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How Do You Get Your Players To Stay On An Adventure Path?
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<blockquote data-quote="howandwhy99" data-source="post: 6725995" data-attributes="member: 3192"><p>The dynamic pattern that is the game was called a game engine, frequently in the 90s. Just like converting a game module from one computer game engine to another a DM needs to convert a module to the one they are running for the campaign. Then it can be included onto the game board. </p><p></p><p>Use game elements to model the other person's design. This would still need to be rechecked and playtested by running the NPCs through it to check for holes, imbalancing, miscalculations, and so on. Just like any wargame module.</p><p></p><p>Think back to the 70s. Many, many players talked about the butterfly effect as it related to D&D. And many used game engines (codes) derivative of Conway's, only slightly more involved. His is a couple-three rules. IME D&D varieties are more manageable wargame-sized. Beer and pretzels.</p><p></p><p>D&D's rules aren't what are in the book. Those are suggestions for sort of "world rules", the code. Rules <em>players</em> are supposed to know were common practice carried over from wargaming or learned through play. And yes, a player can attempt to do anything they desire in the game. But the result is only ever the action's results in the game.</p><p></p><p>When players "read" (decipher) a player in Poker or just any game where players study other players (including D&D), the player is being treated as the game, or part of it at least. In D&D, Players do this or at least it's assumed they do, whenever they interact with each other. Referees don't need to judge intention. In fact, the very much shouldn't. Ref's must clarify player communications to them until they get an action they comprehend and allows an obvious judgement to be made within the game.</p><p></p><p>As I said, the game's design must be set prior to play. Just as in Mastermind.</p><p></p><p></p><p>You generate ability scores. You generate hit points. Damage. Dungeons. Every single thing on the referees map, the game board, must be generated. Encounters. NPC Reactions. And Gary at times simply gave no suggestions in the books he published. At several points he says "the DM should make this up" and we need to set some rules before play can begin.</p><p></p><p>I don't believe published modules were generated by rules, just like many published NPCs. But it doesn't matter. They have to be converted into possible generated results by every DM, which means no one is ever going to use them "as is" anyways. They have some basic balancing by way of common practices of the day, how a lot of DMs did it. But everyone of them still needed to be converted. That's obvious. It's only when AD&D was published was there "the one true set of rules (code)" that people felt they need to use. That wasn't a good idea, but they were trying to make a several hundred hour grand strategy game into a one-shot 4-hour convention tournament game. D&D can't reasonably be played as a competitive team tournament IMO, but many have tried. </p><p></p><p>Read the text a different way. There is no improvising occurring. The DM has a map of the game behind the screen. He's noting all the changes the players take on that game board. He's referencing it to tell the players when the monster arrives, when there is a secret door or not, when the hit points run out, what roll is needed to exceed an AC, and on and on. Just like D&D.</p><p></p><p>The code must be complete before play, of course. And yeah, Gygax improvised quite aggressively, giving bad advice on being a referee in the AD&D version, and all of it didn't exactly go over well with a community of gamers. They wanted a game and it is well known he frequently stopped using rules and started improvising therefore negating the game. (Don't try that at a wargame convention, they'll kick you out)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="howandwhy99, post: 6725995, member: 3192"] The dynamic pattern that is the game was called a game engine, frequently in the 90s. Just like converting a game module from one computer game engine to another a DM needs to convert a module to the one they are running for the campaign. Then it can be included onto the game board. Use game elements to model the other person's design. This would still need to be rechecked and playtested by running the NPCs through it to check for holes, imbalancing, miscalculations, and so on. Just like any wargame module. Think back to the 70s. Many, many players talked about the butterfly effect as it related to D&D. And many used game engines (codes) derivative of Conway's, only slightly more involved. His is a couple-three rules. IME D&D varieties are more manageable wargame-sized. Beer and pretzels. D&D's rules aren't what are in the book. Those are suggestions for sort of "world rules", the code. Rules [I]players[/I] are supposed to know were common practice carried over from wargaming or learned through play. And yes, a player can attempt to do anything they desire in the game. But the result is only ever the action's results in the game. When players "read" (decipher) a player in Poker or just any game where players study other players (including D&D), the player is being treated as the game, or part of it at least. In D&D, Players do this or at least it's assumed they do, whenever they interact with each other. Referees don't need to judge intention. In fact, the very much shouldn't. Ref's must clarify player communications to them until they get an action they comprehend and allows an obvious judgement to be made within the game. As I said, the game's design must be set prior to play. Just as in Mastermind. You generate ability scores. You generate hit points. Damage. Dungeons. Every single thing on the referees map, the game board, must be generated. Encounters. NPC Reactions. And Gary at times simply gave no suggestions in the books he published. At several points he says "the DM should make this up" and we need to set some rules before play can begin. I don't believe published modules were generated by rules, just like many published NPCs. But it doesn't matter. They have to be converted into possible generated results by every DM, which means no one is ever going to use them "as is" anyways. They have some basic balancing by way of common practices of the day, how a lot of DMs did it. But everyone of them still needed to be converted. That's obvious. It's only when AD&D was published was there "the one true set of rules (code)" that people felt they need to use. That wasn't a good idea, but they were trying to make a several hundred hour grand strategy game into a one-shot 4-hour convention tournament game. D&D can't reasonably be played as a competitive team tournament IMO, but many have tried. Read the text a different way. There is no improvising occurring. The DM has a map of the game behind the screen. He's noting all the changes the players take on that game board. He's referencing it to tell the players when the monster arrives, when there is a secret door or not, when the hit points run out, what roll is needed to exceed an AC, and on and on. Just like D&D. The code must be complete before play, of course. And yeah, Gygax improvised quite aggressively, giving bad advice on being a referee in the AD&D version, and all of it didn't exactly go over well with a community of gamers. They wanted a game and it is well known he frequently stopped using rules and started improvising therefore negating the game. (Don't try that at a wargame convention, they'll kick you out) [/QUOTE]
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How Do You Get Your Players To Stay On An Adventure Path?
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