History YMMV / TheGamersDorknessRising

* SurprisinglyImprovedSequel: While the first Gamers was a fun romp based around Dungeons and Dragons, it was also painfully evident that they were doing it on a very limited budget with mixed acting skills for everyone involved. ''Dorkness Rising'', while definitely debated on where [[ContestedSequel you prefer a more coherent story or more tabletop jokes]], has noticeably more convincing acting from the cast all around, more diverse characters with more interesting personalities, and more complex setpieces that feels overall better integrated into the film. Or, for that matter, that it can be watched as a film, rather than a series of skids cobbled together.

* SurprisinglyImprovedSequel: While the first Gamers was a fun romp based around Dungeons and Dragons, it was also painfully evident that they were doing it on a very limited budget with mixed acting skills for everyone involved. ''Dorkness Rising'', while definitely debated on where [[ContestedSequel you prefer a more coherent story or more tabletop jokes]], has noticeably more convincing acting from the cast all around, more diverse characters with more interesting personalities, and more complex setpieces that feels overall better integrated into the film.

* SurprisinglyImprovedSequel: While the first Gamers was a fun romp based around Dungeons and Dragons, it was also painfully evident that they were doing it on a very limited budget with mixed acting skills for everyone involved. ''Dorkness Rising'', while definitely debated on where [[ContestedSequel you prefer a more coherent story or more tabletop jokes]], has noticeably more convincing acting from the cast all around, more diverse characters with more interesting personalities, and more complex setpieces that feels overall better integrated into the film.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Cass starts to ridicule Joanna's build, for making Daphne a GlassCannon. However, his initial plan to play Brother Silence was to make him a FragileSpeedster GlassCannon. Cass is either a massive {{Hypocrite}} ''or'' furious, because Joanna covers the exact same spot in the party that he wanted for himself, rendering his entire build useless.

** Another problem with Lodge style of running the game is that he insists on doing something 3rd edition of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' was obviously not designed to be or do: running a low-magic, low-fantasy setting. For a 9th level campaign, there are virtually no magical items (in a game that openly requires them to "work" properly), Gary's spell range is just plain inadequate and Lodge insists on removing the [[AllMonksKnowKungFu kung-fu monk]] and run the setting as all-human[[note]]The last one is done for [[SerendipityWritesThePlot purely budgetary reasons]], so it's not exactly character's fault[[/note]]. Anyone with even a cursory familiarity with modern [=D&D=] mechanics will tell you this can't feasibly work and leads to nothing, but problems - and ones that only come from rookie [=DMs=]. The players are more than correct to call Lodge out on this, because they are aware where this is heading and them routinely failing to "beat" the campaign comes to no small part from the artificial limitations imposed by Lodge.

* HeartwarmingMoments: Gary usually plays TheLoonie and derails the story for fun, but when Cass's tantrum over Joanna's roleplaying drives her close to tears, Gary simply moves to the chair next to Joanna and asks Lodge, "So, what happens next?"

* StopHavingFunGuys: Cass has outburst of this every time anyone has any other goal than "winning". Then there is his way over the line behaviour when Joan decides to "waste" her own wish on "some stupid story", while ''everyone else in the group'' agreed it's a great decision.

* CrossesTheLineTwice: Gary uses the Flaming Hand of Fiery Doom, a demon-killing spell, on a random peasant NPC to just move on with the plot. After being yelled on by half of the party he takes a short pause, only to ask how much experience he gets for the peasant.

* CrossesTheLineTwice: Gary uses the Fiery Hand of Doom, a demon-killing spell, on a random peasant NPC to just move on with the plot. After being yelled on by half of the party he takes a short pause, only to ask how much experience he gets for the peasant.

** Another problem with Lodge style of running the game is that he insists on doing something 3rd edition of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' was obviously not designed to be or do: running a low-magic, low-fantasy setting. For a 9th level campaign, there are virtually no magical items (in a game that openly requires them to "work" properly), Gary's spell range is just plain inadequate and Lodge insists on removing the [[AllMonksKnowKungFu kung-fu monk]] and run the setting as all-human[[note]]The last one is done for purely budgetary reasons, so it's not exactly character's fault[[/note]]. Anyone with even a cursory familiarity with modern [=D&D=] mechanics will tell you this can't feasibly work and leads to nothing, but problems - and ones that only come from rookie [=DMs=]. The players are more than correct to call Lodge out on this, because they are aware where this is heading and them routinely failing to "beat" the campaign comes to no small part from the artificial limitations imposed by Lodge.

* StopHavingFunGuys: Cass has outburst of this every time anyone has any other goal than "winning". Then there is his way over the line behaviour when Joan decides to "waste" her own wish on "some stupid story", while ''everyone else in the group'' agreed it's a great decision.

** Another problem with Lodge style of running the game is that he insists on doing something 3rd edition of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' was obviously not designed to be or do: running a low-magic, low-fantasy setting. For a 9th level campaign, there are virtually no magical items (in a game that openly requires them to "work" properly), Gary's spell range is just plain inadequate, Lodge insists on removing the [[AllMonksKnowKungFu kung-fu monk]] and run the setting as all-human[[note]]The last one is done for purely budgetary reasons, so it's not exactly character's fault[[/note]]. Anyone with even a cursory familiarity with modern [=D&D=] mechanics will tell you this can't feasibly work and leads to nothing, but problems - and ones that only come from rookie [=DMs=]. The players are more than correct to call Lodge out on this, because they are aware where this is heading and them routinely failing to "beat" the campaign comes to no small part from the artificial limitations imposed by Lodge.

** Another problem with Lodge style of running the game is that he insists on doing something 3rd edition of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsandDragons'' was obviously not designed to be or do: running a low-magic, low-fantasy setting. For a 9th level campaign, there are virtually no magical items (in a game that openly requires them to "work" properly), Gary's spell range is just plain inadequate, Lodge insists on removing the [[AllMonksKnowKungFu kung-fu monk]] and run the setting as all-human[[note]]The last one is done for purely budgetary reasons, so it's not exactly character's fault[[/note]]. Anyone with even a cursory familiarity with modern [=D&D=] mechanics will tell you this can't feasibly work and leads to nothing, but problems - and ones that only come from rookie [=DMs=]. The players are more than correct to call Lodge out on this, because they are aware where this is heading and them routinely failing to "beat" the campaign comes to no small part from the artificial limitations imposed by Lodge.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Cass starts to ridicule Joanna's build, for making Daphne a GlassCannon. However, his initial plan to play Brother Silence was to make him a FragileSpeedster GlassCannon. Cass is either a massive {{Hypocrite}} ''or'' furious, because Joanna covers the exact same spot in the party that he wanted for himself.

** Another problem with Lodge style of running the game is that he insists on doing something 3rd edition of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsandDragons'' was obviously not designed to be or do: running a low-magic, low-fantasy setting. For a 9th level campaign, there are virtually no magical items (in a game that openly requires them to "work" properly), Gary's spell range is just plain inadequate, Lodge insists on removing the [[AllMonksKnowKungFu kung-fu monk]] and run the setting as all-human[[note]]The last one is done for purely budgetary reasons, so it's not exactly character's fault[[/note]]. Anyone with even a cursory familiarity with modern [=D&D=] mechanics will tell you this can't feasibly work and leads to nothing, but problems - and ones that only plague rookie [=DMs=]. The players are more than correct to call Lodge out on this, because they are aware where this is heading and them routinely failing to "beat" the campaign comes to no small part from the artificial limitations imposed by Lodge.

** Another problem with Lodge style of running the game is that he insists on doing something 3rd edition of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsandDragons'' was obviously not designed to be or do: running a low-magic, low-fantasy setting. For a 9th level campaign, there are virtually no magical items (in a game that openly requires them to "work" properly), Gary's spell range is just plain inadequate, Lodge insists on removing the [[AllMonksKnowKungFu kung-fu monk]] and run the setting as all-human[[note]]The last one is done for purely budgetary reasons, so it's not exactly character's fault[[/spoiler]]. Anyone with even a cursory familiarity with modern [=D&D=] mechanics will tell you this can't feasibly work and leads to nothing, but problems - and ones that only plague rookie [=DMs=]. The players are more than correct to call Lodge out on this, because they are aware where this is heading and them routinely failing to "beat" the campaign comes to no small part from the artificial limitations imposed by Lodge.

* DesignatedHero: We're supposed to sympathize with Lodge, and yet he does several things that show him to be a terrible DM. He chronically railroads, he arbitrarily takes away player character's powers (something which the DM guide specifically says you should never do), he throws a monster at the party that can mind control the entire party with no save, and he introduces an NPC specifically to babysit the [=PCs=] while keeping them on rails (The latter even Joanna criticises him for). Thus ''some'' of Cass's actions seem more like the behaviour of a frustrated player trying to take some control over his character than those of a whiny munchkin.

* DesignatedHero: We're supposed to sympathize with Lodge, and yet he does several things that show him to be a terrible DM. He chronically railroads, he arbitrarily takes away player character's powers (something which the DM guide specifically says you should never do), he throws a monster at the party that can mind control the entire party with no save, and he introduces an NPC specifically to babysit the [=PCs=] while keeping them on rails. Thus ''some'' of Cass's actions seem more like the behaviour of a frustrated player trying to take some control over his character than those of a whiny munchkin.

-->'''Gary:''' So... how much experience do I get for the bard?

** And later, when Flynn gets killed yet again by miscasted spell, we've got a follow-up

* CrossesTheLineTwice: Gary uses the Fiery Hand of Doom, a demon-killing spell, on a random peasant NPC to just move on with the plot. After being yelled on by half of the party he takes a short pause, only to ask how much experience he gets for the peasant.

CrossesTheLineTwice: Gary uses the Fiery Hand of Doom, a demon-killing spell, on a random peasant NPC to just move on with the plot. After being yelled on by half of the party he takes a short pause, only to ask how much experience he gets for the peasant.