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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 7573343" data-attributes="member: 42582">What system are you playing - I assume some version of D&D?From what you say, it sounds like you are running a pre-scripted game - in the sense that you, as GM, have already decided what the important events are (on track) and have already decided how you will instruct the players in respect of that (important information). For that sort of game to work, you need to be pretty confident that your players will find whatever it is that you've pre-written interesting and exciting. Players declaring actions for their PCs that take them "off track" may be a sign that the players aren't as interested in what you've written as you would like them to be.If I'm right that you're running D&D, one thing to be aware of is that the system itself doesn't provide much of a way for the players to communicate about what it is they're looking for in the game, or what sorts of adventures they would like for their PCs, other than declaring actions for their PCs. (Eg there is not much of a system framework for the players to do things like establish formal PC goals or aspects, or to establish for themselves the sorts of challenges that confront their PCs.) Hence if the players aren't prepared to talk about these things "out of character" (ie a real-life person-to-person conversation) - and many players may be hesitant to do so if they've been told it's bad to "metagame" - then their only option may be to declare actions that they think will push the game in the direction they want.I don't run pre-scripted games myself, and so can't offer much advice in respect of them beyond the above. But I will provide links to actual play reports of four first sessions I've GMed over the past few years, in four different systems, that will give you an idea of how I approach GMing:* <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?490456-Repost-first-session-of-Dark-Sun-campaign" target="_blank">4e D&D Dark Sun</a>* <a href="https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/burning-wheel-first-burning-wheel-session.736425/" target="_blank">Burning Wheel</a> (posting as Thurgon on rpg.net)* <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?530990-Into-the-North-Cortex-Plus-Heroic-Fantasy-actual-play" target="_blank">Cortex+ Heroic</a> (a fantasy hack of Marvel Heroic RP)* <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?586642-Classic-Traveller-session-report-with-reflections-on-the-system-long" target="_blank">Classic Traveller</a></blockquote>

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