Tales from the Table: Chapter 4: A Tale of a New Beginning

[Hexador]

Gotta admit, after the first three episodes I wasn't very impressed...but this one blew away all of my preconceptions of what a web series could be. If all of the episodes are like ths one from now on I think it could easily surpass the standards web series like "The Guild" have set.

 

[Nejira]

Finally a watchable episode, grats guys! Keep it up!

My words exactly.

 

[delroland]

Better. I like this episode moreso than previous ones. As has been said, the series seems much improved now that the story has some direction.

 

[DyeDoe]

"this just went up 5 notches" Gold!

 

[Fetzenfisch]

Mh didnt really like this one. Lacking any likeable characters till now, but i will follow this further and hope for some development

 

[SniperMacFox]

Knew that the show would be great and I'm glad to see it doing so well. If this storyline now becomes a reoccuring narrative then all the better, as previously it was fun but slightly misjointed.

 

[Marik Bentusi]

Woah, is this the same show I'm watching?

I like this reboot much better, you're definitely on the right track here. Minor (hopefully constructive) critique:
- "Show, Don't Tell" would apply to the scenes where the DM fleshes out the two drunks and when the princess cast her spell on the party ("Can't... move...!"). If you wanted to distinguish obnoxious drunken guy #1 from #2, you could've added a line like "Keep yer women, I don't need em with I'm with my *holds bottle to cheek and pets it* liquid goddess" or something. With the second scene, if you thought the spell type wasn't obvious, you could have displayed at least one of the characters in an action pose they are holding. For example, the elf wants to run towards the princess to cut her throat and one of the drunks reaches out with a hand to stop him - then with the spell they both get stuck in their tracks and hold their arms etc. as they were during the motion.
- The first scene was pretty funny in being over-the-top and cliché (and I did have to join into the muhaha), but I think it could have been better with over-the-top emotions and *maybe* some overly dramatic camera angles, but that's a big maybe since it's definitely out of my field of "expertise".

Loved the stare at 9:56 tho. It just said "Dude. What the fuck." on so many levels. And the evil twin of course. Can't leave without that cliché, haha.
Glad to see you were able to turn this around for me.

 

[Arren Kae]

Some cliches are so familiar even mocking them is cliched.

I enjoyed teh rest of this episode after the opening scene.

 

[Subwayeatn]

More giant mushrooms i say!

 

[MisterLillie]

This should have been the first episode. Hoping that the following episodes will relate to this one, rather than just being random separate "tales."

 

[PayneTrayne]

Funny episode, good to see it's got a bit of length and story behind it though.

Only one question, might be a bit of a cultural barrier or maybe a bit of a goof. But why did you say you were using the basement when there's a garage door?

 

[Peace Frog]

Scary goblin at the end.

 

[Freshskills]

good work Aardvarks Anonymous. great show!

 

[kmw_88]

Funny episode, good to see it's got a bit of length and story behind it though.

Only one question, might be a bit of a cultural barrier or maybe a bit of a goof. But why did you say you were using the basement when there's a garage door?

Not many basements in Aus really. And these kids are from there. I guess that could be it.
I liked this episode a lot! More storyline makes it easier for the actors to make it seem more real. The more dialogue the better!

Great work guys. Keep it up

 

[littlerudi08107]

I like the series, but I don't like how the only girl in the group is the typical sheepish introvert that stereotype most girl gamers. I play tabletops with girls all the time and they're usually the most competent ones in the game.

My friend Bri whom played a Beguiler in 3.5; managed to capture a colossal sized scorpion in an enchanted bag and used it as a mount. My other friend Sarah was a Druid and managed to get a shape-shifting inter-dimensional cat as an animal companion. Her favorite tactic was to toss the cat right above the monster's head and have it shapeshift into a rhinocerous, thus coining the term "Rhino Bomb." She also loved using Sudden Stalactite which she lovingly referred to as "Surprise Buttsex."

 

[rddj623]

Been following since the pilot, and I have to say I absolutely love the series. The humor, the action, the parallels to real life! Keep up the good work!

 

[cnurgi]

I like the series, but I don't like how the only girl in the group is the typical sheepish introvert that stereotype most girl gamers. I play tabletops with girls all the time and they're usually the most competent ones in the game.

are there really still people like the sister and the girlfriend from the last episode out there? I thought society had moved beyond that.

The only thing keeping me from really enjoying the videos is that the characters embody the very worst stereotypes of gamers as people that are awkward, insecure, childish and embarrassed about enjoying 'dress up'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U9wnFKq9Fc&t=9s

 

[DyeDoe]

better than that stupid show about the fat brit. sorry I am just a little PMSing. but he is a git who i hate. your show is also sucky.

ps I was joking about the your show being sucky

 

[Kian2]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U9wnFKq9Fc&t=9s

I understand these are fictional characters. My point is, they're not characters I enjoy watching. Which is the point of fictional characters.

A great deal is made in this website about the value of gaming not only as a hobby but, as the webby award festivities call it, a lifestyle (yes, I went and voted). I play pen and paper RPGs as well as computer games. I've gone to conventions, play with friends, and play on web forums, so I think I've seen a fairly broad cross section of the kind of people who play. And I haven't met any people like the ones depicted in the show.

Everyone I ever played with rolled their eyes at media representations of gamers as man-children, awkward, reclusive, immature, etc; how can we expect mainstream media to show a more accurate representation of the kind of people pursuing this hobby if we ourselves tune in to watch the same depictions within the culture itself?

It's been 4 episodes now (plus pilot) and nothing is made of the behavior of the players. As far as the show is concerned, these are typical gamers.

For contrast, imagine if the show was about people at a gay bar, and they were all in fetish attire, raving, and being flamboyant. It would be considered an insulting and outdated (in the sense that society has pretty much moved on from these stereotypes, not that they were ever true) view of the gay scene.

I like the show. The effort and care is obvious, the costumes and fantasy locations are fantastic and they've applied some very impressive special effects. But I can't enjoy it, because I can't empathize with the characters. They're not realistic people to me. I look at them and I see a mocking stereotype that has been holding back the hobby from being taken seriously.

By being taken seriously, I mean getting rid of the childish connotations the medium suffers from. Game designers being considered toy makers, and the like. A football fan (not a football player) devotes about as much time as a gamer does to following his team, buying paraphernalia and the like, but no one thinks a grown man spending his Sunday afternoons watching football, waving foam fingers and flags with friends is something out of the ordinary.

And it's a pity, because I think the show has a lot of promise given the expertise of everyone involved. And as anyone who has played a game can tell, the constant infighting in most adventuring parties provides a lot of fodder for a comedy show. There isn't any need to make fun of the players themselves, or having 'normal people' come in and bully them, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.