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<blockquote data-quote="RFisher" data-source="post: 3684323" data-attributes="member: 3608">It should be a multi-level thing. The world itself has areas of rough threat ratings. Within a zone there are divisions as well. &amp; even when you get to the &quot;atomic&quot; level, there should still be a range of ELs possible in that area.Just like you can have a low-level module, a mid-level module, &amp; a high-level module. Within each module there are a range of site-based challenges from mooks to a &quot;boss&quot; or other climax, plus a (¡custom!) wandering monster table to mix things up a bit.It can be.But I tend to not enjoy it always being like that. I don't mind a little &quot;metagaming&quot; to try to keep the balance right.Besides, I think a whole lot of this sort of &quot;metagaming&quot; can be considered an abstract simulation of myriad ways in which the characters would judge their own skill &amp; the danger posed by enemies without the game descending into too much detail.It's a balance: Some toe dipping, some figuring it out based on news/rumors/signs, &amp; a bit of &quot;metagaming&quot; to round it out.I also think a vital element of a sandbox game is a certain amount of uncertainty about these things. The DM has to be careful, because--since he serves as the senses of the PCs--it is trivial for him to mislead them. He has to figure out how to fairly leave uncertainty. But, it can be quite a bit of fun when a first level NPC (whom the players don't know is first level) intimidates a party of 10th level PCs. Or when an encounter with a seemingly innocuous monster becomes retreat and regroup. As long as the DM has been fair about it.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="RFisher, post: 3684323, member: 3608"] It should be a multi-level thing. The world itself has areas of rough threat ratings. Within a zone there are divisions as well. & even when you get to the "atomic" level, there should still be a range of ELs possible in that area. Just like you can have a low-level module, a mid-level module, & a high-level module. Within each module there are a range of site-based challenges from mooks to a "boss" or other climax, plus a (¡custom!) wandering monster table to mix things up a bit. It can be. But I tend to not enjoy it always being like that. I don't mind a little "metagaming" to try to keep the balance right. Besides, I think a whole lot of this sort of "metagaming" can be considered an abstract simulation of myriad ways in which the characters would judge their own skill & the danger posed by enemies without the game descending into too much detail. It's a balance: Some toe dipping, some figuring it out based on news/rumors/signs, & a bit of "metagaming" to round it out. I also think a vital element of a sandbox game is a certain amount of uncertainty about these things. The DM has to be careful, because--since he serves as the senses of the PCs--it is trivial for him to mislead them. He has to figure out how to fairly leave uncertainty. But, it can be quite a bit of fun when a first level NPC (whom the players don't know is first level) intimidates a party of 10th level PCs. Or when an encounter with a seemingly innocuous monster becomes retreat and regroup. As long as the DM has been fair about it. [/QUOTE]

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