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<blockquote data-quote="Schmoe" data-source="post: 4312449" data-attributes="member: 913">Then how about, instead of telling us carte blanche that it's not fun, they tell us how it could be fun, and how to identify if it's not fun for the people you're playing with?&nbsp; Something like this would have been a lot better for my taste:&quot;Talking to the two guards at the gate when you enter a city isn't always fun.&nbsp; However, even a simple encounter like this can be made fun or can be very important to the story.&nbsp; Perhaps the guards have some key information about the political situation within the city.&nbsp; They might give a tip about local taverns, allowing the DM to point the players to where the action is.&nbsp; It could be an opportunity for the party to bribe the guards to overlook the weapons they're carrying and avoid the stiff weapons tax.&nbsp; The important thing is that you are able to gauge the player's reactions to encounters, and that you don't force the encounter if they aren't interested.&nbsp; If the player's response is simply &quot;We pay the fee and walk in,&quot; let it go and move on.&nbsp; The game is a give and take between you and the players, so that you spend more time on what they are enjoying and quickly move past what they are not.&quot;Instead, we are given the commandment &quot;Though shalt not have fun in this way.&quot;&nbsp; I don't like it.&nbsp; Furthermore, I think it does a great disservice in teaching new DM's how to pace a game for their particular players.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Schmoe, post: 4312449, member: 913"] Then how about, instead of telling us carte blanche that it's not fun, they tell us how it could be fun, and how to identify if it's not fun for the people you're playing with? Something like this would have been a lot better for my taste: "Talking to the two guards at the gate when you enter a city isn't always fun. However, even a simple encounter like this can be made fun or can be very important to the story. Perhaps the guards have some key information about the political situation within the city. They might give a tip about local taverns, allowing the DM to point the players to where the action is. It could be an opportunity for the party to bribe the guards to overlook the weapons they're carrying and avoid the stiff weapons tax. The important thing is that you are able to gauge the player's reactions to encounters, and that you don't force the encounter if they aren't interested. If the player's response is simply "We pay the fee and walk in," let it go and move on. The game is a give and take between you and the players, so that you spend more time on what they are enjoying and quickly move past what they are not." Instead, we are given the commandment "Though shalt not have fun in this way." I don't like it. Furthermore, I think it does a great disservice in teaching new DM's how to pace a game for their particular players. [/QUOTE]

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