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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 289790" data-attributes="member: 177">Well, yes and no.  I don't think this is a requirement.  It can help, yes, but one can get by with much less.  One doesn't need anything more than plots the PCs are likely to interact with soon.  Anything more is icing on the cake, so to speak.  Ah, here's the thing!  I see it now.  Mark, you're being a little too idealistic.  Maybe you've never met a player who couldn't do this.  If so, I think you've been lucky.  Most DMs have to work with less-than-perfect players.  Sometimes you get a player who isn't quite as observant, and may not notice opportunities.  Or who isn't quite as creative, and doesn't come up with uses for opportunities.  Or one who's a bit less assertive, and is a little shy to grab the spotlight.  Or maybe you've got one player who's a little too assertive, and grabs the spotlight a little too frequently.  It doesn't matter much if it's "can't" or "won't", but sometimes just putting things out there and hoping the party will find and use them is insufficient.  It's part of a DMs job to make sure that each player gets a good challenge, a fair share of the spotlight.  If, for whatever reason, they don't grab these things for themselves, you have to make sure they get them anyway.Now, from the DMs side - just as most DMs have to work with imperfect players, they may have to work under imperfect conditions, or may be imperfect themselves.  Your advice is all well and good for the DM who has oodles of skill (both in crafting and presenting), time and creative juice to spare.  If you're lacking in anything, though, it can be a fast road to burnout.  The task is made much more tractable by keeping your own party in mind, and playing to your audience.In a perfect world, perhaps your method is best.  In fact, I've run games as you describe and they did work wonderfully.  But that's no guarantee.  Often enough, the needs of one or more player, or the needs of the DM, call for a different approach.</blockquote>

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