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<blockquote data-quote="maddman75" data-source="post: 3617244" data-attributes="member: 2673">First and foremost, talk to your players about this.&nbsp; You might not anticipate it, but some players will reject the notion of being the driving force of the game.&nbsp; They *want* to find the Quest, and if it isn't there they are going to get frustrated.The way I feel about it is that I honestly don't plan out that far ahead.&nbsp; I worry about having a good game *tonight*.&nbsp; So maybe the goblin raiders aren't part of a larger gathering horde.&nbsp; Or maybe they are.&nbsp; I'll see what the players do and then decide what would be coolest.Of course if they say they want to be proactive but aren't used to it, its easy to get them into that mode.&nbsp; This isn't just about them putting in effort, its also you stopping the urge to control things.&nbsp; In a quest style game the GM controls the setting and sets up a lot of If X happens Then Y Else Z.&nbsp; Let that go.&nbsp; Create a dilemma, some situation that doesn't have a clear-cut answer and see what they do with it.&nbsp; Avoid good guys and bad guys if at all possible.Another way to really get them involved is to use these dilemmas to set up moral problems.&nbsp; You aren't asking &quot;Can the heroes overcome the foes&quot; as in the quest game.&nbsp; You're asking &quot;What kind of character is this hero?&quot;&nbsp; Perhaps the evil villian is threatens an innocent - has a dagger to their throat and is about to escape.&nbsp; Do they go after the villian anyway, risking the person's life in order to get their man, or do they let him go for now if they can save a life?Even in a player-driven game, you can't expect to just sit back and let the players come up with everything.&nbsp; Throw encounters at them, see where they take it.&nbsp; Be prepared to wing A LOT.&nbsp; This style has a lot less prep work, but a lot more work to run.&nbsp; I find it more satisfying.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="maddman75, post: 3617244, member: 2673"] First and foremost, talk to your players about this. You might not anticipate it, but some players will reject the notion of being the driving force of the game. They *want* to find the Quest, and if it isn't there they are going to get frustrated. The way I feel about it is that I honestly don't plan out that far ahead. I worry about having a good game *tonight*. So maybe the goblin raiders aren't part of a larger gathering horde. Or maybe they are. I'll see what the players do and then decide what would be coolest. Of course if they say they want to be proactive but aren't used to it, its easy to get them into that mode. This isn't just about them putting in effort, its also you stopping the urge to control things. In a quest style game the GM controls the setting and sets up a lot of If X happens Then Y Else Z. Let that go. Create a dilemma, some situation that doesn't have a clear-cut answer and see what they do with it. Avoid good guys and bad guys if at all possible. Another way to really get them involved is to use these dilemmas to set up moral problems. You aren't asking "Can the heroes overcome the foes" as in the quest game. You're asking "What kind of character is this hero?" Perhaps the evil villian is threatens an innocent - has a dagger to their throat and is about to escape. Do they go after the villian anyway, risking the person's life in order to get their man, or do they let him go for now if they can save a life? Even in a player-driven game, you can't expect to just sit back and let the players come up with everything. Throw encounters at them, see where they take it. Be prepared to wing A LOT. This style has a lot less prep work, but a lot more work to run. I find it more satisfying. [/QUOTE]

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