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<blockquote data-quote="Nagol" data-source="post: 6123614" data-attributes="member: 23935">Story (with the capital) only happens if the players engage it.&nbsp; That's one of the things the players add -- the initial engagement (or not), how to engage, and the complications that arise out of the consequence.To use your example from the other thread, if the PC looking for a smoke finds the open back door and dead shopkeeper, Story doesn't happen if there is an immediate retreat and the authorities are contacted (or even worse, the character walks back to the front of the shop and down the street to the next shop deciding on complete avoidance).All a GM can offer is potential story.&nbsp; That offer should come with a promise of moving the characters forward toward their dramatic need.This is one of the main reasons I've always been dissatisfied with many classic Traveler campaigns where the PCs operate a merchant vessel.&nbsp; Rather than offering a promise of moving toward fulfilling the dramatic need (make money to afford the mortgage payments and gain wealth), Story offers threat to that fulfilment (damaged ship, seized vessel for non-payment) in excess of any reward.&nbsp; There, the rational PC response to Story appearing is to Jump out of the system to protect themselves and their ship.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Nagol, post: 6123614, member: 23935"] Story (with the capital) only happens if the players engage it. That's one of the things the players add -- the initial engagement (or not), how to engage, and the complications that arise out of the consequence. To use your example from the other thread, if the PC looking for a smoke finds the open back door and dead shopkeeper, Story doesn't happen if there is an immediate retreat and the authorities are contacted (or even worse, the character walks back to the front of the shop and down the street to the next shop deciding on complete avoidance). All a GM can offer is potential story. That offer should come with a promise of moving the characters forward toward their dramatic need. This is one of the main reasons I've always been dissatisfied with many classic Traveler campaigns where the PCs operate a merchant vessel. Rather than offering a promise of moving toward fulfilling the dramatic need (make money to afford the mortgage payments and gain wealth), Story offers threat to that fulfilment (damaged ship, seized vessel for non-payment) in excess of any reward. There, the rational PC response to Story appearing is to Jump out of the system to protect themselves and their ship. [/QUOTE]

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