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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nagol" data-source="post: 7927868" data-attributes="member: 23935">It doesn't help an established running game.  You know, the one already in a created world?  It might help prior to starting a game, like the way Dresden Files presents the option.  But, once  a game is running and has an established world, further world-building by all participants doesn't reduce workload.Player exploratory play (often described using the derogatory "Mother may I") involves the players poking and prodding at environments looking for clues as to how the environment holds together and how they can wring advantage/profit from it.  The general conceit is the designer has created an interesting environment that the GM will present and adjudicate actions taken within.  The players will explore it.Table exploratory play is more like (many) games of FATE, Dungeonworld, and the ilk.  No one at the table knows in advance what exists and play often is about "What is there and what do the PCs do with it?"The tendancy is you do lose pre-created content because the point of table exploratory play is to present and react directly off what the PCs do while maintaining pressure forcing them to react/act again.  The general advice in most such games is to create minimally. "Maps with holes" is a line from Dungeonworld, for example.  You tend not to put much time into pre-generated encounters because there is little to no indication that any such will end up used.  A hard failure near the entrance can shift the adventure away from the dungeon completely.  Putting together a 25-room dungeon with creatures and treasures works directly against that premise.That's why table exploratory play can gut prep time.  You aren't working with a solid environment.  It is fluid until the PCs touch it.Geez, what tools does it even have?It is missing a strong system for controlling DM lead-by-nose-itis.It is missing a strong system to handling non-combat challenges.It is missing a strong system to support scaling success and failure to help the DM gauge momentum.It is missing a system for the players to inject content.It is missing any advice on how to run and how to play in such an environment.It isn't too hard to emulate a structured adventure path style of game.  It is really hard to emulate a sandbox.  It is also quite hard to run a dungeon on-the-fly with players that take advantage of all the various scouting options and specifically seek advantage. Not hard so much as the amount of time available for thought limits the on-the-spot creator from building connections and dropping appropriate clues as to what is around the next corner.  Those clues are vital in a game strongly oriented to player exploratory play.</blockquote>

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