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Message: <blockquote data-quote="hawkeyefan" data-source="post: 7927871" data-attributes="member: 6785785">What did you spend your four hours doing? What kind of adventure did you craft? I don't think we can give specifics without understanding that.More generally, I think a big part of this question can be in the world building stage. If the players have contributed prior to the start of play, and then continue to contribute during play, toward world building, then I think that can help a GM greatly. I wouldn't ever expect there to be a 1:1 ratio for the amount of prep between GM: Player, but it can definitely ease the burden.If the players are helping to craft and populate the world, then the Gm doesn't have to do all of that. The players will have provided NPCs, Factions, Locations, and other elements that the GM can use to shape their adventures. The best part is that the players have literally said "This interests me" when they're adding these elements to the fiction. Depending on the nature of your game, you can go as big or as small as you need to with this....it can be an entire world that gets mapped out ahead of time, or a small town and it's nearby surroundings. Whatever works for the group.If the players do this, then very likely their characters will also be as carefully crafted, and will be far more likely to feel as if they exist in this world that you've made. They will have existing connections....family, friends, co-workers, rivals....and existing goals and desires. These give the GM even more material to draw from in order to craft the adventures.The players may even initiate the kind of adventure they'd like to go on. They may finish up one adventure, and then say "Hey, we got a lead on the fighter's missing brother.....let's look into that" and then the GM has an idea for what to do next, and the players feel more proactive about the game. They feel like they are actually driving the fiction because they're helping to determine what happens next instead of waiting for the next thing to come along.None of this eliminates the need for the GM to have input. But it can certainly ease the burden greatly. It can also help focus play, and place clear goals and points of interest into the setting well ahead of time.Again, this is general. If you can clarify how you spent your four hours, I might have some more specific advise for you.</blockquote>

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