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Message: <blockquote data-quote="robertsconley" data-source="post: 9638746" data-attributes="member: 13383">We don't need to be on the same page regarding what counts as significant. Significance is a subjective judgment rooted in the focus of the campaign. What I consider significant when running the Majestic Fantasy Realms isn't going to be the same as what Kelsey Dionne considers significant in Western Reaches or what Gavin Norman considers in Dolmenwood.However, regardless of what is deemed significant, when a referee opts to use World in Motion as a technique, the number of meaningful elements can multiply quickly. That poses a challenge, not because the GM is tracking all of it simultaneously, but because it demands strong organization and memory to respond when any of it becomes relevant.I think we agree more than not. My campaigns are not driven by a narrative plot. They begin with players choosing a location and character concept, such as serving in the city guard or living in a border village. We discuss their immediate goals, and I prepare by reviewing what has happened in that location. Then I build out a set of NPCs in their social circle, each with their own motivations. From that, I generate an initial timeline based on how those agendas might intersect.I use a few tools for background activity. Mostly these are random tables tailored to reflect daily life. I also include rare setting-level events, like disasters or supernatural occurrences, determined by calendars or random rolls. These are infrequent and not tied to player actions.The core principle is simple: only track what affects how characters are roleplayed, whether PC or NPC. If it does not influence how a character is roleplayed, it does not need to be tracked. This keeps things focused and avoids minutiae.Once play begins, players act freely. Some take initiative while others react to the world. Either way, consequences emerge. Those consequences change how NPCs behave, which leads to new choices. This is how the campaign unfolds when using World in Motion.At most, I actively track two dozen NPCs, those in the players' immediate sphere. Everything else remains dormant until needed. If the players visit a place or speak to someone unexpectedly, I check my notes and update as needed. The important part is finding what matters quickly, not keeping it all in mind at once.In World in Motion, the only things I track are characters. Places are described, not monitored. If something changes a location, I update the description. A ruined tower is just a note until a player goes there or an NPC takes interest.I hope that clarifies it. This is not about tracking thousands of things constantly. It is about creating a world that reacts logically when touched.</blockquote>

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