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<blockquote data-quote="Remathilis" data-source="post: 8713182" data-attributes="member: 7635">Like the railroad thread, I see the badwrongfun is strong in this one as well. I think the rookie mistake of many sandbox games is the mismatched assumptions of players and DM. Particularly, the assumption that the other is going to drive the game. The DM is waiting for the players to declare the plot (we head to the Keep of Doom to fight goblin bandits) while the players, who lack sufficient information and/or motivation, sit in the tavern until the plot shows up. Eventually, one of these forces will move (the DM will send a mysterious stranger to hire the PCs to clear out Doom Keep, or the PCs will loot and burn the tavern to get something going). A default action sounds a bit like a weak theme: it's what you're doing when you don't know what to do. You're mercenaries always looking for the next fist full of gold. You're monster hunters seeking out things they go bump in the night. You're neer do wells looking for your next big score. You're adventurers testing your mettle against the most dangerous places in history. It gives the PCs something to look for until other interesting things take precedent. Because sometimes the PCs need some reason to look for hooks and sometimes a DM needs a quick hook to get them out of a quagmire. The promise of a pile of gold or a dangerous monster to slay can unstick a game lost in indecision and when PCs ask the barkeep for rumors, they have a goal in mind beyond &quot;what's the plot this week?&quot;</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Remathilis, post: 8713182, member: 7635"] Like the railroad thread, I see the badwrongfun is strong in this one as well. I think the rookie mistake of many sandbox games is the mismatched assumptions of players and DM. Particularly, the assumption that the other is going to drive the game. The DM is waiting for the players to declare the plot (we head to the Keep of Doom to fight goblin bandits) while the players, who lack sufficient information and/or motivation, sit in the tavern until the plot shows up. Eventually, one of these forces will move (the DM will send a mysterious stranger to hire the PCs to clear out Doom Keep, or the PCs will loot and burn the tavern to get something going). A default action sounds a bit like a weak theme: it's what you're doing when you don't know what to do. You're mercenaries always looking for the next fist full of gold. You're monster hunters seeking out things they go bump in the night. You're neer do wells looking for your next big score. You're adventurers testing your mettle against the most dangerous places in history. It gives the PCs something to look for until other interesting things take precedent. Because sometimes the PCs need some reason to look for hooks and sometimes a DM needs a quick hook to get them out of a quagmire. The promise of a pile of gold or a dangerous monster to slay can unstick a game lost in indecision and when PCs ask the barkeep for rumors, they have a goal in mind beyond "what's the plot this week?" [/QUOTE]

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