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<blockquote data-quote="The-Magic-Sword" data-source="post: 8830844" data-attributes="member: 6801252">I think part of the reason the crystal example feels like it works (as a contrivance or otherwise) is that it presents a problem (these crystals need to be gathered) rather than a solution, and I'm reminded of Sanderson's laws of magic:But rather than discussing a magic system, we're discussing cause and effect in story structure-- a lot of players will happily accept that the four crystals need to be gathered as a contrivance because it presents them with a problem to go and solve, but they'd be less happy having solutions contrived for them, for the same reason a reader is unhappy with mysterious magic solving problems. Literally, they don't feel like problems have to be earned (because they're part of the premise) but would want to earn the solution (because that's the substance of the narrative, is their trials to gather the crystals) the more the crystals fall into their lap (represented by solution contrivances) the less they feel that the crystals are the fruit of their own labors, so the plan to make them gather the crystals is a fun game, but dropping the crystals on them isn't.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="The-Magic-Sword, post: 8830844, member: 6801252"] I think part of the reason the crystal example feels like it works (as a contrivance or otherwise) is that it presents a problem (these crystals need to be gathered) rather than a solution, and I'm reminded of Sanderson's laws of magic: But rather than discussing a magic system, we're discussing cause and effect in story structure-- a lot of players will happily accept that the four crystals need to be gathered as a contrivance because it presents them with a problem to go and solve, but they'd be less happy having solutions contrived for them, for the same reason a reader is unhappy with mysterious magic solving problems. Literally, they don't feel like problems have to be earned (because they're part of the premise) but would want to earn the solution (because that's the substance of the narrative, is their trials to gather the crystals) the more the crystals fall into their lap (represented by solution contrivances) the less they feel that the crystals are the fruit of their own labors, so the plan to make them gather the crystals is a fun game, but dropping the crystals on them isn't. [/QUOTE]

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