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<blockquote data-quote="Oofta" data-source="post: 8221827" data-attributes="member: 6801845">While I do a mix of sandbox and party, I'm with [USER=16814]@Ovinomancer[/USER] on this one.&nbsp; Until something is revealed to the players all plans are like Schrodinger's cat existing in a state of multiple possibilities.&nbsp; It doesn't matter until it happens, so what difference does it make if something was decided 2 months, 2 days or 2 seconds ago?I've almost always run an improv heavy game, none of my players have ever indicated that they realize I'm doing it while they do comment now and then &quot;how did he know we'd ____&quot;.&nbsp; Some people have even accused my of somehow subtly railroading.But again, I don't know how you could do anything approaching a true sandbox and not use improv on a regular basis unless you have books of documentation.&nbsp; An example.&nbsp; The PCs were passing through a small city while traveling from A to B.&nbsp; This was just supposed to be a quick stop-off point and a chance to meet with an informant so I didn't have much detailed about the town other than that it was notorious hangout for bandits and pretty lawless.One of the PCs (a chaotic rogue) decided to see if he could make a bit of profit while in town since they were leaving in a couple of hours anyway.&nbsp; Well, a few bad rolls later and he had attracted attention and we had a running battle through the city.&nbsp; It included a burning warehouse, breaking down a wall to escape the fire into a brothel, follow-up fights and eventually a showdown with a minor boss.There is no way I could have anticipated any of that was going to happen, it was just the logical progression of player choice and some bad rolls.&nbsp; It was also a blast and a thoroughly enjoyable session.So if people say &quot;they would know&quot;, my question is simple.&nbsp; How?&nbsp; If the DM is not stating that they improvise, is it lack of coordination?&nbsp; Having to look things up?&nbsp; Hesitating or reading notes?&nbsp; Because all of those happen in AL mods where we tend to run fairly close to script as well.&nbsp; I mean, I always do at least some prep on encounters and typically have more encounters than I need.&nbsp; I have name and random NPCs lists I can look up.&nbsp; But do I know who the bartender of the Purple Dog is?&nbsp; Heck no, I didn't expect anyone to stop by a tavern and the name just came from my list o' places.TLDR: I think if you are ready to improv, people will have a hard time telling you're improving and I don't know how I would prep for a sandbox campaign without relying on improv.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Oofta, post: 8221827, member: 6801845"] While I do a mix of sandbox and party, I'm with [USER=16814]@Ovinomancer[/USER] on this one. Until something is revealed to the players all plans are like Schrodinger's cat existing in a state of multiple possibilities. It doesn't matter until it happens, so what difference does it make if something was decided 2 months, 2 days or 2 seconds ago? I've almost always run an improv heavy game, none of my players have ever indicated that they realize I'm doing it while they do comment now and then "how did he know we'd ____". Some people have even accused my of somehow subtly railroading. But again, I don't know how you could do anything approaching a true sandbox and not use improv on a regular basis unless you have books of documentation. An example. The PCs were passing through a small city while traveling from A to B. This was just supposed to be a quick stop-off point and a chance to meet with an informant so I didn't have much detailed about the town other than that it was notorious hangout for bandits and pretty lawless. One of the PCs (a chaotic rogue) decided to see if he could make a bit of profit while in town since they were leaving in a couple of hours anyway. Well, a few bad rolls later and he had attracted attention and we had a running battle through the city. It included a burning warehouse, breaking down a wall to escape the fire into a brothel, follow-up fights and eventually a showdown with a minor boss. There is no way I could have anticipated any of that was going to happen, it was just the logical progression of player choice and some bad rolls. It was also a blast and a thoroughly enjoyable session. So if people say "they would know", my question is simple. How? If the DM is not stating that they improvise, is it lack of coordination? Having to look things up? Hesitating or reading notes? Because all of those happen in AL mods where we tend to run fairly close to script as well. I mean, I always do at least some prep on encounters and typically have more encounters than I need. I have name and random NPCs lists I can look up. But do I know who the bartender of the Purple Dog is? Heck no, I didn't expect anyone to stop by a tavern and the name just came from my list o' places. TLDR: I think if you are ready to improv, people will have a hard time telling you're improving and I don't know how I would prep for a sandbox campaign without relying on improv. [/QUOTE]

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