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<blockquote data-quote="Janx" data-source="post: 4585140" data-attributes="member: 8835">I'm gonna have to disagree with you there EW.&nbsp; I play RPGs to tell a story, and I DM RPGs to tell a story.For a I'm right, you're right sense, here goes:since I successfully play and GM RPG games with story, EW's statements aren't facts in the sense of &quot;RPGs work the way EW says they do&quot;.&nbsp; It's more that you can run a EW's way, or you can run it my way, or even some other way.&nbsp; Depending on the players and GM, any given way can work, and be enjoyable for those involved.--------now back to the OP, I like any idea that makes the game session invoke a storylike experience in the players.&nbsp; So long as it doesn't feel like a railroad/the players have meaningful drive in the game.Making sure combats are meaningful is a step to that.&nbsp; Towards that mentality, I suggest that the DM use fewer mook or &quot;random&quot; encounters.Consider the typical action TV show (or any TV show).&nbsp; In 1 hour, a show can provide a moving experience for the viewer.&nbsp; Surely, we can do the same in 4 hours (allowing some bloat for rule resolution/combat).&nbsp; In that same vein, how many combats occur in a TV show, where from start to finish (introduction of story problem to defeat of BBEG) are there.&nbsp; I think it's less than the typical D&amp;D adventure or dungeon.Take a Buffy episode.Buffy meets BBEG/or singular BBEG and defeats it (but learns of more), or has to run away)Buffy gets her friends to research (aka Roleplaying and skills checks)Buffy/friends deals with some real-life issue, mirrored by BBEG (bullies become hyenas)Buffy/friends encounters mooks, on the way to BBEG(s) fightBuffy/friends face BBEG(s) and defeat it with teamworkBuffy/friends learn a valuable lessonWithout popping in DVD's, that's pretty typical.&nbsp; I'd suspect maybe 4-5 combats per show at best.&nbsp; And that's pretty common for Star Trek, B5, Buffy/Angel, Hercules/Xena, Terminator, Hereoes.Most of these shows are written in 3 acts.&nbsp; And most writers use a 2 part model, where you see a conflict, and after the conflict is a reaction scene.So in the conflict scene, you fight off a werewolf.&nbsp; In the reaction scene, you wonder if anybody got bit, are there more, how do you fight them, etc.&nbsp; Your choices in the reaction scene setup the next conflict scene.Janx</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Janx, post: 4585140, member: 8835"] I'm gonna have to disagree with you there EW. I play RPGs to tell a story, and I DM RPGs to tell a story. For a I'm right, you're right sense, here goes: since I successfully play and GM RPG games with story, EW's statements aren't facts in the sense of "RPGs work the way EW says they do". It's more that you can run a EW's way, or you can run it my way, or even some other way. Depending on the players and GM, any given way can work, and be enjoyable for those involved. -------- now back to the OP, I like any idea that makes the game session invoke a storylike experience in the players. So long as it doesn't feel like a railroad/the players have meaningful drive in the game. Making sure combats are meaningful is a step to that. Towards that mentality, I suggest that the DM use fewer mook or "random" encounters. Consider the typical action TV show (or any TV show). In 1 hour, a show can provide a moving experience for the viewer. Surely, we can do the same in 4 hours (allowing some bloat for rule resolution/combat). In that same vein, how many combats occur in a TV show, where from start to finish (introduction of story problem to defeat of BBEG) are there. I think it's less than the typical D&D adventure or dungeon. Take a Buffy episode. Buffy meets BBEG/or singular BBEG and defeats it (but learns of more), or has to run away) Buffy gets her friends to research (aka Roleplaying and skills checks) Buffy/friends deals with some real-life issue, mirrored by BBEG (bullies become hyenas) Buffy/friends encounters mooks, on the way to BBEG(s) fight Buffy/friends face BBEG(s) and defeat it with teamwork Buffy/friends learn a valuable lesson Without popping in DVD's, that's pretty typical. I'd suspect maybe 4-5 combats per show at best. And that's pretty common for Star Trek, B5, Buffy/Angel, Hercules/Xena, Terminator, Hereoes. Most of these shows are written in 3 acts. And most writers use a 2 part model, where you see a conflict, and after the conflict is a reaction scene. So in the conflict scene, you fight off a werewolf. In the reaction scene, you wonder if anybody got bit, are there more, how do you fight them, etc. Your choices in the reaction scene setup the next conflict scene. Janx [/QUOTE]

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