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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Janx" data-source="post: 7651556" data-attributes="member: 8835">Getting back to the goal side of the conversation (by the way, I like the topic and article):In my own group, we have a basic social contract rule to always bite the plot hook.  This speeds along game play so the GM can write one hook and the party will identify it as soon as we can and agree to go rescue the princess.  This simplifies how much material the GM must write.  There is a requirement that the plot hook be something that would make sense and appeal to the party and NOT be a total screw job.That last is important because the GM could introduce the shady Mr. Johnson with a job that totally smells like a setup, and we're forced to go do the mission because of the social contract rule, even though we are all saavy enough to see that our PC would really avoid the mission.  Three Days to Kill was one of those crappy-arsed adventures that played on our social contract and screwed us, so we added the corollary for the GM side of things.Here's how this ties into Goals as invented by KM:  In our group, the GM is required to do a plot hook that appeals to the party.  If we have mandatory Goals, then the GM has a better idea of how to shape that plot hook.  Which in turn means we effectively have a happy matchup of plot hook to player interests.  Our social contract doesn't feel arbitrary or constraining when the GM makes adventures that are tailored for our goals.One thing I do that's related, is between sessions, I get my players to specify very immediate short term goals.  basically, what are you trying to do next.  Then I write my material for the next session based on that.  So if the PCs say they plan on breaking into the bank to steal the records from the safe deposit box of the old man, then I go write up material to support that (including the interesting complications to the heist), as well as all the information they'd get if they scout the place first.So it's valuable to have a Macro-scale Goal as well as a Micro-scale goal identified for each PC.</blockquote>

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