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Message: <blockquote data-quote="hawkeyefan" data-source="post: 7910010" data-attributes="member: 6785785">I don't think there's really a distinction between the two in this regard. If in a sandbox game, the players are free to pursue any number of goals, that doesn't somehow render achieving one of the goals they've decided to pursue somehow unimportant. They're still pursuing goals and trying to achieve those goals. I don't think the presence of other possible goals means that any individual goal becomes meaningless. If they go after some sandbox quest or mission or whatever phrase you may want to use, and they pursue that goal by expending time and effort, having things fall apart before the end is going to be frustrating and probably a poor gaming experience. Not because they've failed, but more because they were unable to succeed, as I'll explain below. No, I am not presupposing that the PCs need to achieve their goal. I am presupposing the fact that the goal they've chosen to pursue is in fact achievable. That they can succeed, and will either succeed or fail based on their own decisions. Not that they will fail because the nature of the challenge was in some way unclear.The DM is responsible for all the info at the players' disposal....everything the characters see, hear, and smell comes from the DM. So if something didn't do its job or if the importance of something is unclear....then that's at least partially the DM's fault. Maybe he didn't convey the information as clearly as needed, or maybe he didn't emphasize the correct details, or maybe his tone just sat wrong. Or maybe he didn't realize that his players totally missed an important element.My point is that, sandbox or not, having a game's progress stall out is not satisfying, and I'd hope that, especially in a case where the DM may have somehow failed in presenting the game world, that the DM would adjust things rather than let the game stall out. Like I said in my previous post, if everyone just shrugs and then heads back to town to pursue another quest....that doesn't sound like the kind of engagement I'd like.</blockquote>

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