Wikipedia

Actual play

"Live play" redirects here. Not to be confused withLive action role-playing games.

Actual play,also calledlive play,[1]is a genre ofpodcastorweb showin which people playtabletop role-playing games(TTRPGs) for an audience.[2][3]Actual play often encompasses in-character interactions between players, storytelling from thegamemaster,and out-of-character engagements such as dice rolls and discussion of game mechanics.[3]The genre emerged in the early 2000s[4]and became more popular throughout the decade,[2]particularly with the 2015 debut ofCritical Role,an actual play webseries featuring professionalvoice actors.[5]

History

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According to Evan Torner writing inWatch Us Roll,actual play is rooted in phenomena including magazine "play reports" ofwargamesandinternet forumsdedicated to role-playing games.[3]With the emergence ofesports,livestreamed gaming,andLet's Plays,actual plays of TTRPGs became a popular podcast and webseries format, and contributed to the resurgence of TTRPGs in the 2010s and 2020s.[3][5]

In 2008, the creators ofPenny Arcadepartnered with Wizards of the Coast to create a podcast of a few 4th EditionDungeons & Dragonsadventures which led to the creation of theAcquisitions Incorporated.[6][7]After the podcast was well-received, the players began livestreaming games starting in 2010 at thePAXfestival.[6]: 108 [8]Acquisitions Incorporatedwent on to be described byInversein 2019 as the "longest-running live play game".[9]Critical Role,a web series in which professional voice actors playDungeons & Dragons,launched in 2015.Critical Rolehas been credited byVentureBeatas responsible for making actual play shows "their own genre of entertainment", and has since become one of the most prominent actual play series.[8]Another popular series isThe Adventure Zone,a comedic actual play podcast which has featured several TTRPG systems.[2]As of 2021,it received over 6million monthly downloads, and ranked highly on Apple podcast charts.[10]By 2021, there were hundreds of actual play podcasts.[10]Many web festivals, such as New Jersey, Minnesota, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Cusco, and New Zealand, "now include actual play categories, and many have scholarship programs".[11]Polygonhighlighted that "web fest selections are quickly becoming one of the best places to discover the undersung 'ambitious middle' of actual plays — that is, shows that aspire to the same storytelling heights as the most popular troupes, but that lack the resources of time and production budget".[11]

TTRPG publishers have engaged with actual plays by licensing shows based on their products, running their own, incorporating content from actual plays back into source material, andplaytestinggames in actual play format.L.A. by Nightis an actual play licensed by the publisherParadox Interactive,and based on their role-playing gameVampire: The Masquerade;it premiered onGeek & Sundryin 2018.[12]Rivals of Waterdeepis an officialWizards of the Coastactual play show, based on theirDungeons & Dragonssystem.[8]Wizards of the Coast has also published collaboration sourcebooks based on actual play shows, such as theExplorer's Guide to Wildemount(2020) based onCritical Role[13]andAcquisitions Incorporated(2019) based on the live play game by the same name.[9]

During the2023 SAG-AFTRA strike,Charlie Hall ofPolygoncommented that "actual play, which has grown in popularity since well before the pandemic, has often pulled in Hollywood types to fill seats at the table. But neither SAG-AFTRA nor AMPTP is regularly involved in the productions that Polygon spoke with, and therefore they will not be affected".[14]Justin Carter, forGizmodo,stated it was tricky as the "fate of an Actual Play show depends on the company behind it, and possibly what platform it's released on" – shows such asDimension 20on the streaming serviceDropoutandPurple Worm! Kill! Kill!on the "upcoming 24-hour Dungeons & Dragons Adventure streaming channel" are impacted by the strike as they "fall under SAG's Electronic Media contract, and are thus shut down".[15]However, other actual plays such asCritical Roleand shows on theGlass Cannon Networkwere not impacted by the strike.[14][15]Christian Hoffer, forComicBook.com,explained that YouTube and Twitch channels appear to be a "grey area" so "Critical Roleand most Actual Play shows that air exclusively on YouTube and Twitch do not appear to impacted by the SAG-AFTRA strike, while productions likeDimension 20that hire talent and airs on a closed platform (i.e., one that's not open to anyone to post content on) are impacted by the SAG-AFTRA strike ".[16]In August 2023,Sam Reichannounced that all Dropout shows (includingDimension 20) have resumed production as it was determined that their "New Media Agreement for Non-Dramatic Programming" was actually a non-struck SAG-AFTRA contract.[17][18]

Cultural impact

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In 2018, theDiana Jones Awardfor excellence in tabletop gaming named the concept of actual play as that year's award winner, marking the first year the award was not awarded to a game, organization, or individual.[19]Academic Emily Friedman, writing forLos Angeles Review of Books,highlighted that "there's the elemental pleasure of being told a story, intertwined with the alchemy of watching that story be created in front of your eyes (or ears). [...] We perceive simultaneously the character played and the player playing".[7]

Actual plays have contributed towards improving representation ofpeople of color,women, and others in tabletop gaming, which has had a reputation of being primarily made up of white men.[8][19][20][21]Maze Arcana'sSirens,withSatine Phoenixas dungeonmaster (DM), features an all-women group of players.[22][23]Rivals of Waterdeep(DMed byTanya DePass) andInto the Motherlandsare actual play shows with casts that are entirely made up of people of color.[19][24]Death2Divinityis an actual play show with an all-queer,"allfat-babe"cast.[25]Actual play shows have also been credited with improving representation ofLGBTpeople in media more generally. Entertainment websiteComic Book Resourceshas said that LGBT representation has been more easily incorporated into actual plays because they are often produced by independent creators and distributed online. The site namedThe Adventure ZoneandDimension 20as two examples of actual plays which include LGBT characters.[2]

Friedman also commented that the largest "actual plays have viewer numbers that are the envy of some television networks".[7]Amanda Farough wrote forVentureBeatthat "the boundaries and barriers that have traditionally kept TTRPGs hidden behind an opaque divide have come tumbling down" and that actual play "long-form narrative is reshaping itself as an expression of both players and the audiences that accompany them on the journey ahead".[8]Curtis D. Carbonell, in his book theDread Trident: Tabletop Role-Playing Games and the Modern Fantastic,commented that shows such asAcquisitions IncorporatedandCritical Rolereflect "a wider phenomenon made clear by numerousYoutube.comvideos of individual gaming sessions by random groups... The confluence of these digital and analog streamed elements adds to the increasing archive of realized gametexts that can be consumed and analyzed with the modern fantastic ".[6]: 108 Both Farough and Carbonell highlighted that actual play shows have also increased sales of TTRPGs and related products.[8][6]

Adaptations

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TheCritical Roleanimated seriesThe Legend of Vox MachinawascrowdfundedonKickstarterin 2019, where it raisedUS$11.39 million,setting the record for the most highly-funded film or TV project in the platform's history. Following this, Amazon streaming servicePrime Videoacquired exclusive streaming rights to the series.[26]

The "Balance" campaign ofThe Adventure Zonewas adapted into a series ofgraphic novels,the first of which was published in 2018.[27][28]

List of actual play media

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See also:List of Dungeons & Dragons web series

See also

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References

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  1. ^DeVille, Chris (November 16, 2017)."The rise of D&D liveplay is changing how fans approach roleplaying".The Verge.Archivedfrom the original on August 29, 2021.RetrievedAugust 31,2021.
  2. ^abcdSowa, Alexander (June 14, 2020)."Dungeons & Dragons: How Actual-Play Shows Are Boosting LGBTQ Representation".Comic Book Resources.Archivedfrom the original on June 29, 2021.RetrievedAugust 31,2021.
  3. ^abcdefghijklJones, Shelly, ed. (2021).Watch Us Roll: Essays on Actual Play and Performance in Tabletop Role-Playing Games.Jefferson, North Carolina:McFarland & Company.ISBN978-1-4766-4343-4.OCLC1263339374.Archivedfrom the original on September 2, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 1,2021.
  4. ^Maclean, Paul (December 10, 2008).Lovecraftian Tales from the Table: Horror on the Orient Express & The Masks of Nyarlathotep DVD-ROM: 1.Eric Smith, Francois Launet (DVD-Rom ed.). Yog-Sothoth.
  5. ^abWhitten, Sarah (March 14, 2020)."How Critical Role helped spark a Dungeons & Dragons renaissance".CNBC.Archivedfrom the original on August 12, 2021.RetrievedAugust 31,2021.
  6. ^abcdCarbonell, Curtis D. (2019).Dread Trident: Tabletop Role-Playing Games and the Modern Fantastic.Liverpool:Liverpool University Press.ISBN978-1-78962-468-7.OCLC1129971339.
  7. ^abcFriedman, Emily C. (April 8, 2023)."Who Owns Dungeons & Dragons?".Los Angeles Review of Books.RetrievedApril 11,2023.
  8. ^abcdefgFarough, Amanda (March 17, 2021)."How tabletop RPG actual play shows are inspiring a new generation of fans — and products".VentureBeat.Archivedfrom the original on January 18, 2021.RetrievedAugust 31,2021.
  9. ^abPlante, Corey (June 16, 2019)."Acquisition Incorporated Source Book Review: Perfect for New D&D Players".Inverse.Archivedfrom the original on January 15, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 2,2021.
  10. ^abHedge, Stephanie; Grouling, Jennifer, eds. (2021). "Introduction".Roleplaying Games in the Digital Age: Essays on Transmedia Storytelling, Tabletop RPGs and Fandom.Jefferson, NC:McFarland & Company.p. 3.ISBN978-1-4766-4201-7.OCLC1239982762.
  11. ^abFriedman, Em (January 30, 2024)."Professor Friedman has a look at the very best actual play coming in 2024".Polygon.RetrievedJanuary 30,2024.
  12. ^"Vampire: The Masquerade - What You Need to Know About LA by Night".Comic Book Resources.June 17, 2020.Archivedfrom the original on March 8, 2021.RetrievedNovember 12,2020.
  13. ^Culver, Jordan (March 25, 2020)."Dungeons & Dragons while social distancing? It's free to try the newest 'Critical Role'-inspired sourcebook".USA Today.Archivedfrom the original on May 12, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 1,2021.
  14. ^abHall, Charlie (July 14, 2023)."Actors' strike will likely have no impact on your favorite actual play series".Polygon.RetrievedJuly 14,2023.
  15. ^ab"What Does the SAG-AFTRA Strike Mean for Actual Play Shows?".Gizmodo.July 15, 2023.RetrievedJuly 16,2023.
  16. ^Hoffer, Christian (July 15, 2023)."How the SAG-AFTRA Strike Impacts Actual Play TTRPG Shows".ComicBook.com.RetrievedJuly 16,2023.
  17. ^Reich, Sam [@samreich](August 8, 2023)."Dropout is back in production. 🫡 Details below. 👇 [Thread]"(Tweet).RetrievedAugust 8,2023– viaTwitter.
  18. ^Carter, Justin (August 8, 2023)."Streaming Platform Dropout Is Resuming Production".Gizmodo.RetrievedAugust 8,2023.
  19. ^abcHall, Charlie (July 9, 2018)."'Actual play' RPG experiences like Critical Role, Adventure Zone are having a moment ".Polygon.Archivedfrom the original on August 24, 2021.RetrievedAugust 31,2021.
  20. ^Gault, Matthew (December 31, 2020)."Dungeons & Dragons' Racial Reckoning Is Long Overdue".Wired.ISSN1059-1028.Archivedfrom the original on August 25, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 1,2021.
  21. ^Cote, Amanda C. (2020).Gaming Sexism: Gender and Identity in the Era of Casual Video Games.New York:New York University Press.p. 194.ISBN978-1-4798-0221-0.OCLC1164497475.
  22. ^Tran, Tony (July 24, 2021)."Rick and Morty vs. D&D actual play is Comic-Con's nerdiest crossover event".Polygon.Archivedfrom the original on July 28, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 1,2021.
  23. ^Hoffer, Christian (June 18, 2019)."Satine Pheonix Talks About the Dungeons & Dragons Community and Neverwinter's Enduring Success".Comic Book Resources.Archivedfrom the original on September 22, 2020.RetrievedSeptember 1,2021.
  24. ^Wilson, Jason (October 9, 2020)."Into the Mother Lands interview: Twitch invests in an RPG show led by people of color".VentureBeat.Archivedfrom the original on July 9, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 1,2021.
  25. ^Nightingale, Ed (June 30, 2021)."Queer Twitch streamer launches joyous 'all fat-babe' body positive Dungeons and Dragons campaign".PinkNews.Archivedfrom the original on July 5, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 1,2021.
  26. ^Spangler, Todd (November 5, 2019)."Amazon Orders Two Seasons of Critical Role's Animated 'Legend of Vox Machina' Series".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on January 3, 2021.RetrievedApril 7,2020.
  27. ^Sava, Oliver (May 7, 2018)."This The Adventure Zone Exclusive Brings the Zany Fantasy Podcast to Comics".The A.V. Club.G/O Media.Archivedfrom the original on February 8, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 28,2021.The Adventure Zone podcast has been delighting listeners for years with its blend of exciting fantasy storytelling and sharp comedy, and it's moving into a new dimension with the release of a new graphic novel from First Second.
  28. ^Goldberg, Lesley (January 16, 2020)."Peacock Sets Expansive Scripted Development Slate Ahead of Formal Unveiling".The Hollywood Reporter.Archivedfrom the original on February 2, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 14,2021.The Adventure Zone is a side-splitting and heart-filled fantasy animated comedy series
  29. ^Friedman, Em (June 1, 2023)."Critical Role's new RPG is a whole cabinet of curiosities — and familiar mechanics".Polygon.Archivedfrom the original on June 8, 2023.RetrievedJune 10,2023.
  30. ^King, Chris (July 21, 2021)."Critical Role's new D&D show is great but still challenging for newcomers".Polygon.RetrievedJuly 23,2021.
  31. ^Friedman, Em (July 1, 2022)."New York by Night brings Vampire-themed actual play to the City That Never Sleeps".Polygon.RetrievedJuly 1,2022.
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