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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Janx" data-source="post: 4789862" data-attributes="member: 8835">I think the GM has a right and duty to INFLUENCE the pacing.  The DM is a type of player.  If the DM has no right to introduce events into the game, but the players do, then the GM is simply a reactionary computer to player input.  In theory, the reason a GM is doing this, is to improve the fun everyone is having.  Odds are good, the players are getting bored when the pace slows, but they don't know how to fix it, otherwise they would.  They are, in effect, waiting for the GM to make something happen, so they can react to it.If the GM doesn't do this, having players standing around in the game is like sitting around in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.  Nothing happens.  At most, time passes.  And even the, it has no real effect.A GM's job is to sense when this is happening, and move the plot along, and get the players back into the action.It is not railroading to "make things happen", because either the PC or GM can do it.Even in a sandbox game, if the GM were to sit around, waiting for the PCs to pick something to do, and they finally decide, "I'm going to run for sheriff!" That doesn't get anything moving.   If the players then sit there, saying, "yup, gonna be sherriff."  The game will still lag.  If the GM sees this, and has an NPC initiate some action on that topic, he's not interfering, he's just picking up the pace.  That NPC could be trying to tell him how to register, volunteer to be a campaign manager, or even tell him what his opponent is now saying about the wannabe sherrif candidate.The point is, the GM sees the player intent, and makes something happen to jumpstart the player towards the player's goal.  If you don't want your game to be dull, the GM has to do this sometimes.</blockquote>

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