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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 6811934" data-attributes="member: 6696971">Right quick (no time to post anything of consequence).  I've sped read some posts and I just want to clarify something.  I'll try to post something more meaty this weekend (assuming the time).1)  There is a vast, sweeping chasm between my claim of "heavy prepped setting and metaplot creates temptation (proportionate to investment) to introduce this content into play regardless of play outcomes" and "heavily prepped games invariably lead to railroads."2)  I've GMed tons of established settings.  I'm extremely familiar with FR, Planescape, Dark Sun and have run games in all of these settings.  I very, very much agree with  [MENTION=205]TwoSix[/MENTION].  If there is not a level of symmetry within the players of understanding and appreciation for the setting, one or two players (with keen understanding of and advocacy for the setting) have a grand ole time where the other players are basically tourists whereby our play conversation (between they and I or they and the other "in the know" players) consists of far too much "expository dialogue/setting dumps" in order for them to access the necessary backstory which is a prerequisite for the excited immersion of the enlightened few.I don't have antipathy for them.  It is just that, while quite proficient, I do not particularly enjoy running them (but will, and even have in the last few years) because of this dynamic.  Running an FR game for a few fans who are in the know (whereby metaplot/setting dumps aren't necessary) is much less tedious, so long as that knowledge is pretty symmetrical.3)  I've run hundreds and hundreds of hours of prep-heavy hexcrawls and theme-neutral sandbox games where "pushing play toward conflict" is anathema.4)  Outside of low-prep, high-improv "story now" play, my other primary gaming is one-off dungeon crawls (with RC or houseruled AD&D depending on the group) where I heavily prep the dungeon setting.These games are different in their GM latitude and in the focus and clarity of their play directives.  GM guidance stridently saying things like "Follow the Rules" and "Draw Maps, Leave Blanks" and "Play to Find Out What Happens and "Push Play Toward Conflict" and "Fill Their Lives With Danger" and "Challenge Their Beliefs/Relationships" (among other things) and the system (resolution mechanics and PC build components) interfacing directly with these transparent GM dictates such that play snowballs precisely along the sought paradigm is a very different dynamic than GM guidance saying muted or inverted forms of the above and the system designed to "generate objective/binary outcomes" while players move about in a heavily established, granular setting (with or without prolific metaplots at the forefront as the primary driver of play). [MENTION=48965]Imaro[/MENTION], I'll try to post this weekend and address your question about the line of demarcation between loose prep and heavy prep.</blockquote>

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