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<blockquote data-quote="Campbell" data-source="post: 8022015" data-attributes="member: 16586">I really enjoy sandbox play sometimes. The Sine Nomine games that embrace that style of play (Stars Without number, Godbound, Wolves of God) are some of my favorite games. I am a player in a Freebooters on the Frontier game that will be moving over to a West Marches style game.I think you can absolutely have games that are about playing to find out what happens with prep that constrains play. It just requires a phenomenal amount of discipline in both preparation and play. The second your prep becomes about sharing your content rather than creating an environment for the other players to play in I think you are stepping over what I consider to be a pretty important line. Embedding mysteries that players can look into if they want is fine. Creating a mystery that players are expected to solve is over the line for playing to find out what happens.&nbsp; It may be a fine example of playing to find out how it happens or if it happens.Generally speaking if you have a strong indication of what a player will do based on your prep I think you either need to work on your scenario designs or look into unspoken biases in play.&nbsp; Many players will reflexively follow a GM's lead without even thinking about it. This is something I think we all need to work on. Especially in lengthy games it can be all to easy to fall into familiar patterns.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Campbell, post: 8022015, member: 16586"] I really enjoy sandbox play sometimes. The Sine Nomine games that embrace that style of play (Stars Without number, Godbound, Wolves of God) are some of my favorite games. I am a player in a Freebooters on the Frontier game that will be moving over to a West Marches style game. I think you can absolutely have games that are about playing to find out [B]what[/B] happens with prep that constrains play. It just requires a phenomenal amount of discipline in both preparation and play. The second your prep becomes about sharing [B]your content[/B] rather than creating an environment for the other players to play in I think you are stepping over what I consider to be a pretty important line. Embedding mysteries that players can look into if they want is fine. Creating a mystery that players are expected to solve is over the line for playing to find out [B]what[/B] happens. It may be a fine example of playing to find out [B]how[/B] it happens or [B]if[/B] it happens. Generally speaking if you have a strong indication of what a player will do based on your prep I think you either need to work on your scenario designs or look into unspoken biases in play. Many players will reflexively follow a GM's lead without even thinking about it. This is something I think we all need to work on. Especially in lengthy games it can be all to easy to fall into familiar patterns. [/QUOTE]

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