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Message: <blockquote data-quote="overgeeked" data-source="post: 9041791" data-attributes="member: 86653">Something that might be helpful or might not. It’s often useful to disconnect the process from the result. We can have a certain amount of control over the process but we have no real control over the end result. Like working hard to get a promotion at work. You control the working hard (the process) but you don’t control whether you get the promotion (the end result).First order design is the process. Second order design is the result.This applies to both the game designers and the referee at the table. The designer controls the design but not the table having fun. The referee controls the game (to a certain degree), but they don’t control whether the players have fun. The referee can certainly influence the players having fun but they don’t have control over it. You know Doug loves combat, but if he’s having a terrible week he’s not going to have fun in this epic fight you designed. In a horror game you can be as scary as you want as the referee but if the players don’t buy in they’re not going to feel scared.To me, focusing on the fun is backwards. It’s focusing on the part you have no real control over. Focus on the process. Run the best game you can, play to your strengths as a referee, keep learning etc, but in the end whether the players have fun or not isn’t up to you. Nothing will make someone have fun in a game or style they don’t enjoy. If they hate hexcrawls even the best hexcrawl of all time will be boring to them.</blockquote>

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