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Message: <blockquote data-quote="BSF" data-source="post: 1694905" data-attributes="member: 13098">It sounds like there is a basic communication gap here.  That is just one of the issues though.One of the first things that a GM should do is set the expectations of the players.  There are a number of games where the group has drifted into a comfort zone.  This comfort zone may include tailored encounters and linear storylines.  In itself, these are not bad, nor are they good.  The point is that they can exist, and that they sound antithical to the game you want to run.  It also sounds like your players hold one or both of these elements in their comfort zone.  The first time you try to break players out of this comfort zone, there will be  a certain degree of discomfort.  Without a linear storyline, they may have difficulty understanding that the decisions are solely in their hands.  Instead, they flounder around, growing frustrated and eventually decide that you are being arbitrary and laughing at their lack of cleverness.  This is why it is important to set expectations.  You have created an environment where actions and inactions have repercussions in the game.  Do the players understand that?  Do they enjoy it?  Do they understand that you are not going to spoonfeed them information about the story?  Would they prefer that you do?  These are questions that you need answers to.  Piratecat runs a great game where events and decisions from earlier in the game have an influence on what is happening currently.  If your players haven't read his storyhour, you might point them toward it.  I try to run a game where I setup situations that won't have a payoff (good or bad) until much later in the campaign.  In my game, there are unsolved mysteries and the PC's might continue to work on them, or they might abandon them at the risk of re-encountering them later.  However, my players undrestand this and they seem to enjoy it.  I have spent the last couple of years working with my players and discussing my playstyle.  I still speak with them frequently to try to keep us all on the same page as far as what the game will be like.  The communication is a key factor.  You need to understand what they want out of a game.  They need to understand the intriacies of your style.  All of you need to have some common agreement.  You can help them grow into different playstyles for the game, but a lot of it hinges on communication.</blockquote>

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