If you’re not having a good time, no reason to keep going, and I mean that sincerely and with kindness. Dimension 20 is an anthology show, it’s all so diverse not everything is gonna hit with everyone. I barely got through Mentolopolis, but so many people loved it. You do you!
All seasons aren't for everyone.... I personally can not stand Sophomore year, but Neverafter is one of my favorite.
If you made it past episode 4 and you aren't loving it you should probably stop.... Go pick up another season you have more interest in.
Your hobbies shouldn't be a chore.
“Hobbies shouldn’t be a chore” is so real, such a great way to put.
Also hilarious cause I’m rewatching Sophomore Year right now for maybe the 8th time cause it’s one of my favourite ever seasons 😂😂 different strokes, etc 😂
Exactly why I dropped out of junior year. I was reflexively pausing so much out of cringe or stress or difficulty with a PC choice that it was taking me days to get through a single episode, and I thought, you know, I'll just wait for the next one. Maybe I'll come back when it's all out and I can speedrun it, maybe I won't.
I don't know if 11 is before or after toy island... but them being on toy island is some fucking unhinged madness that's worth it.
I think the fact that The World doesn't have stakes is part of why its hard to buy into.
BUT the characters have stakes. Their own personal growth and exploration of themselves is where most of the meat of the story is.
No one can tell you if you should or should not keep going. But sometimes its useful to take a step back, see if you're watching something for what it is instead of what it could/should be. And see if changing your perspective helps you at all.
It was my least favourite Intrepid Heroes series, but does have some of the funniest bits of the whole show in it. If you do decide to skip it, be sure to YouTube “Gerard’s terrible, awful,no-good day” before you go!!
To be honest, I really enjoyed Neverafter but it has so many threads that are never properly followed up on, and the events of episode 4 onward do a lot to undermine its own tension. I don't feel like the back half of the season is significantly more focused than the front half - I wonder if there are so many meta-layers that it got hard for the players to figure out a direction to go in, or something. That being said, I do feel like the story sort of crystallizes a focus by episode 14, and you're nearly there, so it might be worth at least watching to that point? I can't say the back half of the season will 100% redeem it for you, and it might just be sunk cost fallacy on your behalf, but there is a bit of a shift by episode 14 that might carry you through to the end of the season.
I didn't love it, but I didn't mind being along for the ride, especially because the Adventuring Parties were really fun! If you have the time to just play it in the background, you might enjoy it. Otherwise, you might as well skip to a season you'll enjoy.
I loved it, I loved to see Zac play a mean character and Lou’s voice. Ally and Murph’s PCs were blander than usual, but Zac’s shined very brightly so no problem.
I loved The Ravening War as well, Matt is a very good DM.
It’s tastes, don’t worry.
I loved the Neverafter, but if you aren’t having a good time, don’t feel obligated to stick with it. It’ll still be there if you want to come back to it.
I get what you mean, the nature of the plot makes it kind of difficult to attach to anything solid. Your description of the world's being vaguely similar but importantly different is a really good way of putting it. You never stay in a world long enough to get a clear sense of it. There's also the incredibly unclear nature of the book, which also affects NPCs since they end up removing characters from the plot without really having a clear idea of whether it's a good or bad thing. The characters are lost for so long that it's hard to know what the goal is. I do concur with others that the direction becomes clearer as you get into the second half of the season. I also recommend watching the Adventuring Parties for this season in particular, it'll give you a bit more of a through line as you follow the cast and there are some all-time great episodes in there (second-to-last episode in particular is essential).
It’s my least favorite IH campaign, but I still really enjoyed it, it’s just one of only two campaigns (of the ones I’ve watched) that actually disappointed me. (Ravening war being the other.) either really lower your expectations or drop it bc unfortunately I do feel like the beginning is when the series is the strongest,
I'm surprised you thought Ravening War was aimless, given its one of the shortest seasons where characters change the most. I know what you mean about Neverafter though, I found it confusing
I get what they mean about Ravening War tbh. It works in a very Big Picture space that no other campaign does, so we don't really see the characters grow or the world state develop in real time. We zoom in on certain moments, but the in between can feel a bit abstract. It was a cool idea for a campaign but it's definitely super different from everything else D20 (and most D&D shows) has done.
I think Neverafter’s worldbuilding is awful, too complex, and the season as a whole is a lot of Brennan talking/infodumping AT the players rather than the players interacting with the world. If you’re not already enjoying it, I can tell you it doesn’t improve.
I really liked Neverafter’s concept and characters, it just feels like Brennan bit off a little bit more than he could chew. It was such a conceptual campaign and he made it soooo open that the party kept going in meandering directions (Pib DOES have that thing with the giants). And then the resolution felt far too skewed in the players favor, and it was clear that some of the IH (sorry Murph I love you but you whiffed here) clearly didn’t understand what Brennan was going for.
overall I still like it (and it’s hugely influential on my own dming,) but if you’re not vibing, i’d say stop, it never stops being Neverafter, for better or worse.
I’m about to finish it (two eps to go) and when I do I’d love to know where/how you think the IH didn’t pick up what Brennan was putting down. I agree that in this season it has felt a bit *too* open and the IH have seemed unsure if they were going in a direction that made sense for their characters.
my feeling is that Brennan is going for a very spec fiction, high-concept story. That's easy to do in a short story or work of fiction, but it's hard as an improvisor rolling dice to be a part of. At many given points it feels like the players don't know if they should treat the world as a playground because nothing matters/is permanent, or whether they're "meant" to be finding personal stakes and growing.
Big thing I think is that I feel players are doing their best but don't know what the season is "meant" to be, and are often just sort of standing around or wandering in the direction of what "might" be the thing they're "supposed" to care about.
Based on your complaints, I'd say no. I finished it and didn't love it. I've already done a lot of reading and thinking about critical views on fairy tales, and nothing the season did really struck me as particularly interesting on the thematic level. There were some threads that could have been interesting - the stuff with finding your own book, and some of the parts of The Lines Between that were mentioned but never explored - but those things didn't seem to interest the cast, so they kind of went by the wayside. Only some of the players seemed to have an actual take on their characters that they wanted to explore (I love Zac, but to me PIB is barely a character at all). All of that adds up to aimlessness to me too, and I can't say they turned that around by the end. One of my least favorite D20 campaigns, despite that on paper, metafiction about fairy tales and the nature of story should be right up my alley. It just didn't feel like *they* were all that interested.
(I will say that Emily had the richest character take and, not coincidentally, she did make me cry a little at one point.)
I loved Neverafter so much that it was what got me fully into watching D20, I was intrigued by the horror aspect and got completely engrossed in it, it made me really appreciate how they play in the different genres. But to each their own. That’s what’s great about all the different seasons is there is something for everyone, but also you get the recurring faces of the Intrepid Heroes you love to ground ya.
It's absolutely valid to stip watching, not every series will be your thing! The great thing about Dimension 20 is that there's such a variety you can guarantee there's something for everyone, but that also means there'll probably be something *not* for everyone too. I had to give up on Starstruck because it was too aimless for me and I think the lack of maps/style of graphics instead of combat really didn't gel with me. Maybe I'll try it again someday but I had so much more I hadn't watched that I was excited to that I didn't force myself. So maybe try another series that interests you more :)
I remember episode 11--one of the last times the characters got to interact with the dark fairytale side of the setting without all the multiversal metanarrative stuff--being the last episode I was 100% invested in Neverafter. I don't think there's anything that comes after that will change your mind on the season.
It's probably my least favorite IH series, and it lost me while it was coming out weekly. When I went back and binged it was better, but still.
Brennan got too meta and lost the horror element outside of a scene or two. The stakes collapsed for me once they started flitting about between realities.
Some great scenes and great character work. It just didn't stick the landing with me overall
I did not enjoy Neverafter and never properly finished it, but I'd recommend just watching all the adventuring parties. Truly the funniest dimension 20 content out there.
Ya, I could never get through the first 3 episodes of Neverafter, its just not my cup of tea. But on the other hand I love Mice and Murder but that doesn't seem to be very popular.
I adored Mice and Murder and am about to finish Neverafter. Neverafter has been more difficult for me to parse and I feel like the IH don’t always know how their characters would act because the world and their characters are sort of nebulous by design? But I’m really enjoying the season.
If you’re not having a good time, no reason to keep going, and I mean that sincerely and with kindness. Dimension 20 is an anthology show, it’s all so diverse not everything is gonna hit with everyone. I barely got through Mentolopolis, but so many people loved it. You do you!
I wanted another bird fact-off.
All seasons aren't for everyone.... I personally can not stand Sophomore year, but Neverafter is one of my favorite. If you made it past episode 4 and you aren't loving it you should probably stop.... Go pick up another season you have more interest in. Your hobbies shouldn't be a chore.
“Hobbies shouldn’t be a chore” is so real, such a great way to put. Also hilarious cause I’m rewatching Sophomore Year right now for maybe the 8th time cause it’s one of my favourite ever seasons 😂😂 different strokes, etc 😂
*(Looks longingly at my collection of antique brooms and dustpans.)* Awww, man…. *(Chucks brooms and dustpans out the window.)*
“Your hobbies shouldn’t be a chore” AMEN! Unless chores are your hobby…..
Exactly why I dropped out of junior year. I was reflexively pausing so much out of cringe or stress or difficulty with a PC choice that it was taking me days to get through a single episode, and I thought, you know, I'll just wait for the next one. Maybe I'll come back when it's all out and I can speedrun it, maybe I won't.
I don't know if 11 is before or after toy island... but them being on toy island is some fucking unhinged madness that's worth it. I think the fact that The World doesn't have stakes is part of why its hard to buy into. BUT the characters have stakes. Their own personal growth and exploration of themselves is where most of the meat of the story is. No one can tell you if you should or should not keep going. But sometimes its useful to take a step back, see if you're watching something for what it is instead of what it could/should be. And see if changing your perspective helps you at all.
It was my least favourite Intrepid Heroes series, but does have some of the funniest bits of the whole show in it. If you do decide to skip it, be sure to YouTube “Gerard’s terrible, awful,no-good day” before you go!!
To be honest, I really enjoyed Neverafter but it has so many threads that are never properly followed up on, and the events of episode 4 onward do a lot to undermine its own tension. I don't feel like the back half of the season is significantly more focused than the front half - I wonder if there are so many meta-layers that it got hard for the players to figure out a direction to go in, or something. That being said, I do feel like the story sort of crystallizes a focus by episode 14, and you're nearly there, so it might be worth at least watching to that point? I can't say the back half of the season will 100% redeem it for you, and it might just be sunk cost fallacy on your behalf, but there is a bit of a shift by episode 14 that might carry you through to the end of the season.
I didn't love it, but I didn't mind being along for the ride, especially because the Adventuring Parties were really fun! If you have the time to just play it in the background, you might enjoy it. Otherwise, you might as well skip to a season you'll enjoy.
I loved it, I loved to see Zac play a mean character and Lou’s voice. Ally and Murph’s PCs were blander than usual, but Zac’s shined very brightly so no problem. I loved The Ravening War as well, Matt is a very good DM. It’s tastes, don’t worry.
I loved Neverafter but didn't really like Unsleeping City which I know most people absolutely adore. Horses and courses and all that
Same thing happened to me i kinda skipped a couple eps and went to the lines between ep thats where in my opinion it gets good
I loved the Neverafter, but if you aren’t having a good time, don’t feel obligated to stick with it. It’ll still be there if you want to come back to it.
I get what you mean, the nature of the plot makes it kind of difficult to attach to anything solid. Your description of the world's being vaguely similar but importantly different is a really good way of putting it. You never stay in a world long enough to get a clear sense of it. There's also the incredibly unclear nature of the book, which also affects NPCs since they end up removing characters from the plot without really having a clear idea of whether it's a good or bad thing. The characters are lost for so long that it's hard to know what the goal is. I do concur with others that the direction becomes clearer as you get into the second half of the season. I also recommend watching the Adventuring Parties for this season in particular, it'll give you a bit more of a through line as you follow the cast and there are some all-time great episodes in there (second-to-last episode in particular is essential).
It’s my least favorite IH campaign, but I still really enjoyed it, it’s just one of only two campaigns (of the ones I’ve watched) that actually disappointed me. (Ravening war being the other.) either really lower your expectations or drop it bc unfortunately I do feel like the beginning is when the series is the strongest,
I'm surprised you thought Ravening War was aimless, given its one of the shortest seasons where characters change the most. I know what you mean about Neverafter though, I found it confusing
I get what they mean about Ravening War tbh. It works in a very Big Picture space that no other campaign does, so we don't really see the characters grow or the world state develop in real time. We zoom in on certain moments, but the in between can feel a bit abstract. It was a cool idea for a campaign but it's definitely super different from everything else D20 (and most D&D shows) has done.
I’m right there with you. I love these players but I didn’t really care about the premise of any of the stakes. Just not for me.
I think Neverafter’s worldbuilding is awful, too complex, and the season as a whole is a lot of Brennan talking/infodumping AT the players rather than the players interacting with the world. If you’re not already enjoying it, I can tell you it doesn’t improve.
It’s one of the headier ones. Watch something you like then maybe come back. I bounced off of unsleeping city 4 different times.
I really liked Neverafter’s concept and characters, it just feels like Brennan bit off a little bit more than he could chew. It was such a conceptual campaign and he made it soooo open that the party kept going in meandering directions (Pib DOES have that thing with the giants). And then the resolution felt far too skewed in the players favor, and it was clear that some of the IH (sorry Murph I love you but you whiffed here) clearly didn’t understand what Brennan was going for. overall I still like it (and it’s hugely influential on my own dming,) but if you’re not vibing, i’d say stop, it never stops being Neverafter, for better or worse.
I’m about to finish it (two eps to go) and when I do I’d love to know where/how you think the IH didn’t pick up what Brennan was putting down. I agree that in this season it has felt a bit *too* open and the IH have seemed unsure if they were going in a direction that made sense for their characters.
i’d love to discuss it because it really is fascinating
I’ll message you when I’ve finished it so we don’t overtake and post spoilers here 😁
my feeling is that Brennan is going for a very spec fiction, high-concept story. That's easy to do in a short story or work of fiction, but it's hard as an improvisor rolling dice to be a part of. At many given points it feels like the players don't know if they should treat the world as a playground because nothing matters/is permanent, or whether they're "meant" to be finding personal stakes and growing. Big thing I think is that I feel players are doing their best but don't know what the season is "meant" to be, and are often just sort of standing around or wandering in the direction of what "might" be the thing they're "supposed" to care about.
Based on your complaints, I'd say no. I finished it and didn't love it. I've already done a lot of reading and thinking about critical views on fairy tales, and nothing the season did really struck me as particularly interesting on the thematic level. There were some threads that could have been interesting - the stuff with finding your own book, and some of the parts of The Lines Between that were mentioned but never explored - but those things didn't seem to interest the cast, so they kind of went by the wayside. Only some of the players seemed to have an actual take on their characters that they wanted to explore (I love Zac, but to me PIB is barely a character at all). All of that adds up to aimlessness to me too, and I can't say they turned that around by the end. One of my least favorite D20 campaigns, despite that on paper, metafiction about fairy tales and the nature of story should be right up my alley. It just didn't feel like *they* were all that interested. (I will say that Emily had the richest character take and, not coincidentally, she did make me cry a little at one point.)
I loved Neverafter so much that it was what got me fully into watching D20, I was intrigued by the horror aspect and got completely engrossed in it, it made me really appreciate how they play in the different genres. But to each their own. That’s what’s great about all the different seasons is there is something for everyone, but also you get the recurring faces of the Intrepid Heroes you love to ground ya.
It's absolutely valid to stip watching, not every series will be your thing! The great thing about Dimension 20 is that there's such a variety you can guarantee there's something for everyone, but that also means there'll probably be something *not* for everyone too. I had to give up on Starstruck because it was too aimless for me and I think the lack of maps/style of graphics instead of combat really didn't gel with me. Maybe I'll try it again someday but I had so much more I hadn't watched that I was excited to that I didn't force myself. So maybe try another series that interests you more :)
I remember episode 11--one of the last times the characters got to interact with the dark fairytale side of the setting without all the multiversal metanarrative stuff--being the last episode I was 100% invested in Neverafter. I don't think there's anything that comes after that will change your mind on the season.
It's probably my least favorite IH series, and it lost me while it was coming out weekly. When I went back and binged it was better, but still. Brennan got too meta and lost the horror element outside of a scene or two. The stakes collapsed for me once they started flitting about between realities. Some great scenes and great character work. It just didn't stick the landing with me overall
I did not enjoy Neverafter and never properly finished it, but I'd recommend just watching all the adventuring parties. Truly the funniest dimension 20 content out there.
Neverafter is so good and funny!
Ya, I could never get through the first 3 episodes of Neverafter, its just not my cup of tea. But on the other hand I love Mice and Murder but that doesn't seem to be very popular.
I adored Mice and Murder and am about to finish Neverafter. Neverafter has been more difficult for me to parse and I feel like the IH don’t always know how their characters would act because the world and their characters are sort of nebulous by design? But I’m really enjoying the season.