Stats 30k Celebration: The Bardic College of Calculation!

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Thanks to you, friends, we have reached 30,000 followers on Twitter and 11,500 followers on Tumblr. We’ll continue to iterate that we are humbled that so many of you consider us such a valued source of information for Critical Role, and we’ll continue to strive to do so!

In celebration, we’ve put together our own bardic college on the Dungeon Masters Guild, partially inspired by the work we do here: The College of Calculation. If you’ve wanted to give an Intelligence-based bard a try in 5e, now’s your chance! While we always appreciate your donations, the price is set at Choose Your Own for a reason. Please consider this our gift to you!

Special thanks go to Elizabeth Fonseca (@lyingfawn) for providing the character art for this piece. Special thanks also go to my first D&D group’s Slack channel, who offered constructive criticism over the class' development. And, of course, thank you to the Critical Role team, everyone at Geek & Sundry, and all you critters who add to the positive experience that is this community!

Post-Thanksgiving Transcript Volunteers Needed

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Are you looking to avoid more awkward family talk now that Thanksgiving is over? Did you go to PAX Unplugged and are looking for a way to feel that same sense of Critter love you felt while you were there? Are you experiencing withdrawals from not having an episode this week? Are you a Critter looking for a way to help the community out?

Head on over to Critical Role Transcript and help them get all of Critical Role transcribed and captioned! Right now, they need transcribers for the Once Upon a Fairytale Cruise episode. Additionally, since the amazing Critters got the entire Vox Machina backlog transcribed, CRT has begun work on getting other Critical Role related videos captioned. This week’s episode is the Q&A Battle Royale from February 2016 with Matt, Marisha, Travis, Mary, and Will.

Never transcribed before? Fear not! They have transcription instructions linked at the top of both documents. Want an example of what a transcribed section looks like? We’ve got you covered there, too! The first 30 minutes of the Once Upon a Fairytale Cruise episode are already transcribed and edited, so take a look! Two of us CRStatsers are also CRT editors, and we’d be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.

Transcript Update 10/13/17

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It’s been awhile since our last transcript update; we’ve been a little busy with handling the stats for Vox Machina fighting a god. However, Critters, since our last update, an amazing thing happened: you got the entire backlog of Critical Role transcribed. It’s incredible the good this fandom can, and does, do.

Now, you can focus all your efforts toward the most recent episodes, and there is plenty of transcribing to be done there! Here are your options:

Those due dates are for when the episode needs to be transcribed by, so if you can’t transcribe anything in the next two days, opt for SoW Part 2 or Episode 114. If you can jump on something right away, grab a section in SoW Part 1. Go forth and make Critical Role more accessible!

Transcription Update 9/29/17

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Update: The backlog has been fully transcribed! Thank all of you for your efforts to accomplish this significant milestone!

Episode 112’s transcription document has only been available for about three days and it’s already 55% transcribed. At this rate, Critters, we think you can get all the remaining blocks transcribed in the next two weeks, if not sooner.

If you signed up for a block previously, this would be a phenomenal weekend to get that transcription done. If you claimed a block and have discovered that you no longer have the time to transcribe it, be sure to take your name off the chart so another critter can claim it. Episode 112’s transcript is due on October 8th.

To get started transcribing, click on one of the links below. Type your online username (Twitter/Tumblr/Alpha/whatever) in a box. Then, click on the episode title on the chart, which will link you to the transcription document. Then, read the directions (this will save you lots of time while you transcribe, knowing what you can leave out and how to format). Click on the video link in the document and get transcribing! When you think you’re done, go back and check for punctuation, spelling, and capitalization. Then, mark it ready for editing!

Episodes with Sections Unclaimed

  • 113 The Final Ascent: 45 sections unclaimed Due October 15th

Episodes with All Sections Claimed, but Incomplete

CRTranscript Update 9/20/17

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We posted our first push for Critical Role Transcript about five weeks ago. At the time, there were about 500 unclaimed five-minute blocks. Now, including several episodes since then that have already been transcribed by you, there are under 200. This is incredible. Keep up the good work!

If you’re all caught up, head on over to the transcript documents for Episode 111, Shadows of Thomara. If you’re not caught up, claim and transcribe a block from one of the previous episodes. Be sure to read the directions first!

If you previously claimed a block, and haven’t gone back to transcribe it in a while, take the opportunity to go get that done. If you claimed a block and have discovered that you no longer have the time to transcribe it, be sure to take your name off the chart so another critter can claim it. There are several episodes that have been sitting at “Transcription in Progress (All Sections Claimed)” for quite some time and we’d love to see them finished so they can be edited!

Episodes with Sections Unclaimed

Total Sections Unclaimed: 42

Episodes with All Sections Claimed, but Incomplete

Stats 20k Giveaway!

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After over two years of running stats on a game played by a bunch of nerdy ass voice actors, it has come to this: there are over 20,000 of you following us on Twitter. We are QUITE humbled, and equally pleased to be enabled in our nerdery. To celebrate, we think it's time to do a BIG giveaway.

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This time, we've got your very own copy of the Tal'Dorei Campaign Guide, signed by the authors and the cast of Critical Role (plus Brian). This package will also include each color of the #ThanksKeyleth pins, a Critical Role wristband featuring the iconic "How Do You Want to Do This?", AND the Critter Collection Critical Role dice, available exclusively at the GenCon live show!

To enter, make sure you're following us and retweet this tweet by 11:59 PT of September 23, 2017. (This is open to international critters, as well. Wherever it ends up going, we're shipping it!) Our supreme gratitude to you all, stay turnt, and good luck!

Update: Congratulations to @memesquad_ for winning our contest! And seriously, thanks to everyone who entered, commented, or keeps up with us. We're blown away by the positive outpouring we see day after day, and especially so after the initial announcement. Thank you everyone for your support, and we hope to continue putting out awesome stuff for you!

Transcript Update 09/07/2017

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If you haven’t heard, there will be no new Critical Role tonight (feel better, Matt!). Geek & Sundry will be airing episode 110, so if you haven’t watched it yet, here’s your chance (other than catching it on their website). All caught up? Feel like rewatching an old episode? Help CR Transcript get all of Critical Role captioned! (Everything that helps them helps us, as well!) 

If you are all caught up, head on over to the transcript documents for Episodes 110 and 110.5 (Sam’s Bar Room Blitz one shot). If you’re not caught up, claim and transcribe a block from one of the previous episodes. Be sure to read the directions first!

If you previously claimed a block, and haven’t gone back to transcribe it in a while, now’s a great chance to get that transcription done. If you claimed a block and have discovered that you no longer have the time to transcribe it, be sure to take your name off the chart so another critter can claim it.

Total Sections Unclaimed: 111

Transcript Update 3

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It’s been about a week since our last count of transcription blocks, and boy did you all make a dent in the backlog! We’ve seen so many critters trying their hand at transcribing for the first time and having a great experience. If you haven’t given it a try yet, go for it this week! If you are a critter who is caught up to episode 109, claim a five-minute block there before going to the backlog. If you’re not, grab one of the backlog blocks.

Total Sections Unclaimed: 237

In addition to CRT’s directions document that’s linked at the top of every transcription doc, here are some of our tips for making transcribing fun and easy:

  1. Pick a section you enjoy, or have been wanting to rewatch!
  2. Use the YouTube link at the top of the episode’s document.
  3. Using the gear icon on the video, turn the speed down to 0.5x.
  4. Use player’s names (not character names) in all caps when they start talking.
  5. You’re only transcribing spoken words, so don’t worry about writing down any motions or looks.
  6. The only times you use “quotation marks” are when Matt speaks as an NPC or someone quotes someone else.
  7. Don’t agonize over trying to type every um, uh, kind of, or stutter. Those will get cut anyway!
  8. Only transcribe the main conversation, not side chatter. Trying to transcribe crosstalk takes forever!
  9. Need to provide emphasis? Use *asterisks* rather than ALL CAPS or italics.
  10. Have a sound effect? Use something like (lightning crash) rather than (ffsshh) or (crashing noise).
  11. Can’t hear a word/phrase? Use [JENGA 0:00:00] (with the right timestamp) in the doc and an editor will clear it.
  12. CRT-specific spelling preferences: All right, okay, because, going to, got to, want to. One-ten, 11+
  13. Use a double-dash-- for when someone trails off or gets interrupted instead of dots of ellipses…
  14. All done? Go back and relisten to your section at regular speed, fix any spelling/grammar mistakes.
  15. Mark your section as complete. Smile, knowing that you just helped make Critical Role accessible to even more Critters!

Transcript Update 2

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Thanks to @RoochArffer for this artwork!

Five Minute Blocks Unclaimed: 358

Time to focus on getting Episode 108 claimed!

Incomplete, with sections unclaimed:

Transcript Update

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On Saturday, we posted that we think, through the combined powers of Critters, we can clear through all of CRTranscript’s backlog to get Critical Role transcribed and captioned. Since then, we’ve seen a number of new transcribers claiming blocks and giving it a try. What started as around 500 empty five-minute blocks has been whittled down to 391! Critters are amazing.

Incomplete, with sections unclaimed:

If you haven’t given transcribing a try yet, this is a great time to start. In addition to CRT’s directions document that’s linked at the top of every transcription doc, here are some of our tips for making transcribing fun and easy:

  1. Pick a section you enjoy, or have been wanting to rewatch!
  2. Use the YouTube link at the top of the episode’s document.
  3. Using the gear icon on the video, turn the speed down to 0.5x.
  4. Use player’s names (not character names) in all caps when they start talking.
  5. You’re only transcribing spoken words, so don’t worry about writing down any motions or looks.
  6. The only times you use “quotation marks” are when Matt speaks as an NPC or someone quotes someone else.
  7. Don’t agonize over trying to type every um, uh, kind of, or stutter. Those will get cut anyway!
  8. Only transcribe the main conversation, not side chatter. Trying to transcribe crosstalk takes forever!
  9. Need to provide emphasis? Use *asterisks* rather than ALL CAPS or italics.
  10. Have a sound effect? Use something like (lightning crash) rather than (ffsshh).
  11. Can’t hear a word/phrase? Use [JENGA 0:00:00] (with the right timestamp) in the doc and an editor will clear it.
  12. CRT-specific spelling preferences: All right, okay, because, going to, got to, want to. One-ten, 11+
  13. Use a double-dash-- for when someone trails off or gets interrupted instead of dots of ellipses…
  14. All done? Go back and relisten to your section at regular speed, fix any spelling/grammar mistakes
  15. Mark your section as complete. Smile, knowing that you just helped make Critical Role accessible to even more Critters!
Thanks to Critical Role Source for this gif!

Thanks to Critical Role Source for this gif!

Critical Role Critter Survey!

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If you weren't able to watch Talks Machina last night or somehow missed the announcement on Geek & Sundry, Geek & Sundry and Critical Role have released a new survey regarding the state of the Critters, and we're very pleased to announce that we also had a hand in putting it together. If you have 5-10 minutes, please take some time to tell us about yourself, and pass the word around to fellow critters. This is YOUR opportunity to get events closer to you, the merchandise you want in the stores, and... well, generally, getting more cool stuff on the Internet. The survey will be available from now until April 18, 2017. Do it for the stats!

Critical Role Survey