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<blockquote data-quote="overgeeked" data-source="post: 9255497" data-attributes="member: 86653">Sure. But you don’t control the most important part of that equation, the PCs. They’re the main characters to that story. Any story that results is their story. A story about them. You also left off another aspect you as referee have zero control over, the dice.This is a better formula, that’s more accurate, I think. Your prep + players’ choices + chaos made manifest as math rocks = RPG story.Your prep includes the setting and the NPCs. You control 1/3 of the equation. Not 2/3. And of course it assumes that the players actually engage with the prep you want them to, instead of going left when you expected them to go right.Everyone has a lot more fun when the referee eases up a bit and goes with the flow. Some of the best times I’ve had were from being surprised by the direction the game goes. So much less tension and worry about pushing things to turn out how I want. Be surprised along with the players. It’s more fun that way.Sure, but nothing says you have to tailor your prep to the PCs. Putting in things specifically suited to the PCs makes for boring games. Put in a variety of obstacles regardless of the PCs’ abilities. They’ll be challenged in unexpected ways and have to think to overcome those obstacles. That’s a lot more fun than tailoring the obstacles to the PCs.Being able to predict the story makes it boring. You ever watch or read a mystery where you know the ending ahead of time? It’s incredibly unsatisfying. That‘s why people don’t tend to read or watch the end first. To preserve the mystery and surprise.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="overgeeked, post: 9255497, member: 86653"] Sure. But you don’t control the most important part of that equation, the PCs. They’re the main characters to that story. Any story that results is their story. A story about them. You also left off another aspect you as referee have zero control over, the dice. This is a better formula, that’s more accurate, I think. Your prep + players’ choices + chaos made manifest as math rocks = RPG story. Your prep includes the setting and the NPCs. You control 1/3 of the equation. Not 2/3. And of course it assumes that the players actually engage with the prep you want them to, instead of going left when you expected them to go right. Everyone has a lot more fun when the referee eases up a bit and goes with the flow. Some of the best times I’ve had were from being surprised by the direction the game goes. So much less tension and worry about pushing things to turn out how I want. Be surprised along with the players. It’s more fun that way. Sure, but nothing says you have to tailor your prep to the PCs. Putting in things specifically suited to the PCs makes for boring games. Put in a variety of obstacles regardless of the PCs’ abilities. They’ll be challenged in unexpected ways and have to think to overcome those obstacles. That’s a lot more fun than tailoring the obstacles to the PCs. Being able to predict the story makes it boring. You ever watch or read a mystery where you know the ending ahead of time? It’s incredibly unsatisfying. That‘s why people don’t tend to read or watch the end first. To preserve the mystery and surprise. [/QUOTE]

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