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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 5733238" data-attributes="member: 42582">Or you could stop and think about the range of ways to play an RPG, and the range of pleasures that some get out of it. My own group doesn't play "to win", nor to be "cuddled and read a story". They play to engage the gameworld with their PCs, and have exciting adventures with unexpected outcomes. Sometimes random attacks by goblins in the night are part of that. Sometimes they are a distraction from it. In the latter case, if the players suggest that their PCs are doing something that might expose them to boring goblin attacks, I'll give them a heads up. If they keep going down that path, then at least I'll get some indication as to why, and with that additional knowledge about what my players are looking for in the game I can do my best to make it an interesting goblin attack.Our group plays in a similar way, although the review of the situation tends to focus not so much on operational risks, but on factions, alliances, political trade offs of various courses of action, etc. The general dynamic of the campaign is that as it goes on, and as the players (and their PCs) get more invested in the setting, this stuff gets more and more intricate and so the choices more and more difficult - with GM hints, reminders etc serving to up the tension, as you say, not alleviate it. Ideally, if my GMing skills are up to it, the tension will peak sometime during level 30, and then the endgame will play out!On the tactical side of things, I'm also quite happy to talk with my players. For example, if they're debating the tactical merits of various courses of action that particular PCs might take during combat, I'll be happy to throw in my opinion of the various options and what they might lead to. My players take this for granted, and I don't think my voice in these discussions is any more influential than anyone else's. Sometimes, of course, it would be impossible for me to say anything without giving away secret GM knowledge. On those occasions I say nothing. But on other occasions I say nothing too, just because I have nothing to say. I don't think my players draw many singnificant conclusions from my pattern of silence vs kibitzing.I can relate to that. (And also to the middle age - I turned 40 last week, which makes me officially middle aged according to the 1st ed DMG charts!)Part of my deal with my partner that secures my RPGing time is that I take the kids along with me (3 and 5 years old). And often other players will bring their kids along too, or we might be playing at someone's place with their kids their (all similar ages - my 5 year old is the oldest). So our sessions can sometimes have a creche-like atmosphere to them! In those circumstances I'm very happy to help the players with their record keeping and recall. I don't see that aspect of play as a very significant element of the challenge to the players. The challenge is to do interesting stuff with that information!</blockquote>

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