Roll for Treats

Talk about commodoreHUSTLE, LRR's continuing web series.
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Roll for Treats

Postby Graham » 31 Oct 2011, 10:51

Happy Halloween!
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby Jamfalcon » 31 Oct 2011, 11:12

That James seems to be a sensible guy when it comes to candy.

The product placement was almost too much, but it was still funny so I'm fine with it :)
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby Tapir12 » 31 Oct 2011, 11:18

I think it's time to go buy some candy.... for the kids!
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby Geoff_B » 31 Oct 2011, 11:21

The costumes. I wants them. Alls of them.

With the possible exception of the beer girl dress. I doubt I could pull the skirt off.

Nice to see G* back too :D
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby LogicSword » 31 Oct 2011, 11:24

Thought the product placement was a bit too obvious, but the ending with Tally made me laugh so much it made up for it.
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby ThrashJazzAssassin » 31 Oct 2011, 11:28

What's up with the sound? It was really muffled.

The plot seemed a bit forced in this video. There was more setup and explanation of the product than necessary, which didn't allow the comedy to flow properly. Combined with the sound issues, this gave the video a rather subdued feel. And the reference to Encounters really DID sound like "We have been paid to mention this product and couldn't fit it any other way."
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby Vigafre » 31 Oct 2011, 11:38

I asked on Twitter, but unless I missed something, this is LRR's first main video to go up on Halloween.
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby Graham » 31 Oct 2011, 11:47

ThrashJazzAssassin wrote:What's up with the sound? It was really muffled.

The plot seemed a bit forced in this video. There was more setup and explanation of the product than necessary, which didn't allow the comedy to flow properly. Combined with the sound issues, this gave the video a rather subdued feel. And the reference to Encounters really DID sound like "We have been paid to mention this product and couldn't fit it any other way."
Well, Encounters is actually forthcoming. Heh.

Sound:
I'm not hearing it. It sounds like any other video to me. I'm really sorry it sounds weird to you. Lemme check that there nothing wrong with the file...

Product:
Fair enough. Can I ask, in a totally non-confrontational way, is it possible that it's half too obvious, and half because you were looking for it?
Like, now that we've announced it, you know it, and it's more obvious to you, so it sticks out more?
I'm not saying that IS happening, I'm curious if it's a possibility.

Anyway, it's still a fair criticism, so I'm not shooting you down either way. I'm still pleased with the episode.

I think you guys will love the next (and last) one regardless.
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby Terminus » 31 Oct 2011, 11:54

I have no problem with the product placement, given that we'd been informed it would be coming.

Favourite bit of the video was Kathleen's delivery of the "Tell meeee" and "DAMNIT!" lines at the end.
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby Yaxley » 31 Oct 2011, 12:20

I also had a little bit of a problem with the product placement, but I am having difficulty explaining why. After watching it again, I think it was the "Encounters" line that pushed it from being "Jokes Featuring a Product" to "Jokes and Then Description of a Product". I think that's why I'm seeing it differently from Secret Life of Board Games, which just has a split second establishing shot of the game box before moving on rather than having the characters say "Let's play The Legend of Drizzt for game night!" Of course, that means I'm quibbling over a single sentence, so I'll get over it.

After all, the video was still quite funny, and it had Mustache James, so that's obviously a win.
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby EikoandMog » 31 Oct 2011, 12:23

Aah! It happened! LRR sold out to Wizards! ...Wait, that was actually funny.

I loved the part on endgame bickering, it really is the best part of DnD and I dare anyone to say otherwise.
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby Jamfalcon » 31 Oct 2011, 12:41

Watching it again, I agree with Yaxley. Secret Life of Board Games was a joke that used a product, whereas this was more like jokes that informed the viewers about a product. The only parts where it seemed really apparent were the lines about it being played it stores, which seemed a little bit too "come play this in a store!" rather than being funny. The reference to Encounters and mentioning that they were on Wednesdays had a similar problem.
That said, I still thought it was up to CHustle's regular level of hilarity, it's really only a minor quibble.

(Also, I noticed that at 5:32 it cuts to Paul for one frame while Jer is talking.)
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby ecks » 31 Oct 2011, 12:42

You have a bonus Paul frame near 5:32 I think.
I enjoyed it overall, but also have to agree with some of the product placement comments. The one part that seemed a bit ham handed to me was: Graham at the top of the stairs staring right at the camera, seeming like he was reading something off the side of a box. Other than that I don't really recall anything else that stuck out much, and there was certainly nothing video ruining about any of it.

James should hit up some candy companies for extra cash, he sold me on that. (I was going to buy myself a stash anyways, but James can have credit.)

I didn't notice anything terrible about the sound, other than it was maybe a bit quiet. Was this the old mic instead of the new one though?

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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby Master Gunner » 31 Oct 2011, 12:55

For me, it was the "description of product" scene that made it stand out a bit too much. Normally when you guys feature a game or niche product, you explain just enough to get the joke across, without coming off as product placement (see: Bioshock, past D&D/Pathfinder scenes). Here, even coming from someone who has never played D&D (though admittedly familiar with it through geekery-osmosis), it came across as too much exposition for the length of the video, especially since the game wasn't part of the joke.

In this video (at least, the D&D scenes), the comedy was derived from the characters, namely their attempts to play in-character, and their utter failure to work together to win. The actual game was irrelevant, so long as it could be de-railed, rendering the explanation of the game largely unnecessary. If you had just left the explanation at "this new D&D mini-campaign" and "you have 20 turns to...[45 MINUTES LATER]", that would have being all the explanation necessary for your audience, and would have come across as much less heavy-handed.

So essentially, in the future, write as if the product in question has already come out, and needs no more explanation than any other game (board- or video-based). Just get across the absolutely necessary concept so those unfamiliar with the topic can get the joke.
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby Graham » 31 Oct 2011, 12:59

I was actually looking off-camera but those big glasses are so dark you can't see my eyes. Oops. :(

@Master Gunner: Fair points. Me reading the bit of text from the book was because I just thought it would be a funnier lead-in to "and you're all dead".
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby WAYF » 31 Oct 2011, 14:04

I just want to say how super-stoked I am about the 64k outfit. Even though doing anything in character would have been weird. :P
I'm not into D&D though, so the only part of that which worked for me was the post game bickering. The parts with the costumes and candy (especially the ending) were still really funny.

Tally (little boy voice): Trick or Treat?

Jer: That's right, son.

Kathleen: ...DAMNIT!


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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby chif-ii » 31 Oct 2011, 14:08

ThrashJazzAssassin wrote:The plot seemed a bit forced in this video. There was more setup and explanation of the product than necessary, which didn't allow the comedy to flow properly. Combined with the sound issues, this gave the video a rather subdued feel. And the reference to Encounters really DID sound like "We have been paid to mention this product and couldn't fit it any other way."


I totally don't see where you're coming from on this. People on this forum are aware of the product placement, so it stand out more; though I'll admit the thingy after the stinger made it jump out more than usual. IMHO, everything that needed to be there for the plot was there.

Also, when Kathleen (the cH character) says, "Oh, well thank god, I thought it was just me," was she being sincere, or was she trying to cover her tracks somewhat?
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby Geoff_B » 31 Oct 2011, 14:19

So when is the Yummies corporate sponsorship coming back?
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby Vigafre » 31 Oct 2011, 14:36

chif-ii wrote:Also, when Kathleen (the cH character) says, "Oh, well thank god, I thought it was just me," was she being sincere, or was she trying to cover her tracks somewhat?

I kind of thought she was covering her tracks as she was saying it, but after she finished I figured she was genuine.

I mean, it is cHKathleen.
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby Geoff_B » 31 Oct 2011, 14:47

I enjoyed the call back to Jer and his DM player killing ways :D I half expected the 45 minutes-later-party-flame-death to be Graham finishing off the text and the party dies at the end of it, because, as we all know you can't save against box text.
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby JackSlack » 31 Oct 2011, 14:47

I'm kind of in line with the others; the thing is that the killer comedy feature you played to wasn't the encounter text but the number of rounds. That is cut suddenly to the end kind of neuters the comedic value of that and really makes the product placement feel forced. I'd have loved to have seen Graham trying to DM it, and watching as the night fell apart with the players wasting the rounds. Graham quietly punctuating, "OK. You've got ... ten rounds left. This fashion contest, while a fascinating character development exercise, may not be best suited to a D&D game based on rapid tactical combat."

The problem is that the product's comedic potential wasn't exploited as well as it could be, leaving the product's sale more visible. It's like a variant of the 'you can be offensive as long as you're funny' rule.

I mean, I giggled, but it did feel a bit stilted there.
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby Jack » 31 Oct 2011, 14:52

Jamfalcon wrote:(Also, I noticed that at 5:32 it cuts to Paul for one frame while Jer is talking.)


ecks wrote:You have a bonus Paul frame near 5:32 I think.


Yep.

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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby Ahlir » 31 Oct 2011, 15:19

Cowboy Paul! Cowboy Paul! Cowboy Paul! Cowboy Paul! Cowboy Paul! Cowboy Paul! Cowboy Paul! Cowboy Paul! Cowboy Paul! Woooooooooooooo

Also I guess, since I'm not all up on the DnD side of things, I didn't pick up of the "blatant adverts" or what ever. I just enjoyed the video.
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby Snowman » 31 Oct 2011, 15:21

Calling raiding LRR's costume storage easy mode is a bit harsh, it is probably better stocked for adult costumes than most of the costume shops that pop up for Halloween and close down after.
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Re: Roll for Treats

Postby Psyclone » 31 Oct 2011, 15:33

In the interest of fairness, I've been away for a while and didn't get the announcement, and the product placement seemed kind of heavy handed to me. I think the link under the description may have pushed it over the edge.
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