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<blockquote data-quote="OnlineDM" data-source="post: 5377672" data-attributes="member: 90804">It might be in how you present things to the players afterward.&nbsp; When they say, &quot;We didn't know what was going on; there was no plot,&quot; you could phrase your response as, &quot;Ah, but had you considered talking to the portrait?&nbsp; That could provide some clues.&quot;&nbsp; Or, &quot;The imprisoned naga might have been interesting to talk to if you had fought through the mushrooms.&quot;&nbsp; In other words, point out the choices that they made and how things could have gone differently, thus encouraging them to LOOK for these hooks in the future.&nbsp; I'm assuming here that they just missed the hooks rather than seeing them and deciding that they weren't interested in them.My players and I will often chat about the session and alternate paths they could have taken when we're doing our post-game cleanup.&nbsp; &quot;What would have happened if we had decided to just assault the front gate rather than searching around until we found the hidden entrance?&quot;&nbsp; &quot;Well, as you expected, the gate was guarded...&quot;&nbsp; Phrase these post-game conversations as, &quot;Here are some alternate paths you could have taken,&quot; rather than, &quot;You guys kept doing the wrong thing!&quot; and it might help them to start looking for plot hooks, now that they understand the form that your hooks tend to take.&nbsp; Don't give up on them - you should keep dangling plot hooks.&nbsp; It's now just a question of teaching your players how to recognize them.That's my two cents worth.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="OnlineDM, post: 5377672, member: 90804"] It might be in how you present things to the players afterward. When they say, "We didn't know what was going on; there was no plot," you could phrase your response as, "Ah, but had you considered talking to the portrait? That could provide some clues." Or, "The imprisoned naga might have been interesting to talk to if you had fought through the mushrooms." In other words, point out the choices that they made and how things could have gone differently, thus encouraging them to LOOK for these hooks in the future. I'm assuming here that they just missed the hooks rather than seeing them and deciding that they weren't interested in them. My players and I will often chat about the session and alternate paths they could have taken when we're doing our post-game cleanup. "What would have happened if we had decided to just assault the front gate rather than searching around until we found the hidden entrance?" "Well, as you expected, the gate was guarded..." Phrase these post-game conversations as, "Here are some alternate paths you could have taken," rather than, "You guys kept doing the wrong thing!" and it might help them to start looking for plot hooks, now that they understand the form that your hooks tend to take. Don't give up on them - you should keep dangling plot hooks. It's now just a question of teaching your players how to recognize them. That's my two cents worth. [/QUOTE]

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