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<blockquote data-quote="brainstorm" data-source="post: 5103968" data-attributes="member: 45712">Improv vs PrepAs a player, I hate it when DMs make things up on the fly - and I'm not talking about a little clue or a slight alteration to a plan, but wholesale making it up as you go.&nbsp; In my experience, it generally comes across as the DM doesn't have a clue as to what they are doing.&nbsp; I'm sure there are DMs out there that can improvise whole campaign arcs on the fly, but I've never seen one.&nbsp;As a DM, I hate not being prepared for the above reason.&nbsp; So, I generally lead the game in the direction that I want it to go.&nbsp; Options are still there, but the more attractive ones are limited.&nbsp; Sure, the PCs can skip town altogether and take a boat to another continent at any time, but why would they when there are several plot points right here in town that are promising?&nbsp;&nbsp; The illusion of freedom of choice is still there, but the reality is, choices are limited.&nbsp; For those that say that this is railroading, I say that this isn't much different than real life.&nbsp; Sure, I can drop all of my responsibilities as a working parent and husband and hop on plane to another continent any time I want, but the reality is that my working and recreational choices are limited.&nbsp; The illusion of freedom is what matters most of the time.&nbsp;In addition, its been my experience that players enjoy games that are prepared specifically to cater to their characters.&nbsp; Encounters that challenge them, awards that they want, goals they've been working towards, etc. &nbsp;So my recommendation to the OP is to prepare a few plots at a high level.&nbsp; See which way the PCs are headed and plot more heavily in that direction.&nbsp; If the PCs begin to veer off, gently push them in the direction you want them to go.&nbsp; This can be done many ways.&nbsp; For example, there may be an option to check out a local ruin or to tackle a dragon's lair.&nbsp; If they're not ready for the dragon's lair, make it known to them that many adventurers more powerful than them have tried to take on the dragon and have not returned - that's a clue that maybe they're not ready to go that route yet.&nbsp; But it's also rumored that the ruins may contain a weapon that is a bane to dragons, so that's the gentle push to get them to go to the ruins before taking on the dragon.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="brainstorm, post: 5103968, member: 45712"] [b]Improv vs Prep[/b] As a player, I hate it when DMs make things up on the fly - and I'm not talking about a little clue or a slight alteration to a plan, but wholesale making it up as you go. In my experience, it generally comes across as the DM doesn't have a clue as to what they are doing. I'm sure there are DMs out there that can improvise whole campaign arcs on the fly, but I've never seen one. As a DM, I hate not being prepared for the above reason. So, I generally lead the game in the direction that I want it to go. Options are still there, but the more attractive ones are limited. Sure, the PCs can skip town altogether and take a boat to another continent at any time, but why would they when there are several plot points right here in town that are promising? The illusion of freedom of choice is still there, but the reality is, choices are limited. For those that say that this is railroading, I say that this isn't much different than real life. Sure, I can drop all of my responsibilities as a working parent and husband and hop on plane to another continent any time I want, but the reality is that my working and recreational choices are limited. The illusion of freedom is what matters most of the time. In addition, its been my experience that players enjoy games that are prepared specifically to cater to their characters. Encounters that challenge them, awards that they want, goals they've been working towards, etc. So my recommendation to the OP is to prepare a few plots at a high level. See which way the PCs are headed and plot more heavily in that direction. If the PCs begin to veer off, gently push them in the direction you want them to go. This can be done many ways. For example, there may be an option to check out a local ruin or to tackle a dragon's lair. If they're not ready for the dragon's lair, make it known to them that many adventurers more powerful than them have tried to take on the dragon and have not returned - that's a clue that maybe they're not ready to go that route yet. But it's also rumored that the ruins may contain a weapon that is a bane to dragons, so that's the gentle push to get them to go to the ruins before taking on the dragon. [/QUOTE]

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