I still watch the weekly podcast but I only keep up with the L5R AP, none of the other ongoing ones grabbed me. I watched most of them for one or two sessions before losing interest for one reason or another. I think Critical Role has made me really picky when it comes to APs. Also, I always watch on Youtube, I don't know if that matters for your analytics.
As for the overall enjoyment/quality/je ne sais quoi of the Podcast iteself, I will echo what some have already said:
-The greater diversity among the hosts is good overall (and Adam and Aabria have proven to be frikin hilarious and awesome hosts), but that does come at the expense of the old guard. There was a greater sense of familiarity and community when there were fewer hosts, and that's something I miss these days. It's understandable that many former hosts are no longer available, or interested, but even the ones that remain end up being kinda spread out.
-Regarding APs, very few of them actually grab me in the long run. Sometimes the game system just doesn't do it for me, sometimes it's the setting, sometimes it's the characters, and sometimes it's the players or GM; not everyone's approach will click with me. I already know of several players/GM on the show that are virtually guaranteed to turn me off or turn me on (no, not like that! Well, sometimes like that...) but I've found that even one or two people involved who don't click with me, will quickly turn me off the whole AP. Now, that's purely a matter of personal preference but that is largely why I only watch one AP at this point.
-Another point on APs was made by @whodo
I will admit that this is pretty nitpicky, but my natural anal-retentiveness really gets triggered when I start to feel like I know the rules of a game that I've never played or even read better than the ones playing it. This is not a deal-breaker in itself, but I figured since someone already brought it up, I'd add my voice to it.
-Regarding a point made by
fredrix It definitely feels like you guys are trying to be more "proper" since you started streaming to Twitch and greatly upgraded your face-mics. I understand the reason for it, but I think that in attempting to make yourselves more appealing to a wider audience, you may have alienated some of your old-time listeners who actually enjoyed the more casual, less cleaned-up tone. There are so many other RPG podcasts out there that cater to the demographic of people who only want sanitized content, and Happy Jacks used to be a port of call for those of us who wanted something more akin to how actual adults speak in everyday life, as opposed to the TV version of adult speak.
Also, I'm Canadian and I'm not bothered at all by the burps! Also, I miss the soundboard dammit!!
-As
uncommonman mentioned:
I'm generally not a fan of the "help a player" mechanic overall, any AP I've watched or listened to I always felt suffered for its inclusion. In part due to the reason uncommonman mentioned, but also because I find it intrusive and disruptive to the flow of the game on both a story level, and a mechanics level since it messes with the rules of the game and the way it's "supposed" to be played. A minor detail overall, but definitely a negative for me.
-Regarding everything
mysticfedora said. That shit scares me! That is pretty much the opposite of where I'd like to see Happy Jacks heading. I certainly don't want Happy Jacks to die, but one of the main things I loved about HJ from the beginning was the sense of community, the sense of knowing the people on the podcast, and the overall casual easy-going nature of it. Trying to make it into some giant, soulless, impersonal multi-media empire would pretty much kill it for me.
-Regarding what
weaselcreature said about
OFTHEHILLPEOPLE 's comment
I very much agree with that! I feel like most of the points I've made so far make it pretty clear that I like (and frankly miss) the more casual, off-handed, less polished, less squeaky clean vibe of the earlier seasons. This is what made me stick with HJ since I discovered you guys back in season 3 (I think?) while I gradually gave up on every single other RPG podcast I ever listened to, often after only a few episodes.
-Regarding what
vyrrk said:
Yes! #1 and #2 are definitely right on the money for me. And yes, I'm sure many of us noticed the phasing out of the "and beer" part of the intro, and I feel like that small edit is emblematic of a greater wave of changes on the podcast that frankly aren't to my taste. There have been no deal-breakers so far, but I am a bit concerned that there may come a time when the podcast loses its appeal for me.
So, this has been a downright Jibian post by now, but I ain't done yet!
I want to address something that I feel is kind of unavoidable for any podcast/band/show/performance group of whatever sort as they age and grow larger. Specifically, I want to address the Hipster Problem, which counter to its name, is not relegated to hipsters only but can in fact affect all of us.
The usual Hipster Problem as we all know it, of course, is the whole "I liked them before they were cool" issue. Now, it's easy to dismiss that as a simple desire to be contrarian by turning against something once it becomes mainstream, but there is a more relevant issue with this problem. That issue is the inevitable, though gradual, transformation of the initial product AND the community surrounding it.
For example, that favorite band that all hipsters in your town know that no one else knows about. At first, they're small and unknown, as a result they are accessible and have a small following. It is therefore possible to personally know the band-members themselves and most of the small fandom surrounding them. This situation allows for the emergence of a strong sense of community and unity among the fans, that can even include the band-members. This also can create a strong sense of belonging, which creates very strong ties.
If at some point the band makes it big, the band-members that once were accessible are now unreachable, also the community, by that point, explodes to such a size that it becomes impossible to truly get a sense of unity from it since it's too scattered. This destroys the former sense of belonging, possibly leaving one feeling a bit disenchanted. The other potential issue with the fandom explosion is the emergence of Super-Fans. I define Super-Fans as the ones who, whether they knew the band from the beginning or came in later, are willing to devote so much time and energy to the band and their fandom that they end up knowing more about your favorite thing than you ever thought possible and may also be the only ones who still maintain direct access to the band-members through their unending willingness to commit everything to their fandom. They also are the ones who will always defend anything the band and band-members do, since in the Super-Fan's eyes, this band, with which they may identity to an unhealthy level, simply can do no wrong. This can be an issue when people try to point out problems or potential problems, only to get shot down by the outraged Super-Fan. The Super-Fans, on their own, may not generally seem like a problem but they can also act as a barrier between the band and the original fans who made them big in the first place, creating a distance that may reduce individual involvement and commitment.
Now these two points might not be that applicable to Happy Jacks yet, due to the podcast not really being that big (yet!). But there is another component to the Hipster Problem, and it may be the most insidious and most applicable to HJ. And that is the issue of "Mainstreaming!!!!!" In order for a small, unknown band (sticking with the local band example) to grow into a big mainstream seller, it has to appeal to the widest possible audience (obviously), which means that it may have to change itself to accommodate an audience that its original identity might put off, offend, or simply fail to attract. This means, that in order for a small, niche band to become big, it invariably has to change its style, at least enough to be appealing to a larger audience. In the process its original identity as to be sacrificed in order to create this new, more widely appealing, identity. For those who fell in love with the original band, this literally means the disappearance of the band they once loved so much. Hence why Hipsters mourn the loss of the band they loved before it was cool, because they in fact, DID lose the band they loved when it remolded itself to become more appealing to a mainstream audience.
This third point ties in to the comments some others have made, and which I've quote and added to above, about the changes that have come to HJ over the years, especially since the Twitch era. I really loved the cruder, more irreverent, less polished, more "adult" HJ of yesteryear, and in many ways I feel like I've already kinda lost that. The new HJ is still a very good podcast, but to be perfectly honest, if I had discovered HJ in the Twitch era, I don't know that it would have hooked me as the original version did. HJ used to have its own voice, its own tone, and unique identity, now it feels too much like you guys are trying too hard to fit into "polite" podcast society, and that's simply not what drew me to HJ in the first place.
P.S. Hide quoted text.
P.P.S. I made you say peepee and you can't deny it!!!
P.P.P.S. NOW this thing is JiBological.