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<blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 9255552" data-attributes="member: 22779">No.&nbsp; Not at all.Not equal does not mean nonexistent.Of course player choice impacts how something unfolds.&nbsp; That's a given.&nbsp; But, the choices and pretty much anything outside of what the players can directly influence in the game through their characters, are all largely defined by the DM.&nbsp; You can't be a sailor in Dark Sun after all, to use a rather extreme example.My point was though, since the DM has authority over virtually everything in the game except what the players choose, saying that player choice and DM's influence are equal in defining the story does not seem right to me.&nbsp; The player cannot choose things that the DM does not place in the setting.&nbsp; Heck, think of all the arguments about curated race and class lists.&nbsp; People will strongly argue that it's entirely under the DM's purview what is and is not included in a campaign.If I say there are no PC wizards in this campaign, then, well, you're not telling any stories about being a wizard.&nbsp; Full stop.Now, all this aside, what you seem to be describing - a campaign where the DM creates the setting, plonks down some potential conflict points and then sits back and lets the players take the driver's wheel - sounds an awful lot like an MMO to me.&nbsp; How is that not simply World of Warcraft or Eve Online?&nbsp; A game with no plot, no story except what the players choose to do.I believe that being a good story teller is one of the biggest skills a DM should cultivate.&nbsp; I'm not there to wander aimlessly from place to place trying to drum up something of interest.&nbsp; I want you to have a strong story in mind and drive the action of the campaign.&nbsp; I have no problems with that.&nbsp; Mostly because my experience with DM's who want to let the player's drive results in campaigns that stutter to a halt as no one can figure out what to do.&nbsp; The dreaded &quot;rowboat&quot; campaign where you'Re in the middle of an ocean and every direction is equal because there's nothing really going on.I have no interest in driving your campaign.&nbsp; It's your campaign.&nbsp; I'd much prefer the DM have a strong vision for what the game is going to be about and not have to spend hour after hour (which can happen) of players faffing about trying to figure out something to do.&nbsp; There's a reason I don't play MMO's.&nbsp; I find them boring and tedious.&nbsp; Get me to the action.&nbsp; Get me to the drama.&nbsp; I'll provide the script after we get there, don't you worry.&nbsp; But, it's up to the DM to get the ball rolling and keep that ball rolling.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Hussar, post: 9255552, member: 22779"] No. Not at all. Not equal does not mean nonexistent. Of course player choice impacts how something unfolds. That's a given. But, the choices and pretty much anything outside of what the players can directly influence in the game through their characters, are all largely defined by the DM. You can't be a sailor in Dark Sun after all, to use a rather extreme example. My point was though, since the DM has authority over virtually everything in the game except what the players choose, saying that player choice and DM's influence are equal in defining the story does not seem right to me. The player cannot choose things that the DM does not place in the setting. Heck, think of all the arguments about curated race and class lists. People will strongly argue that it's entirely under the DM's purview what is and is not included in a campaign. If I say there are no PC wizards in this campaign, then, well, you're not telling any stories about being a wizard. Full stop. Now, all this aside, what you seem to be describing - a campaign where the DM creates the setting, plonks down some potential conflict points and then sits back and lets the players take the driver's wheel - sounds an awful lot like an MMO to me. How is that not simply World of Warcraft or Eve Online? A game with no plot, no story except what the players choose to do. I believe that being a good story teller is one of the biggest skills a DM should cultivate. I'm not there to wander aimlessly from place to place trying to drum up something of interest. I want you to have a strong story in mind and drive the action of the campaign. I have no problems with that. Mostly because my experience with DM's who want to let the player's drive results in campaigns that stutter to a halt as no one can figure out what to do. The dreaded "rowboat" campaign where you'Re in the middle of an ocean and every direction is equal because there's nothing really going on. I have no interest in driving your campaign. It's your campaign. I'd much prefer the DM have a strong vision for what the game is going to be about and not have to spend hour after hour (which can happen) of players faffing about trying to figure out something to do. There's a reason I don't play MMO's. I find them boring and tedious. Get me to the action. Get me to the drama. I'll provide the script after we get there, don't you worry. But, it's up to the DM to get the ball rolling and keep that ball rolling. [/QUOTE]

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