NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="robertsconley" data-source="post: 9639274" data-attributes="member: 13383">I see what you’re getting at, and I agree that in the real world, causality is incredibly complex and often only makes sense in hindsight. The web of interactions is far too intricate to predict with real precision especially long term. Something I am well aware of through my work in motion control of metal cutting machines. To clarify though, when I mentioned using timelines, I wasn’t claiming to predict outcomes with certainty or simulate reality in a metaphysical sense. I use timelines as planning tools, a way to track what NPCs and factions would likely do if the PCs were not present. It gives me a baseline to work from so that the world remains consistent as players interact with it.It’s not “this will happen no matter what,” it’s “this is what would happen if nothing else changes it.” It’s more like forecasting weather conditions than writing fate. The players always have the ability to disrupt that timeline.In many respects, it functions like a good battle plan. At the outset, a battle plan represents the commander’s best assessment of how events might unfold. A good commander knows the plan will change as the situation evolves. Yet even when the plan is altered, it remains useful because it accounts for many interconnected elements, like logistics and supply. A solid plan provides a framework that helps the commander adjust on the fly while keeping all components working in concert.My timelines serve the same purpose in the context of an RPG campaign.</blockquote>

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