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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ovinomancer" data-source="post: 8074321" data-attributes="member: 16814">Very droll.  I wonder if I would have the same leeway to be sarcastically dismissive as you seem to enjoy?The literalness of the sandbox is the problem -- there's no literal walls or sand in a sandbox game.  It's a metaphor, a term which you can learn about at <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metaphor" target="_blank">this link</a>, as it appears you may not have learned about them as a kid?At this time, indeed.  There's no reason the GM cannot create Las Vegas sand, or, specifically in the example given, why the sand he already has must wither and die because of a single grain being removed.  The location of an arbitrary wall is malleable, not fixed, because it's arbitrary.  Any inflexibility is on the part of the GM.I mean, in this case, you're saying that the GM shouldn't create Las Vegas sand because it's time consuming, but he still must watch the sand he's created get used as the cat's litterbox and be flushed away!  You're arguing a position about fixed walls from on top of shifting sand!Good grief, what a tortured metaphor to try to fix your point -- you're as immovable as the imagined walls you're defending!  We aren't talking about a single session, but a campaign.  For your example to work, the GM must be unable to ever cook again!Sessions going in unexpected directions that require more prep and so end early are not the topic of discussion.  GM's painting themselves into corners they cannot seem to escape which upend the campaign is the topic.  You're arguing that walls are so set that a GM cannot move them, ever, if players do unexpected things?  Again, this only ever happens if GM's are locked into a plot that hasn't been presented in game yet -- ie, they're too in love with their cool story to be able to cope with situations that break their unplayed-out plans.  Your example was a great one for showcasing a GM unwilling to part with their plans which causes the game to end.  Plans are literal walls, just as a campaign is not a literal sandbox.  Saying sandboxes have walls doesn't explain why GMs insist on building walls that cause their game to crash headlong into them.  Or, they're unable to shoo away cats, which is a different problem, and really one of a different bad metaphor.</blockquote>

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