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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mark" data-source="post: 289952" data-attributes="member: 5">If you reread the full text of what you posted above in reply you can see where I was misled.  Beyond what you've quoted in your last post, you also wrote, "If they take rangers and druids, or load up on wilderness-oriented skills, then it would become frustrating for the players, and ultimately frustrating for me, if I ignored that when creating adventures."  With a wide open method of design you can account for that and a whole lot more without ever needing to spend time out of game discussing the first impressions of what your players might like (something not always available to most DMs, I believe).  Sure it is nice when those chances for dialog do present themselves, but being prepared for when they are not is the point.I think you'd be guessing incorrectly about the vast majority of gamers and are discounting that most people aren't always playing with the same group.  People often find that over time that we play with a great number of people we hardly know.  I was citing some of the many instances above where that is the situation but I know I didn't exhaust the potential.  Sure it's great when a group of friends can all start to play at the same time and continue to do so for long stretches (I certainly have enjoyed those times).  More often groups get to know one another over time, with some new people joining and others moving on, and those early games with a group (or new player) can be frustrating if the DM isn't prepared for all options.  How many posts are about what "the new DM I've met is doing"?  How many posts are about looking for groups or players in an area where someone can't find any?  How many times have we all expressed the desire to bring new people into the game?  There have been countless posts on this board from people who have moved from one location to another because of employment, college, etc. that wind up taking the plunge with new and interesting people.  You really can't believe that most people only play with their close friends and never with anyone else.  I know that isn't the case for most of us.Because of that believe (you wrote, "I'm looking at this from the perspective of someone who wants to hang out with friends and have a good time by playing a game."), you mention that asking people out right is the good way to prepare, when you must be aware that once play begins people find new things of interest to them.  Being prepared for all eventualities, and prepared to improvise as I advocate, allows for this more readily than asking what folks want and gearing primarily for that.  I've seen too many DMs get themselves into trouble because they've set up for one thing and five minutes into the game the players have a new plan.  The "left turns" that people take when a idea strikes them during a game are legendary.  Prepping primarily because of how players suggest they might want to procede prior to the actual game can often leave DMs painted into a corner.  Too often I've also seen DMs unable to switch gears becuase of this type of prep work.As to your characterization of some game designers, I can't speak to that.  I've been playing since 75 and DMing since soon after that with no intention of ever publishing the vast amounts of material I've accumulated.  That is, until about two years ago when the d20 license became a topic of discussion.  Since then, I started slowly and have tried to lay the groundwork for my material with the same dogged attention to preparation that I've used as a DM.  Keep it detailed, keep it open to possibilities and always keep it fun.  I'm glad to say that I haven't found the process frustrating in the least and am sure that what I release meets standards with which I feel comfortable and proud.  For me it seems like just one more way for me to enjoy a hobby I've loved for more than half of my life. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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