Enjoying something I didn't think I would.
So, I've been watching this D&D actual play TV Show called Encounter Party. The title isn't new to me because I've been following one of the actors for years.
Actually, that's a lie. I've been friends with one of the actors for years (hi, Sarah!). We gamed together in college and I'm super proud of her for achieving this.
I started watching the show because I wanted to support a friend, I didn't think I would enjoy watching people play a game when I wasn't a part of it. Boy, was I wrong. The opening to the show introduced us to the actors and their characters with a little bit of backstory of why they made the character. Sarah's love of animals definitely shines through with Ulavina Thrift.
There may have been some teasing in our group after the Pre-Party about how we all thought she was going to be the first to cry.
What I didn't expect was how invested I would become in the story of these characters. Brian Judkins does an amazing job of moving the story along. I love the actors being taken to the "kitchen" when there needs to side chat. The props are gorgeous. The artwork on the walls is amazing. And I want that table.
The love of everyone on the team shines through. I'm enough of a dork to watch all of the behind the scenes and bloopers they put out. And the hard work of the production team is commendable.
The biggest downside is the fact that it's presented as a regular TV show where you only get one episode a week. That and sometimes the replay on Plex doesn't work (I'm behind this week because we can't get episode 10 to play for us). If it were set up like a regular streaming show, I would've binged it in the first week.
But I can't binge it and I have to wait until either it shows up on Plex or hope I can catch it in re-runs on the D&D Adventure channel. Either way, I can't wait to find out what happens next.
It has helped remind me of where I came from and how I used to play. It's revived my love of role playing and not just sitting at the table waiting for my turn.