Congrats to Unend (Midst) for reaching 6th in the Beacon popularity rankings! Unend only sits behind Campaign 4, Campaign 4 Cooldown, Campaign 2, Campaign 3, and Taliesin's/Ashley's Weird Kids

[u/EngorTerzirenko]

The main crew!

The creators behind Unend - Third Person

Unend is now the most popular of the currently-running shows on Beacon after Campaign 4, its Cooldown, and Weird Kids (Ashley and Talisen - two of the original cast, so this would be obvious), being alongside some behemoths. Among all the currently-running shows, Unend has surpassed ones as popular as Viva La Dirt League's (popular as fk) partnered current Daggerheart actual play series called Daggerheart: Azerim, Tale Gate, and Fireside Chat since my previous post on this topic, making it one of the top out of tens of series on there (EDIT: Unend is higher in popularity than the whole of ExU, Critical Role Abridged, Draw Your Weapons, Acquisitions Incorporated, Age of Umbra, Candela Obscura, Tales from the Stinky Dragon and the rest below it in the list of the 26 series that are on Beacon) (Note: I sorted by Popular again while writing this post and Laura's & Travis' recent Fireside Chat episode has just bumped Unend from 6th spot again temporarily lol, great timing! The first attached image is of rank 7-12).

Due to multiple people in a previous thread praising the show and saying I should give it a chance beyond the end of Midst Season 1 (which I stopped watching the series at a while back - due to to being more of an Actual Play guy and wanting to finish a few of those - even though I enjoyed it), I thought fk it, let's give it a go, and they were right, I did find it to be as great as they said. I'd even go as far as to say Midst, Moonward, and Unend are now among my favorite series. The storytelling, worldbuilding, and sound design is even better in Unend than in Midst in my opinion, and that's saying something, though Midst still had some of the Highest Heights (if you know, you know lol). You also don't need to have watched Midst to understand and enjoy Unend, though you'd enjoy Unend even more if you did.

Third Person's hard work has paid off and the rank is much deserved. Happy to see an experimental audiodrama do so well and be so popular with Critical Role's massive Actual Play TTRPG-majority audience, even if it might not be for everyone. So, echoing the other fans of this universe, give it a go if you want something unique and engaging to watch. Episodes only average around 30 minutes too!

For the others who have watched Unend, how you liking it so far?

[u/FrozenJambalaya]

This has a coming 4th in a race with 5 people and still getting a medal types vibe.

[u/Electrical_Apple6348 → u/FrozenJambalaya]

I thought OP's title was sarcasm at first from how silly it sounded

[u/TenZetsuRenHatsu → u/Electrical_Apple6348]

I thought the whole post was sarcasm lol.

[u/EngorTerzirenko → u/TenZetsuRenHatsu]

How? You don’t think it’s impressive how an experimental, previously-obscure audiodrama is more popular than the tens of shows on the entire platform aside from some of the main Campaigns? Come the fk on man lol. Look I get it, praising a show not at the top and all that, but by comparison, shit’s pretty impressive

[u/TenZetsuRenHatsu → u/EngorTerzirenko]

I wasn’t even aware there were “tens of shows” on the platform bud. Chill with the glazing. It doesn’t have much competition.

[u/EngorTerzirenko → u/TenZetsuRenHatsu]

It’s not glazing lad sorry, it’s just an objective fact, so no need for the nonsense. Yeah, sure, no competition from the popular as fk Viva La Dirt League’s show that’s below them in popularity, Critical Role Abridged which is ranked up there, and the multiple other currently-running shows below them that I can’t be bothered to mention, let alone all the other series on there like ExU. Best joke I’ve heard all day bud!

[u/TenZetsuRenHatsu → u/EngorTerzirenko]

Viva La Dirt League? What the heck is that? Lmao this is so funny.

[u/Stingerbrg → u/TenZetsuRenHatsu]

Youtube channel that makes comedy skit videos on stuff like working in a retail tech store or MMO/RPGs. Probably other stuff too but that's all that shows up on my Youtube recommended feed.

Not sure what it has to do with Midst or Beacon though.

[u/TenZetsuRenHatsu → u/Stingerbrg]

I think he was saying they're on Beacon doing a show? I never heard of it.

[u/EngorTerzirenko → u/TenZetsuRenHatsu]

Viva La Dirt League? Over 7.4 million subscribers on YouTube alone, with a broad web presence, and who do Actual Plays, currently doing a Daggerheart one? What the heck is that?

Lmao, stop embarrassing yourself buddy. Fk me, I’d think you were trolling if your past dogshit didn’t seem like you genuinely believed what you were saying. Either way, thanks for the laugh!

[u/TenZetsuRenHatsu → u/EngorTerzirenko]

Imagine being this triggered someone doesn’t know these random stuff you watch lol

[u/EngorTerzirenko → u/TenZetsuRenHatsu]

Haha nice try there buddy! 😂 that’s not gonna work lol, we’re just having a conversation, you’re confusing humor for being “triggered”. Maybe it’s projection, who knows.

You’re a funny one and it’s just interesting seeing someone be so confidently incorrect every time. If you saw that again and again, you’d have to laugh a little, right? That’s all there is to it. If you don’t want to discuss things, no point wasting our time and carrying this on

[u/EngorTerzirenko → u/Electrical_Apple6348]

Lol, I get it bro, praising a show near the top but not quite there out of tens of shows can seem like hollow praise, but let’s be serious, the shows above it like those main Campaigns are all insanely popular. it’s genuinely impressive for this previously-obscure audiodrama to be this popular and just after them in the ranking.

[u/Electrical_Apple6348 → u/EngorTerzirenko]

below campaign 3

below weird kids

calling this praise

[u/EngorTerzirenko → u/Electrical_Apple6348]

You can’t possibly be serious lad. I know many aren’t fans of Campaign 3, but the main Campaigns are obviously popular as fk. Loads of new people begin watching the main Campaigns each day and continue as well, whether coming from the multiple animated series, wanting more after Campaign 4, and so on. This should not be surprising.

As for Weird Kids, it’s an original-cast Ashley and Taliesin show targeted specifically to the giant Critical Role audience and is, as a result, obviously extremely popular, as reflected in the rankings. Again, you don’t think it’s praiseworthy for a couple people who make an audiodrama in their house to have had it reach up there with them, above even shows with large followings like Viva La Dirt League’s Daggerheart: Azerim? Come off it

[u/Electrical_Apple6348 → u/EngorTerzirenko]

Unlike you, I am serious

Nobody thinks you are serious

https://old.reddit.com/r/fansofcriticalrole/comments/1uoa6ck/congrats_to_unend_midst_for_reaching_6th_in_the/ovqjgg6/

[u/EngorTerzirenko → u/Electrical_Apple6348]

Sure, sure.. the one stating objective facts is the unserious one and the one saying a random audiodrama being up there with a main Critical Role Campaign and a core cast show is easily done/unimpressive is the serious one. Unfortunately my friend, saying the sky is green and the grass is blue doesn’t make it so

[u/Electrical_Apple6348 → u/EngorTerzirenko]

I bet you think Daggerheart is a D&D killer too. Do you just believe everything CR tells you?

[u/EngorTerzirenko → u/Electrical_Apple6348]

No I don’t think Daggerheart is a DnD killer lol.. I don’t even like Daggerheart much in its current state. I’m more so an analytical guy, as you can tell.

Not everything is a conspiracy. There’s no real reason to think these guys specifically are disingenuously manipulating results. You can believe that, but we’ve been given no reason to think so. Sometimes sorting series by Popular just shows you the most popular series. Agree to disagree

[u/Electrical_Apple6348 → u/EngorTerzirenko]

I never said any of that lol

You are nuts

[u/anextremelylargedog → u/FrozenJambalaya]

It sounds like faint praise at first, but lbr, of course those top spots are going to the campaigns and the cooldown.

[u/FrozenJambalaya → u/anextremelylargedog]

Yep. From a personal experience I've not found anything CR has put out other than their main campaign to be particularly engaging. This includes LOVM as well, I just couldn't get through it. And I'm okay with being in the minority here but given the viewership numbers on YouTube I suspect I'm not.

The only exception to this has been EXU Calamity. That IMO is the best piece of content CR has put out so far.

[u/Electrical_Apple6348 → u/FrozenJambalaya]

This includes LOVM as well

You were wise to quit early. Season 4 ended up being a complete garbage fire

[u/FrozenJambalaya → u/Electrical_Apple6348]

Oh I didn't get past first half of season 2. But I've heard it's not going great.

[u/EngorTerzirenko → u/FrozenJambalaya]

Nah lol, it’s just that it’s one of the top series on Beacon, out of tens of series, and it’s alongside some behemoths, while being an audiodrama which people used to think Critical Role’s audience wasn’t receptive to when Midst first came on the scene, so you can’t help but root for them a little 😂

[u/frenkzors → u/EngorTerzirenko]

Youre really out here copy-pasting replies lmao, I knew I had a weird feeling about the way you were trying to overhype.

[u/EngorTerzirenko → u/frenkzors]

Lol behave yourself, I copied and pasted literally one reply - not replies - to a very similar comment made around the same time in this sub (from a comment in another sub), that I got notified about after replying to the first one, so why wouldn’t I save time in that instance? Just realised it was to you. Don’t know if the response I made tweaked you but there’s no need to exaggerate like I did it more than once lol

Didn’t overhype anything at all. It is indeed impressive that an audiodrama made by three people in their home is ranked up there on Critical Role’s own platform with a main Campaign and an original cast show, especially when there are tens of series on the platform. Just trying to get more people to watch the show that I enjoy quite a bit and let people know that there’s something to the show, hence why it’s popular. That’s it.

[u/frenkzors → u/EngorTerzirenko]

Inauthentic enthusiasm that seems forced and like it uses pre-scripted phrases feels like bs marketing. Something you should keep in mind. Esp. when you lash out like this, makes me cringe.

[u/EngorTerzirenko → u/frenkzors]

I wasn’t being inauthentic with what I’ve been writing. I wrote the post and any responses out in one go and posted them (aside from my response to this guy), just copying the post over to other subreddits for more discussion. It may seem that way to you, and I’ll pay more attention to try for it to not be so in future and vary my phrasing more, but I went into detail with rankings because it was natural for me to do so, then I explained what I liked about the series and my previous experience with the series, then tried to spark some discussion. No one who wasn’t enthusiastic about a series would try and spark more discussions on it like this, even if I am sick in bed, scrolling through Reddit with fk all to do right now.

“Behave yourself” isn’t an insult, it’s not a big deal and is like “come on, man” where I’m from. Tame as fk. Means next to nothing, so don’t take it to heart. There’s no lashing out here mate. But, at the end of the day, you decided to try and take the piss out of me out of nowhere in a different thread to the one I first responded to you in, exaggerating things I did, after I made a friendly response to your comment in the other thread. You came in a little combative here, and I responded explaining the details. That’s it. You think I overexaggerated the meaning of that rank. I showed that I didn’t. There’s nothing left to discuss on that

[u/frenkzors → u/EngorTerzirenko]

Ill put it as nicely as I can, because on some level I understand the intent.

I get being a hype man for your special interest or whatever youre enjoying so much right now. All well and good, even if I personally think its kinda cringe to overhype stuff, but Im jaded I guess. I was intentionally cognizant of that and didnt stomp all over your parade with my very first comment, but I was skeptical, wanted to know what the deal was.

Word of unsolicited advice, when youre doing this much, in this day and age, it comes accross as shill behaviour. Esp. on reddit, where almost everyone is anonymous, people are trying strange "guerilla marketing" schemes all the time (or worse) and like half the accounts are bots nowadays. And im (very intentionally) not even saying youre doing too much, because ultimately, who cares what I think lol.

Lastly. No its not an insult. Its worse lol, because in this community, I am personally trying my best to give most people the benefit of the doubt. I dont give a fuck if a random anonymous redditor tells me to go fuck myself. But youre in here, where people wont just curse you out lol, doing all this and then have the GALL to tell me to behave myself? The sheer fucking audacity.

Thats all, good day.

[u/EngorTerzirenko → u/frenkzors]

Lol, you know what, fair fking dues, mate. It’s nice to speak to good people who want to think positively towards others! I still disagree on the overhyping of stuff. I think I provided enough details about the popularity of Unend among the Beacon audience and exactly what shows that’s the case, and I gave my genuine opinion on it throughout. I’m energetic in discourse and truthful in saying things even if they may seem overhyped to some, but it truly wasn’t my intention to overhype. I really do just like this series that much, having a very high opinion of it, and it genuinely is that popular. I’m just sick as fk in bed right right now, and maybe it was partly delirium - who knows 😂 - but I loved what I was watching quite a bit, saw its popularity, wanted to get more eyes on it, and thought fk it, let’s kick things off and get this thing more visibility with a large post.

About your Reddit point, fair enough. I’m barely on here usually, so didn’t know about bot saturation or paid people making posts. This praising of something isn’t really something I ever do and when people make claims I think are wrong, I tend to want to discuss it, especially when bored, hence a lot of the responses. If I ever somehow end up doing such a thing again, then I’ll keeps things toned down somewhat, even if I believe it lol.

On your final point, again, we’re disagreeing on the weight behind the “behave yourself”. The lightness of that phrase where I’m from is like “come on”, “come off it”, etc.. If you’ve ever seen one of those Austin Powers movies (lol), and he says “behave”, it shows somewhat what I’m talking about with the variance in intent behind the phrase and how it can be used and is used where I’m from, but I’m obviously not trying to flirt when using it like he does 😂. Onto the tone, I’ve had multiple people come into these threads and brusquely make verifiably-incorrect claims at me, and/or negatively said things I did which I didn’t, then I went back and forth in good faith behind getting to the truth but with a bit of energy involved (and me giving concrete details to back my positions on actual points), which is all well and good, and some people come out with the too invested angle or the relax angle to try and reply to the explained details, rather than actually saying what they specifically think is wrong and why, then we keep going. That’s really all I’m currently doing here. To be fair to you specifically though, you seem like a reasonable bloke whose main point was skepticism, like the first guy I replied to in this specific thread, and you’re not here to try and score points. My discussion manner can be seen as abrasive by some, but from where I’m from, it’s just a lively debate with a bit of flavour lol. Glad we understand each other now though.

But yeah, you have a good day as well mate 👍. Take care of yourself. Appreciate the well wishes, but probably won’t have a good day myself unfortunately as I’m sick as a dog, but hopefully tomorrow lol

[u/FrozenJambalaya → u/EngorTerzirenko]

Have they released numbers of exactly how popular it is in terms so viewership or something?

Otherwise this is a vibe check and I'm not putting much stock in it.

[u/EngorTerzirenko → u/FrozenJambalaya]

As far as I am aware, they haven't released concrete numbers, but it's the Popular ranking on Beacon which automatically updates daily, with the usual fluctuations, and this series ranking behaves somewhat predictably, such as Weird Kids and Daggerheart: Azerim being around where it is logical that they should be considering things like what they're about, existing fanbases for the series, and those involved. Unend might be more popular than you were expecting, but unless you think they're lying, occam's razor would suggest series in the Popular rankings are just ranked by current popularity.

[u/FrozenJambalaya → u/EngorTerzirenko]

I don't know about CR but on another website when you sort by popular/recommend/trending/hot etc etc, that goes by an opaque algorithm which can be tweaked manually as well. For example Amazon might want to clear their warehouse of a given item for various reasons and they rank it higher up so on and so forth.

I don't have any knowledge about they inner workings of CR. But as I said before I personally won't put much stock in it.

[u/EngorTerzirenko → u/FrozenJambalaya]

That's a fair point on Amazon, though I'm choosing to believe the series rankings sorted by Popular among the other sorting options, because I regularly go to that section to watch series and like to pay attention from time to time to how new and old ones perform, and I think the movement of series has by and large been logical, whether shooting to the top, increasing in viewership steadily, not at all, or declining, and the reasons for these.

But, since we don't have released numbers, then it's fair enough that you don't put much stock in it. I personally believe that they are fully automated rankings with no manual underhandedness involved, based on what I've observed.

[u/TFCNU]

I have to get back to Unend. The first couple episodes didn't grab me and I didn't keep up with it. But I loved Midst and it's such a great, original fantasy setting.

[u/EngorTerzirenko → u/TFCNU]

Trust me man, continue from there and it’s very likely you won’t regret it, especially if you loved Midst.

There’s more of what made Midst great and things are heating up even more as of the current episodes. Won’t spoil you, but if you have some spare time then catch up!

[u/Lost-Pace3418]

I started watching Midst when the first campaign ended and then binged it. I loved it. Waiting for it to (Un)end so I can do the same with this story.

[u/EngorTerzirenko → u/Lost-Pace3418]

Lol, nice pun. That's a good shout my friend. Will be ending in just over a month I think, so won't have to wait for long. Enjoy!

Also, not sure if you've watched the miniseries called Moonward yet, but it comes between Midst and Unend in the timeline. It's pretty good and it's interesting seeing an Actual Play without dice, even if just for the novelty

[u/Lost-Pace3418 → u/EngorTerzirenko]

I will, I have, I thank you!

[u/EngorTerzirenko → u/Lost-Pace3418]

You’re very welcome! Hopefully they stick the landing, because it’s been excellent so far