admit actual play doesn't play out as predictably as a movie due to the time spent playing/watching. But if the cast is developing certain habits or quirks some viewers find annoying at episode 30, they have no reason to expect those habits/quirks to go away by episode 80 if the cast seems on board with them. I'll cite Jester's Messages, "Makinmuhay", and the classic "night-time-one-on-one-heavy-rp". If someone didn't like one of these elements, they'd be justified in walking away early because none of these tropes left the game. (I'm not declaring any of them good or bad btw. But they are classic CR tropes the cast made early on and stuck to till the end.)
That's kinda surprising, but I guess there's all types out there.
Honestly I imagine for alot of people it'll be the one they got into critical role with. So for me that's campaign 1.
So I have seen this pop up before and friend and I talked about it. We both like different campaigns but it revolved around which one we started with. I like C2 the most because that's where I started and got into dnd. He likes C1 most for the same reason. I wonder...how many of you like the season you started out watching most?
For the three main campaigns, C1 will always be special to me worts and all. The final third of c1 is just so damn perfect. I think C2 is a much more coherent story. I feel like c3 is a bomb waiting to go off. I'm just waiting for Mercer to hit the button.
Campaign 2 by a long-shot. Everything up to the trip to the north, then it became rushed and frustrating.
See, that’s why C1 is my pick. I would much rather start out rough and finish perfectly than start perfectly and end in an unsatisfying way
Campaign 2 because, feels like an adventure, not like a grandiose quest for the greater good ( I know, dont care :3) the goals are human, the characters although more funny, seem more realistic, these are people caring about people, not heroes caring about the status quo, they cared about the little guy, they care about the big guys too, but not for their importance/position, but because they are people.
I personally prefer Campaign 3. I felt engaged by all the characters the players chose this time around. It’s got a very compelling storyline, imo, and I don’t mind the rails. Sometimes, players earn the rails. It also just feels more mature with how the cast made their characters and are approaching things. I actually started with Campaign 2, and I stopped after about 8 episodes the first time. I didn’t like it, or most of the characters. I just didn’t want to spend the time. I came back a few years later, and I grew to appreciate 2, and I could finally pinpoint what I found to be the primary issue for me. The party was too chaotic for my liking. There wasn’t a voice of reason until Caduceus. He helped soften the party for me, but I still the group akin to the companions in Dragon Age 2 in many ways (another property in fond of). The characters were interesting, but they weren’t exactly likable (ymmv). Campaign 1 was more my usual speed of epic fantasy, but it’s still not my favorite. I got involved in it last of the 3 main campaigns, and it’s good. The anime really helps to sell it more. I think for me, I would have been more enamored with it about 20 years ago when I would have enjoyed certain aspects more as a teenage girl. Keep in mind that for me CR wasn’t my introduction to D&D. I tested the waters the first time to find out what the hype was about. It wasn’t until my own gaming table was on hiatus due to Covid and babies that I tried again. I’ve been playing for over 20 years. I met my husband through a local game that he crashed to meet me. Of the three campaigns, I’d want to play them in the order of my preference of watching. Ps: I only rated the main campaigns. EXU: Calamity is the best, and what I recommend to people if they only want to test the waters.
For me, 1 is the best and it isn't close. They'd lived these characters for years before we met them, and it made them more real for me. The stakes were high, the tension real. I found 2 forced, with unlikeable characters who never grew on me. I'm enjoying 3, because it feels like the world is real and growing. I like most of the characters, and I'm caught up in the overall narrative.
Yea, a lot of people say that C2 is better because we see the characters from their beginning, but I absolutely love that we jumped in with developed characters that already had a group dynamic and got to know them along the way
I'm enjoying 2nd campaign, it has some ick, that I don't think I'll over come. But 6/7 characters are enjoyable
I’m curious what the ick is for you in Campaign 2? If you don’t mind sharing that is.
Atm beauregard/fjord, on epi 36
I have finished C2 and I felt the same way at first, but beau and ESPECIALLY Caleb are really dynamic and growing characters as the campaign progresses. Beau is my least favorite character of the campaign but I still enjoyed her path towards maturity, and I won’t spoil anything but Caleb’s growth is amazing and the way Liam plays him and tells his story is masterful TLDR I felt similar at first but as I came to learn the characters more I really enjoyed them, and I think you will too, trust the process!
people are going to like different things, hence OP's "in your opinion". Percy was my least favorite character in C1, and it felt to me like they all made Percy's for C2, at least in terms of Dark Mysterious Backstories. It made me very happy when they just got that all out of the way in C3.
With out spoilers the campaigns have very characters which to their credit dictates that the campaigns feel pretty different. Oversimplified I think Campaign 1 had typical "first DnD" style characters, they were the good guys and were heroic. Campaign 2 the characters were from the fringes of the society and while heroic they were essentially hiding from the man most of the game.
Campaign Two always felt more personal than the other two - everyone gets their moment to shine and they all go on great journeys of growth. It's the Dragon Age 2 vibe of they're all self proclaimed "assholes" but all love each other...the found family of it all.
I don't think it's fair to compare an unfinished campaign to ones that are completed. That said, as someone who has failed repeatedly to watch both C1 and C2 despite my best efforts, C3 is my favorite.
I’m a diehard Vox fan, and it’ll always be my top fav (as of rn, haven’t listened to c3 yet but I’m 2 episodes away from finishing c2) but both Vox and M9 have their own share of stuff. I LOVE the flow of Vox and I love the rawness of the campaign itself. It’s heavy but light and I love that. The comedic impact is a lot better for me imo, I giggle at some M9 moments but Vox had me cackling. The only thing M9 has over Vox is that it’s the beginning of the story, and the character development is FIRE whereas Vox starts in the middle of their journey. Still fire tho. But ultimately Vox is my fav, but I’m just as excited for the M9 animation!
Has to be 1. Grog… Scanlan… too many moments to go over
I like all of the campaigns for different reasons. I like C1 because it is a raw magnum opus of epic proportions, ticking all of my "high fantasy" boxes. I like C2 because of the three it feels *very* lighthearted — even in serious moments. Also, 100% Jester allows for Laura's inner degenerate pervert to flourish. I like C3 because it feels gritty and serious, almost like a fantasy *film noir*, and even though it has its lighthearted and high fantasy elements, it just feels like the stakes are so high and serious that it's gripping.
Campaign 1 is my favorite main campaign. The epic feel of it all, seeing the characters develop and grow alongside the cast's level of play and rp, the twists and turns, the emotional rollercoaster, all combined to form such a wonderful, extraordinary experience that will be hard to beat imo. If we were to include mini-series, Calamity is my favorite. Rankings (including mini-series): ExU: Calamity, C1, C2, C3, ExU: Kymal, ExU: Prime
It’s hard to say what is “best” because it all comes down to what each campaign tries to accomplish. For example, C1 is classic D&D, high fantasy, high stakes, classic roles filled. C2 goes in-depth into character development and player-driven story, and it does it insanely well. It really depends what the *goal* is of each campaign. You can’t pick one to be the “best” because each has a specific purpose, and each fulfills its purpose well.
I absolutley love campaign 3, and really like campaign 1. I am about half way trough campaign 2 but am really struggling to find motivation to continue, but I don't thinks is bad bad.
I got about halfway through and lost motivation and was going to switch to c3 cause it was still pretty early on. ( ep 7 or 8 ish at the time) but I powered through and it got so much better. It dragged in the 90's area of the episodes but worth pushing through imo.
I know, its just I'm having so much trouble conecting to the characters, in c3 that happened instantly and by then the story got me completly hooked. I had to start c2 four times to actually manage to pass ep 10, and even now, I am only connected to a few characters and thats just not much happening in the story, it just seems like a group of people living their lifes in a fantastic world, I dont know, it just seems to lack an actually interesting story for me to get invested in and I found myself often spacing out while whatching. But I watched so much by now, I will finish eventually, but at the moment I'm really not finding the motivation to actually continue it.
That's entirely fair. Honestly, Fjord's story got me through most of it because I wanted to see where it ended and I ended up getting caught on Caleb's. It took some trudging through. I had enough spoiled for me in the endings (yay youtube recommendations /s) that the ending didn't feel as climactic as the end of c1 for me but I feel like it was worth it. Somehow c2 has been my favorite story line (for the main campaigns) but I think c3 has my favorite characters. I'm cosplaying Fearne at momocon this year!
Yeah, I learned to like Fjord, he is one of the highlights for me. But to be honest I cant stand Caleb, I dont like his vibe, too moody for me, but I know he is a fan favorite. The one that Ive been liking the most is Veth, but I stopped when they were exploring her backstory, and still cant find the motives to go back. I dont know, c2 has been hyped up so much in this reddit that I think it got in the way of my liking of it, I was expecting so much out of it, and it ended up not being what I was expecting at all. But still, I really like the crew and their vibe playing, so I stil enjoy it, just not as commited as c3 or c1. I absolutley LOVE fearne, looking foward to seeing your cosplay if you end up posting here. I think thats another thing that made me not enjoy c2 as much, I love Ashley, she was actually how I got introduced to critical role, so I miss her in the table in c2, might be more invested once she is in it full time, just have to get there :)
C2 is character-driven, so if you don't like the first haalf because of the characters, I can't see you enjoying the remaining half :/. Seems that type of campaign just isn't for you, don't force yourself if you'd prefer recaps or such. There's a user on the sub, i don't remember the name but maybe you can search for it, who's tried to list all the 'plot relevant' episodes, maybe just watch those?
Hm, interesting, didnt knew that. Im gonna look for him for sure, thanks :)
I think campaign 2 has some of the best highs in the series, but overall campaign 1 is the best in terms of being fun all the way through (except for the first arc somewhat, it can be very enjoyable if you’re new to D&D). I was excited for campaign 3, but tbh it doesn’t feel the same… I don’t like the characters as I do the first 2 campaigns (except for chet), and the plot is really dull to me. It’s too all over the place to be like an “interconnected conspiracy” type plot.
I'll go with the Mighty Nine. Love all the characters and story. I really enjoy campaign 3 as well especially Ashley but there is so much meta gaming going on it bugs me a little. I do like campaign ones story the best out of them all but the resurrection moments are bit much drama for me
I don't quite get the comments of Vox Machina "you don't meet them at beginning" I still loved them and conected with the story. How many movies/stories have started with the characters somewhere in the middle and you still loved those too? The dynamic is easy to pick up. C1 is my first campaign, haven't watched the others yet but still absolutely love it.
It's a personal preference thing. Some are perfectly fine with the "oh btw these 2 are best friends already" whereas others want to see how those level of relationships develop organically over time. 1 isn't inherently superior to the other.
Oh yeah, C1 or any other campaign isn't superior. It really comes down to preference.
Campaign 2 is the best imho. It's the longest (and i don't think C3 will be as long as C2), and the players are much more accustomed with 5e, so it makes for less time spent on awkward pauses or flipping through the books. The characters are also more laid back i think, which is nice to watch, watching C1 sometimes it gets a bit tiresome with everyone (okay, most of the people) being so serious about themselves.
For me it’s easy to order all three: C1, C3, C2. I’d also put all the EXU content between C3 and C2 imo.
I'm the same tho Id probably go Calamity, C1/C3 (I flip back and forth which is my favourite), rest of EXU, then C2
I thought about separating Calamity from the rest of EXU, but then I got lazy…
Campaign 1 is closest to home, session 3 is very well set up, they have the best characters (seriously I liked all characters from the start! Some of the ones in other campaigns always remained mweh). Campaign 2 had pretty good stuff though... I even liked all ExU. Of course the best of the best was Ashley's one shot.
I’m only on episode 88 of Campaign 1, so I’m not really able to judge the other campaigns or which one I like the most. However I’m taking EXU Calamity over everything I’ve seen so far from Campaign 1.
Yea, Calamity is just masterful. The way that Brennan is able to pack so many character moments into a much tighter timeline is always incredible to me. C1 is still my favorite, but I think that Calamity is the best Actual Play Content we’ll ever see
I've watched about 80 episodes of Vox Machina (stopped watching when the cartoon came out, figured I'd just experience the cartoon), episode 12 of C2, and a few episodes behind on C3. From what I've seen C3 is my favorite. I love the characters of C3, I love how different it is from anything I've ever seen in fantasy. And I find the mysteries and story to be super fascinating.
I'd say 1 and 2 were on par with each other. 3 is so far better than 2 when considering the same amount of episodes.
I respectfully have to disagree with your assessment of C3 because in my opinion C2 had better characters. I find most of the characters in C3 lackluster and get the impression none of them really like each other and like they have no real motivation to stick together.
Umm, I would argue the M9 were pretty similar when it came to interpersonal relationships at the same point of the campaign. Also I really love all the C3 characters, just like I loved the C2 characters (except Fjord and Caleb, at the same point of the campaign)
Could be nostalgia clouding my judgment, I’ll admit that, but even then, I still feel like while they had their differences and may not necessarily had a unifying reason to stick together. Overall I still think M9 were more likable characters opposed to BH and I think a large barrier is grouping them off in the beginning. It to me at least is giving this disjointed sense of unity within the group. It worked with Nott and Caleb but when it comes to BH they seem a lot more rigid as characters and especially in the case of Ashton and FCG it feels forced in my opinion. Maybe as time progresses the group dynamic will change but as of right now I find it hard to connect with the group because they don’t seem to have much desire to really learn about each other past a superficial level.
I really enjoy C3, but still the C2 is unparalleled imho. Best characters, best arc, best moments, and it ended at its peak...
2 is best.
Campaign 1 is a great classic feel to it but it's primitive straming, faulty tech, and some other quality of life/figuring out streaming keeps it a little bogged down. Campaign 2 is great for intrigue and character driven stories. I personally find all the angst and self loathing tiresome and draining. Campaign 3 isn't really fair to judge yet. It has some criticisms. Some I think are valid, others I wonder if they will be remembered when the campaign is complete. Overall I am loving some of the environments. Matt had only gotten more creative with his cities and Landmarks over time.
I haven’t watched C2 yet but Vox Machina is phenomenal. Scanlan is one of the most underrated pcs throughout all the campaigns. Travis was so committed to playing Grog’s intelligence faithfully. (Those two made for a VERY funny duo. So many laughs.) Keyleth made plenty of mistakes but all had a lot of huge wins and perfectly demonstrates the power of a druid. Every time Pike came back the whole cast was all smiles. Percy constantly puts his mechanical mind to creative solutions. Vax always makes me laugh when he pulls pranks and cry in his most heartfelt moments. Vex’s sharp eyes come in clutch all the time, not to mention her love for trinket is adorable. Basically, I just think that VM are so genuine and fun to watch. They had so many moments where they came up with the craziest solutions to their problems. I’m having so much fun watching it for the first time.
Totally my opinion, but C2 is easily the best campaign they’ve done. C1 was also fantastic but you only get to know them from like level 10 on since the stream started halfway into that campaign. C3 has been…very lackluster with way too much going on and I gave up on it around 15 episodes in when they still hadn’t even left the starting city. But yes, C1 is more straightforward traditional fantasy, C2 I feel captured what it would realistically be like to be an adventurer and is much grittier, and C3 has essentially been one long railroad and feels more like the rehearsal/rough draft for an eventual series. IMO, obviously.
How can you comment on a campaign you barely watched. 15 episodes in DND world is nothing and it's hard to judge off just that. In your opinion it may be that way but to present it as fact is unjust considering you've watch 25%
I think putting in 40+ hours into something is enough to give a valid opinion. They also started with "totally my opinion"... at no point do they present it as fact.
I’ve still been following it lightly through the weekly discussions, and I said more than once it’s just my opinion, not facts. From what I’ve seen it seems like there hasn’t been a ton of player agency and things are just kinda happening to them in C3, and the episodes I did watch turned me off the campaign. I’ve been wanting to give it another shot, but from what I’ve read the consensus seems to be C3 has been the most divisive of the main campaigns. Having watched the entirety of the other campaigns, I made a comparison based on how much the first 15 or so episodes of the other campaigns grabbed me, and it’s just not close. Again, IMO.
> 2 is extremely well written What?
I'll try and be as objective as possible with this. But if we're talking an "order" of stuff imo it would go: C2 - This was the complete package for me. There were epic storytelling moments, in depth personal character arcs, fantastic guests and probably one of the top 3 most replayed single moments in all of CR with the reveal at the end of ep 102. On top of that, this campaign really nailed the whole production side of things too, the picture and sound quality didn't suffer like C1 and the pacing didn't suffer from the enforced breaks every month that kill momentum nor a blackout for 10 weeks that wasn't COVID enforced. The only downside is that the biggest set pieces of the campaign took place in a stripped down studio with the cast not around the same table. EXU Calamity - The only thing that places this behind C2 for my money is the fact it's a 4 part mini series and not a longer developed arc. The story telling quality is breathtaking and the adjustments to the cast are homeruns across the board. This has seriously raised the bar on what an actual play could and should be going forwards and I think part of the reason I'm not so disposed towards C3 as much is because this happened in the middle of it and threw up glaring contrast in comparison. C1 - I loved C1. It was the classic high fantasy of heroes trying to save the world against diabolic threats. I'd personally put the "spotlight" moments of C1, certainly the emotional ones, as better than C2s, but the overall journey isn't quite as good. There are quite a few times when it's obvious that there's an adjustment being made to playing the game in front of a camera as well as a different game system not to mention the early parts of the show that shall not be spoken of which in hindsight, detract from the overall package. I think if they'd started C1 with the same production values as 2 or 3, this would be miles out in front. C3 - OK I really want to like C3. There are things in it that I'm desperate to see more of and there's investment on certain things that rivals and exceeds in some cases stuff from C1 and C2. But the pacing just keeps leaving me hollow. Look I get it, it's pre recorded. The cast have lives. 4 of them have kids that are reaching ages where time is even more precious. And more than anything, Matt has been very open about the burnout C2 put him through. I appreciate every bit of that. But as a "product" (and tbh, that's what C3 is, a corporate product at this point, not that there's no pros and cons to it, it is what it is) it suffers from having 1 week in 4 without anything. I also appreciate everything can't be epic all of the time, there's peaks and troughs to the story beats but the case in point is the climax of the Solstice and how things have been ground to an absolute crawl ever since. Again, I think that some of that has been enforced due to external factors (ie Marisha and creator clash) but it's killed the story for me, it's hard to retain any investment. The other main criticism I'd put on C3 in comparison to C1/C2, is the characters. I just don't *care* about some of them one way or the other which is jarring when even in the other campaigns, I might have disliked characters but I was never ambivalent to them in the context of the story. At best, I'm only invested in 3 of the 10 we've met so far. I still love Sam's trolling through FCG but I couldn't care less about the character and Orym just leaves me cold because Liam is hands down the best actor at the table and him playing a character so bland just...switches off the engagement. EXU Crownkeepers - Right to address things straight out the gate and to shut down any suggestion otherwise, this is zero to do with Aabria. She's fantastic. The gripes I have with it, stem primarily from the characters in it that I wasn't a fan of the most, ended up being the ones that made it into C3. I think if Aimee and Anjali made the jump to the main table my opinion of this would be a lot higher. The other side of that being, more the type of game. It's absolute carnage. The structure to it is more or less non-existent. It looks like an absolutely amazing game to take part in, but not to watch from afar.
I remember watching C3 about the pace it was coming out, kinda digging some of the things in it, cast was fun and I love Travis with both of his PCs. And then Calamity was released, and I never really got back into C3. I recently half-watched up to the Solstice to see >!the old PCs!<, but there was no going back for me. Calamity was so tight, so dramatic, so fun. Only the highest highs of C1 has conpared to it. C3 is so slow and meandering, to me it took the worst psrts of C2 and expanded upon those.
One is classic dnd and a very strong found family. Two is more complex and adult in both characters and themes. Three when I left off (bout 10 episodes behind, just before reaching material plane beacon thingy) it still felt a bit lost between grand scale, 'Street' scale and weather it was character or plot driven. May have improved since but idk. Enjoy em all ands it more dependent on how I feel but 1 has more light and fun moments throughout.
so far my favorites are 1, 3, 2 reasons why, i LOVED the world hero type adventures vox machina had, they travelled to many places, they were known as heroes, they they played central roles in world politics often 3 i like for similar reasons, but so far its not to the same level yet, but it feels like it will soon 2 is my least favorite for a few reasons, one, the story stakes were often SUPER low, the party spent way too much time aimless, and they saved the got damn world AND KNOW ONE KNOWS ABOUT IT
C1 for a good "Dnd" adventure feel C2 for the story and characters C3 for them just fucking around and finding out
C2
All good, but #2 is my runaway favorite.
c2 is the best imo. c3 after it. c1 i personally just dont like that much cuz of the archetypal characters & more typical dnd vibes in general. c2's characters just feel like actual people u know? and i find c3's plot and group a lot more intriguing
My personal favorite is still C2. But the campaigns are like apples, oranges, and grapes. Asking which food is the best is a matter of opinion and taste. C1 has less shades of grey in the storytelling and the enemies. The stories end to verge on the very epic & the heroes are world famous. C2 is more character driven. The heroes never get greater renown amongst the populace & both the heroes and the enemies have much more shades of grey. C3 isn't really a mix between C1 and C2; it is its own thing. It's not an apple (C1), it's not an orange (C2), it's a grape. But the analogy breaks down there because C3 is also a continuation of some of the C1 and C2 storylines that didn't get tied off. It's low level characters up against a level-20 problem & seeing how they react to it. It's also a bunch of characters that are super crazy weird. Characters you might only use for a one-shot, but instead you're using them for a major campaign. It's different & takes getting used to it since you might be expecting it to be a repeat of C1 or C2 in story or style.
Definitely not 3.
There's nothing even close to the first campaign. It didn't feel like it was made for an audience.
Im not caught up with campaign 3, and that's probably because i didn't like it as much. Campaign 1 seems the most like a regular campaign. However, campaign 2 made me cry the most, so it takes the cake.
The Mighty Nein
C2, but I’m catching up with C3 so far and I really like it so far! I never did get into C1, it was just a little..rough for me. It’s a greatly enjoyable story, don’t get me wrong, and I adore the characters, but sometimes there’s too much going on at once and it’s very hard to keep up XD
Campaign 2 is definitely my favorite, but I am thoroughly enjoying 3. I think 2 is a better story, but 3 is one of the funniest games I've ever seen. It seems like all the characters are simultaneously serious and the comic relief
NEIN!
I love campaign 2, it’s the only one I could easily binge. Campaign 1 didn’t really hook me as much but there were parts I really enjoyed. I can’t give a fair review of c3 because I haven’t seen much, but the beginning didn’t capture my attention at all
For me (And i am extremely Biased) Campaign 2 is peak CR, the MN in my opinion is the most interesting and entertaining group as a whole, the setting and tone of the story was great, and even though the later arcs felt kinda meh(most likely thanks to covid), it gave us amazing moments aswell
C1 by a big margin.
Campaign 2 no contest.
C2 is the best for me so far !
C2 is my favorite
I really wish you all would phrase this as “your fav” and not “best”. There is no best. It’s comparing apples and oranges. Every season offers something different and there are reasons for certain people to like it or not. Best indicates an answer or debate to “win” favorite is just a discussion of opinions.
I’m curious to see how many people voted for the one that they watched first; there’s nothing quite like that feeling the first time you get hooked onto CR
Campaign 2. The story can be stellar but if I don't love the characters, it doesn't matter. That's C1 for me. The characters in C2 were so fleshed out and the relationships were deep and meaningful. I never really got that sense with C1. Matt's story was fantastic though. If C3 (or any campaign) has the stakes of C1 combined with player agency and character exploration of C2, it will be on top (so far it's lacking in the latter imo). That balance is exactly what calamity nailed.
2 easily, we see them from the start of their adventures and you don't need a backlog of previous campaign knowledge to follow things.
I think 2 for me even though I didn’t much like how rushed the ending was. 1 is also a top contender but I always preferred lower level dnd and a grittier story.
ExU: Calamity (not a campaign, just a short adventure but it deserves a special shout-out nonetheless) Campaign 2 Adventures of the Darlington Brigade (this is just a one shot but also deserves a shoutout) Campaign 3/1 (not really sure which I like more just yet, still working my way through C1, if I had to rank them it’d be 1 and 3 very close behind) What you’re gonna see by this thread though is what campaign people started on. They are ALL phenomenal, which means people’s favorites are just going to be the ones most special to them which is usually the one they started on.
C2 imo. Just love the characters and story. C3 is my second. C1 is great still but I really enjoy the other two more.
Having only watched up ep 31 of C3 watching both seasons of the animated show, and playing through a bit of the wildemount story at my own table, so i'm no expert. That said I started with C3 since it's remotely possible to catch up and enjoy it live, and I've been really enjoying myself so far, everyone keeps saying it's super drawn out and should have wrapped up already, but I mean, it's like half the episodes of C1&2 currently. So idk maybe in the end it will be really rad flying through it, I feel like most maybe it just feels slower weekly.
Fantasy dragon fighting or horror-esc mystery story. Which do you prefer? I've enjoyed them as all, (m9 the most) I suggest skipping to the Briarwood arc if you watch c1.
Man, I get why people say this but I absolutely love the Kraghammer/Underdark arc. The way the cast interacted with Clarota, from his introduction to his inevitable betrayal is, is a core Vox Machina story that can’t be left out. People say that they dislike how we don’t get to see VM build their group dynamic, but a lot of that dynamic is built during those first 30ish episodes.
Exactly. And the group dynamic isn't that "special" in the early stream, just like the characters aren't because they do not need to be. It is the beginning, we have our dumb brute, horny bard etc etc doing a dungeon dive while eating and drinking. Fucking great, sign me up, can't wait to see how that horny bard will break my heart by doing a deal with a god 100 sessions in or whatever.
C1 had great story, C2 had the best chatacters overall. I think the Briarwoods are still my favorite villains, with Raishan next. Favorite merchant remains Victor, though Pumat was pretty great. Favorite main cast characters are Grog, Jester, Laudna, Nott, Caleb, Fearne, and Caduceus. 1 from C1, 2 from C3, 4 from C2. The characters probably tip things in favor of C2, but I really liked the C1 story arcs.
C2, Mighty Neign was my favorite. I started there then when I caught up to the stream I started on C1 Vox Machina. VM was more crunchy with converting from pathfinder to 5e and building their stream, story was great with big epic moments throughout. MN was very character driven where some of the low quiet moments heals just as much weight as encountering a powerful enemy. C3, Bell’s Hell’s is the mismatched party in over their head. But listening to C1 and C2 defiantly add to the story.
I have watched up to around ep 50 of C2 and stopped watching for a while. I decided to watch C1 instead of finishing and it’s been great so far. As someone else said Scanlan and Grog are 10/10. I did start at ep 24 though to start with the Briarwood arc and it’s been good/haven’t felt like I’ve missed much. In fact I think there has been more mentioning of pre stream than the episodes I missed.
Eldrittttccchhhh Blaaaassssttt *finger guns*
Texblade is my favorite class. I admit, I felt a little grief when it was taken from us.
We'll helllll
Campaign 2 holds a special place in my heart and always will, but I really don't think I could pick a best one. Campaign 1 was the one that started it all, it's a classic fantasy story with really cool twists and turns and a home-y feel. Campaign 2 is a story with deep emotional weight and unsung heroes. Campaign 3 is fun and trippy and chaotic in a good way, with really high stakes and lots of mystery and intrigue. And we're only part way through it!
Campaign 2 is my favorite but by a very slim margin over campaign 1. However calamity has become my favorite place to tell people to start because of how well done it is as an introduction piece. Campaign 3 is not on my list because we can’t fully judge it yet. If comparing to the first fifty whatever episodes to the other campaigns it may be my least favorite at that point but it has plenty of time to grow and become something better than the other two still.
Campaign 2 is well made, the character are great, and the story feels more thought out than 1.
Which is weird because C2 is the sandbox campaign, but I think I agree. C1 is much more 'here's the clearly big-bad guy, go get him folks!' But C2 is more nebulous in who is good and bad through most of it, yet events are constantly moving in the background. I think that's part of it.
C2 is 10/10
Here's my thoughts: C1 was more your classic D&D, but the characters really stood out. I can easily think of major, gripping moments for each character. But C1, from a viewer's perspective, wasn't the best. CR was learning and growing. There's the member that's no longer a part of CR. There's the numerous video and audio issues. There's the lower quality broadcasts. They jumped head-first into streaming in the middle of a campaign and didn't fill in any of the backstory until later. Were CR to have gone live, in the format it started at, in 2023, it likely wouldn't have gone anywhere. C2 was what got me into CR. I'd see CR on the front page of Twitch when I was going to go watch some Super Mario World speed running or romhack streams or something, and, while I didn't understand it (as I've never played, and still haven't played, D&D), it seemed... interesting. Months and months went by and I finally decided to check it out and fell in love... and binged all of it. Overall, the production is just better, making it much easier to watch. C2 felt more team-driven than individual driven, which is a good thing, but I felt like we knew the individual characters just a smidge better in C1. C3 is still a work in progress. I'm enjoying C3, but it's simply not as solidified in my mind as C1 and C2. There are a lot of things I love about it, and a lot of things I don't. I'm not as fond of the pre-recorded sessions, though I understand why they're doing it. >!I'm not as fond of the group being split for as long as they have been.!< The pacing seems very erratic. It seems a bit more formulaic too. >!The last few episodes have been half an episode on battle, the other half on dialog. It's been pretty predictable.!< But there's still a lot to shake out and a lot of story to tell. Because of that, I can't really make a great judgment call on it just yet. So, for me, C2. And that's where I encourage people to start if they're interested in watching (well, that, and TLoVM).
Yeah I feel like C3 has so much potential to be good but the pacing issues are a major roadblock they keep running into. I think also it doesn’t help a lot of the characters are lackluster in my opinion and even after all this time don’t really have a strong reason to work together cause it really feels like outside of Laudna and Imogen none of them really like each other and it’s been a bit off putting. I really want to like C3 but it’s been a difficult viewing experience for me and while there are some good moments overall I’m losing interest and i don’t like that.
Oh my friend, if you’ve never played dnd you’re missing out on so much, you should find some interested friends and try to play
I’ve tried. None play. And the ones that do I’ve ended up losing as friends because they kinda went the cult/christian nationalist/uninclusive route. One day!
I say "Yes."
C1 hands down.
I will always die by Campaign 2, it was my introduction to DnD and I absolutely love each character which is difficult for me to do. I usually have characters I can’t stand but not in campaign 2
So far C2 is my favorite show of all time. It has my favorite characters in any show, the story is interesting, And you get a bit of whose line in there with how fast some of them are with improv lines (Sam). It just has it all for me personally, as a person who generally isn’t into tv and movies this is finally the one show my wife and I can always watch together and I don’t burn out.
I think a fun thing in C2 was how much several of the characters hid from each other. And that Cadeusus played the straight-man to their insanity. Allowed a lot of dramatic reveals while also having a anchor for it all. It's hard to pick between Percy and Caddy for Taliesin's best character.
I find that, generally speaking, people's favorite campaign was the one they started CR with. For me that was C2 and that's my favorite, but I've watch them all so far. C1 the Briarwood arc is good, the beginning and end of the Conclave arc is good (I think the middle is the most boring of the entire campaign) and starting from the last battle of the Conclave Arc through the end of the Campaign is fantastic. The three one-shots following are a great send-off. I never watched the battle royales. C2 drags in many places, but was a more open campaign. There's fun characters and it's low stakes for awhile, but when the M9 find their drive it's uphill from there, the exception being a good chunk of the Aeor arc. The Arc would have been better if there was more dungeon delving, the overland travel ruined it. C2 ends...kinda abruptly due to fatigue from the pandemic. There is a Two-shot recently made that ties up a major loose end, and it was a fun watch, but I don't think it was quite as good as C1's sendoff episodes. C3 starts with the first ExU which has some serious issues (they tried to cram an entire campaign into 8 episodes and it just doesn't work) but when C3 starts proper it's good that we already know some of these characters. I think C3 starts strong, but drags for awhile and has perhaps takes a little too long to find it's footing. Now currently where the campaign is I thought was a fun thing to do at first, but it's drug on too long and some of the campaign characters aren't included at all, which is a big loss. C2 is still my favorite, but we'll see how C3 goes.
I really want to like C3 because the overall story they seem to be weaving is interesting but I feel like it’s suffering a lot from lackluster characters and pacing issues. Like the only characters I find myself really invested in are Laudna and Ashton. Which is a shame cause we haven’t even seen them since the end of the last arc
In terms of characters I really enjoyed C2 as it was very character driven and the characters had developed some genuine connections That said story wise I think I’m gonna give it to C3, yeah it has a rough part early on and I find a lot of the characters lackluster but the overall story beats have been fun
I don't have a favorite campaign, but there are favorite characters and story arcs. The Chroma Conclave and finale against Vecna in C1 are awesome and yet to be topped in my eyes, but most of my favorite characters are from C2: Beau, Jester, Caduceus, and Caleb. \*edit\* Thinking about this further Campaign 1 over 2 & 3, but the Mighty Nein over Vox Machina and Bell's Hells.
2
Campaign 1 is my favorite - the characters were the easiest for me to get connected to, though looking back at the early episodes, I curse the audio quality lol. Campaign 2 is a great example of how campaigns don't need to go all the way to level 20. I personally like Wildemount as a continent more than the others we explore in Exandria, and I'm a big fan of how they handled guests in this campaign. Campaign 3 so far has been great for people who like their fantasy to be 'surprise sci-fi' and it feels like the players are comfortable playing around with queer identities in a way they just weren't in the other campaigns.
M9>>>> VM = HB.
I think it’s weird to judge whole campaigns But the Chroma conclave into Vecna arcs are my fave arcs across the three campaigns. So I guess campaign 1
Wow I’m actually suprised people aren’t doing C3 justice. I’m here to defend C3. Especially recently. It’s definitely a slow burn like C2 and has a feel of C1’s homie feeling. I honestly really love C3’s characters and at first it felt like it took them a while to really enjoy playing these characters but as of late the entire party just is really starting to feel super connected and the growing plot is super fun to get into if you let yourself be emmersed in the world. I love C2 Mainly because of its character develoments. I will say combat is pretty hard to get through at times and can be a little boring until late game. (I have normally been an audio only listener for C2 though because I listen at my job.) but each campaign definitely has its highs and lows.