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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 5835207" data-attributes="member: 42582">Agreed.I don't think this has to be true, although it may depend on what you mean by "DM control".It is possible to run a highly story-focused game in which the GM has a lot of authority over framing the situations/setting up the encounters, but does not have authority over how those situations are resolved - because this is determined by the action resolution mechanics as deployed by the players in playing their PCs.I haven't introduced that many new players to RPGs, but when I have I haven't found what you say to be the case. After all, one thing that can attract new players is the idea of playing a game in which they can write their own fantasy story, with control over the protagonist (their PC). Making good on this promise requires the player, new or otherwise, to be given some significant degree of authority over how the story of the game unfolds.Interesting question. I'm coming to like RPG designs that faciliate player trust independently of GM authority over backstory.One example I have in mind of this sort of mechanic is metagame determined DCs (4e, HeroQuest revised, etc). The players can be confident that, whatever the backstory, the DCs will be roughly achievable. So the way the story unfolds is shaped, in part, by things they don't know, but their PCs can't get mechanically hosed by that backstory.A different sort of example is Burning Wheel, which uses non-metagame setting of DCs (like 3E, it's based entirely on "objective" ingame difficulty) but which has mechanics whereby players can benefit from having their PCs be mechancially hosed (because taking on impossible challenges is central to PC advancement). And the game also has excellent advice on how to GM failed checks (much better than anything I've ever seen in a D&D book).A situation in which the GM has secret backstory knowledge, and there is no sort of mechanical approach to insulate the players and their PCs from being hosed by making the wrong choices in relation to this, can produce an impression of unfairness, I would say. The ToH is probably one well-known example of this, but I think it can apply equally in non-dungeon-crawling, more social/world exploration-oriented games.</blockquote>

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