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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 6813409" data-attributes="member: 42582">I think you are making a false assumption, namely that the only way to have plot in an RPG is to have a prescribed, pre-authored plot.There is a whole raft of techniques (mostly but not exclusively GM-side), and a whole lot of RPGs that self-concsiously embrace and promote those techniques, which are intended to ensure that plot in the literary/narrative sense is generated by play, but without being pre-authored.Some of the techniques include tight scene-framing; "fail forward" narration of failed checks, which includes the generation of new backstory by the GM to explain failures; no use of "secret backstory" to evaluate the outcomes of player action declarations for their PCs; players building PCs with clear, and clearly signalled, goals/commitments/relationships, etc, which the GM then uses as the focus for both framing scenes and narrating complications; etc.Some of the games include HeroWars/Quest (Robin Laws), Burning Wheel (Luke Crane), the -World games (originating with Vincent Baker), a fairly common approach to Marvel Herioc RP, a fairly common approach to 4e, FATE, etc.There is currently an active thread on this particular sub-forum (the "fail forward" thread) discussing some of these matters.</blockquote>