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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 5412991" data-attributes="member: 82106">I think all players logically think that actions have consequences. From the player perspective that is how rewards work. Heck it is how the whole game works, it makes no real sense otherwise (unless you are basically purely telling stories and I'd argue those people aren't likely playing D&D). From the DM's perspective though it is all about narrative control of the story. Even if that is at its most basic level of managing PC resource availability and challenge difficulty there is still that dichotomy. Thus the 'curtain' behind which the 'smoke and mirrors' takes place. The DM is providing the players with their sense of action and consequence while at the same time arranging things such that the story always goes on. In a TRULY simulationist game the DM would have to decide what all the consequences of things are ahead of time and if the PCs don't accomplish the right things then the story just ends entirely. The bad guys take over the world, etc. The whole campaign can dead end with a hopeless situation (unless of course it is arranged to start with that the PCs can't lose, but then there's really not much of a challenge). For both of these reasons there are really no true sandbox type simulationist campaigns. There are ones that can often operate at that level, but it is really a matter of granularity. In SOME degree the DM is always back there pulling strings and making the world come out in a way that is fun and adequately challenging. And Yeah, I've seen DMs that don't get that. Their campaigns are eventually doomed to crash and burn though. Either they grind the players into the dust or things get out of hand and go Monty. No human can realistically build a campaign whole cloth ahead of time that will work on 'autopilot'.</blockquote>

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