Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Choose the Illusion: Dungeon Mastering
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Fanaelialae" data-source="post: 5765696" data-attributes="member: 53980"><p>According to the player's response to you, that wasn't the case. What I took from it (which is also what the player said) was that he simply was concerned about whether his choices were relevant, which is definitely not something that a player who just wants to get back on the rails would be concerned about.</p><p></p><p>There are strengths and weaknesses to each approach. </p><p></p><p>A plotted game can marginalize the value of having choices (or in particularly bad plotted games, offer no choices at all), but can offer an epic storyline that keeps players riveted to their seats. The plotted story allows the DM to pour all of his time and energy into a single storyline, and thereby maximize the awesome thereof. In a good plotted game it shouldn't matter that players don't have a sandbox of choices, as the players shouldn't have any interest in leaving the "rails", because those rails are part of the best roller coaster they've ever ridden.</p><p></p><p>A sandbox game rewards choice, but may feel too unfocused for some. A good sandbox game makes player choices matter, and enables them to play exactly how the players want to play. A bad sandbox, on the other hand, may leave the players aimless, wandering without any clue as to what they might do next. In a good sandbox, the DM drops plenty of clues about, and gives the players the freedom to succeed or fail based on their own choices. This style relies at least as much upon the players as the DM to make it awesome.</p><p></p><p>In my own games, I prefer a blend. Sometimes I give them the freedom to do whatever they desire. (Even when not, I always make sure that their choices matter.) Other times I want to lead them to a specially prepared scene; one that will stand out in their memories for a long time to come. It's possible to do so without being heavy handed; you just have to know your players and how to properly motivate them. I think each style has a place and a time.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Fanaelialae, post: 5765696, member: 53980"] According to the player's response to you, that wasn't the case. What I took from it (which is also what the player said) was that he simply was concerned about whether his choices were relevant, which is definitely not something that a player who just wants to get back on the rails would be concerned about. There are strengths and weaknesses to each approach. A plotted game can marginalize the value of having choices (or in particularly bad plotted games, offer no choices at all), but can offer an epic storyline that keeps players riveted to their seats. The plotted story allows the DM to pour all of his time and energy into a single storyline, and thereby maximize the awesome thereof. In a good plotted game it shouldn't matter that players don't have a sandbox of choices, as the players shouldn't have any interest in leaving the "rails", because those rails are part of the best roller coaster they've ever ridden. A sandbox game rewards choice, but may feel too unfocused for some. A good sandbox game makes player choices matter, and enables them to play exactly how the players want to play. A bad sandbox, on the other hand, may leave the players aimless, wandering without any clue as to what they might do next. In a good sandbox, the DM drops plenty of clues about, and gives the players the freedom to succeed or fail based on their own choices. This style relies at least as much upon the players as the DM to make it awesome. In my own games, I prefer a blend. Sometimes I give them the freedom to do whatever they desire. (Even when not, I always make sure that their choices matter.) Other times I want to lead them to a specially prepared scene; one that will stand out in their memories for a long time to come. It's possible to do so without being heavy handed; you just have to know your players and how to properly motivate them. I think each style has a place and a time. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Choose the Illusion: Dungeon Mastering
Top