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<blockquote data-quote="DinoInDisguise" data-source="post: 9671645" data-attributes="member: 7045806">I think your idea that improvisation is essentially planning done in real time is fine. It actually might help new DMs demystify improv. But the need for prep is still meaningful. This is not because improve and prep are different-as you note they are essentially the same thing. But it's important because human brains aren't super computers.What I mean by that is that our brains have limited improvisational bandwidth. You can only hold so many ideas in working memory before quality starts to slip. Good prep covers this weakness. It doesn’t eliminate the need for improv—it creates scaffolding that frees up mental energy and enhances your improvisation when it counts. It raises the floor.Sly Flourish’s “secrets and clues” approach is a great example of this kind of prep. It doesn’t script outcomes. It just loads the DM’s notes with potential ideas that can be deployed flexibly during improv. If a better idea comes up in the moment? Great, use it. If not, the prep provides a fail safe.The key point is that prep extends your creative capacity. It gives your brain more time to develop good ideas before you're under pressure. It’s not about control, or shudder railroading. It’s about building the mental infrastructure that lets you improvise better. DMs shouldn't be afraid of prepping for sessions. They should just learn how best to prep for the game they wish to run, because prepping, when done correctly, will always improve the resulting game.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="DinoInDisguise, post: 9671645, member: 7045806"] I think your idea that improvisation is essentially planning done in real time is fine. It actually might help new DMs demystify improv. But the need for prep is still meaningful. This is not because improve and prep are different-as you note they are essentially the same thing. But it's important because human brains aren't super computers. What I mean by that is that our brains have limited improvisational bandwidth. You can only hold so many ideas in working memory before quality starts to slip. Good prep covers this weakness. It doesn’t eliminate the need for improv—it creates scaffolding that frees up mental energy and enhances your improvisation when it counts. It raises the floor. Sly Flourish’s “secrets and clues” approach is a great example of this kind of prep. It doesn’t script outcomes. It just loads the DM’s notes with potential ideas that can be deployed flexibly during improv. If a better idea comes up in the moment? Great, use it. If not, the prep provides a fail safe. The key point is that prep extends your creative capacity. It gives your brain more time to develop good ideas [I]before[/I] you're under pressure. It’s not about control, or [I]shudder [/I]railroading. It’s about building the mental infrastructure that lets you improvise better. DMs shouldn't be afraid of prepping for sessions. They should just learn how best to prep for the game they wish to run, because prepping, when done correctly, will always improve the resulting game. [/QUOTE]

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