Low-level critique in TTRPGs

 I would define the types of critique as having three levels: Low, Mid, and High.

For two examples of each:

LindyBeige (Low)

Most youtube channels centered around 5e D&D (Low)

Matt Colville (Mid) 

Most youtube channels centered around generic OSR (Mid)

Black Lodge Games (High)

Most youtube channels that focus on TTRPGs in general (High)

My Argumentation

I was recently revisiting LindyBeige's old D&D videos, and found them to be lacking.  Now, a few things should be said: My impression of the man is that he is well educated and not stupid either, so I do not think any of the faults in the videos were done out of maliciousness, I would say quite the opposite, they are made very earnestly.  As well, the videos, at the time they were made, were both some of the first sources of information on older editions of D&D I had come across, and some of the only criticisms of 5e that I had seen.

Nevertheless, looking back at the videos, it becomes evident, at least to me, that these videos are comprised, almost entirely, of low-level critiques of the game (various editions).  Now, this is not entirely a bad thing, because somebody has to make these critiques, otherwise the simplest problems will never be addressed.  So, in the end I cannot really begrudge the existence of Lindy's videos.

Where a problem arises, for me, is the repetition of low-level critique, not by LindyBeige, but by every other 5e "content creator."  At the start of 5e, this was not much of a problem, as said before the low-level needs to be covered, but as time progressed it was covered again, and again, and over and over again, by a constant stream of people starting to find faults in D&D 5e, and making the same critique, phrased differently.  On rare occasion making a new discovery, but these discoveries became increasingly few and far between.

The sheer cacophony of voices all saying the same thing and not realizing it: 

"Hey guys. what if we took 5e and made it so..."

"If you take the basic combat system of 5e and...."

"5e is great but what if we added..."

"I had this great idea, what if we took 5e and changed the..."

"5e" this and "5e" that, did they not realize that other games existed?

This was past the point at which I had realized my distaste for 5e.  In actuality, it was not a distaste for the rules, though that is certainly how I felt at the time, but a distaste for the community of players surrounding 5e.  They reminded me of a Fandom, like for Undertale of FNAF.  In short:

Petulant.

Since when was this a children's game?  For almost as long as I can remember, all I wanted from this game was, as Iron Maiden puts it, "Murder, death, destruction / above the eastern sands." Nothing for children, only a game world in which heroes could violently put an end to the forces of evil and chaos.

But, then again, no.  No, the game has always been for boys, that is to say men of all ages, and women have never been excluded... but what should be excluded are girls.  That statements sounds even more childish, but let me explain.

The epidemic of the "girl's brand," can be expressed in one simple fallacy: 

The idea that if you have captured an audience, that you can then market to a different audience and still keep the original audience.

 You might have seen those headlines "Fifty percent of gamers are women!" they proudly proclaim.  Then, a company decides that marketing "Blood murder death zombies 4: revengeance of the demon*******" to women is an eminently good idea.  The title flops and everyone is flabbergasted, "How could this have failed?" they cry.  It's  obvious to anyone with common sense that this would fail, but, the board of directors and the marketing teams of, what seems to be, every large corporation in America seems to lose the use of common sense.  There's your problem.

So it is with Hasbro, which falls upon Wotc and rests at D&D.  A 'lifestyle brand,' new D&D themed mugs, and shirts and miscellany, shiny new baubles (races and subclasses and feats) released in each new book, which will never see play, but only look pretty on the shelf.

Fetid.  Vapid.  Dross.

This is exactly what created the community, the Fandom, of 5e which we see today.

Mid-level critique

I've already made reference to Iron Maiden and FNAF in a post about D&D, so it can only go up from here.

Matt Colville.

Say what you will about the man, but his videos always make me think.  At times they make me think, "That, sir, is the stupidest idea I have ever heard," but at least it is a thought, whereas many other videos tend to shut my brain off (perhaps this says more about me than anyone else).

But, I would say, more often than not, the ideas presented in his videos are certainly more novel than those of most other 5e-tubers.  And, I think it definitely helps to not have a hyper-fixation on 5e.

Now, something to stress, and a good point of transition, is that 5e is not a terrible game, neither is it a great game.  It is either average if you play it as is, or it is what you make of it, if you modify it, which is actually encouraged by the rules.

This is the same conclusion which many in the OSR sphere came to, and chose to either run a game which better suited their tastes, instead settling for such an average game, or to create their own game, instead of being bound within the design space of 5e.

It is within this space of the OSR where I found a more interesting and thorough type of critique.  As well, I found that those within this sphere actually knew how the game was meant to be played.  Indeed, it was through watching, listening and reading much of the various ideas put forward from the OSR that I have come to much of he way I play my game.  In short, the incidence of interesting information is much higher, and ground is retread with far less frequency.

There is, on occasion, a kind of disconnected agreement on some rule or idea that comes about, such as how from every corner of the OSR people reached the same conclusion of random improvements on character level up being best for the kinds of games being played.  But, on the whole, the flow of ideas is much less strangulated than that which surrounds 5e.

High-level Critique

Although the OSR, whatever that acronym means these days, does not choose to focus on only one system, it does still find itself limited to one kind of game, largely speaking.  In comparison, this is where channels like Black Lodge Games shines, who managed to convince me that there was more to Vampire (Requiem or Masquerade) than just glitter and LARPing (a detestable practice).  How? By being normal men.  Earnest, forthright, and able to use common sense, surprisingly difficult in the modern age.

I call this High-level Critique, because, instead of hyper-focusing on one system, or even one kind game, they, and others like them, are able to take in the whole field of TTRPGs, and still be able to draw out interesting ideas, innovate, and push the field forward.  It was this mindset, the sincere desire to improve the games we play, and to make them mean something, which brought D&D to the forefront of wargames out of the drug addled 70s, and it is the same which remains as the only thing which can drive further innovation.

Wrap-up

Am I being a bit hyperbolic? Who knows, use your best judgement.

You are not a number, you are a free man.

Be seeing you.