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Message: <blockquote data-quote="The Sigil" data-source="post: 212167" data-attributes="member: 2013">2 centsOne of the things that I feel players often forget is that the responsibility for a fun and interesting game is not solely on the head of the DM.I have known players who deliberately always do exactly the opposite of what the DM wants them to do, just because they think it's funny to watch the DM squirm when his three weeks of planning an adventure go out the window ("okay, he tells us the monsters are east?  Great!  We head west!").  They also feel that in an improvised adventure, when the DM is being forced to do everything off the cuff, encounters will be easier because they're not as well-planned; therefore accumulating treasure will be easier (worst example of meta-meta-gaming I have ever seen).  I have seen players who just sit back and expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter.  Of course, there is the classic "the DM is the enemy to be overcome" syndrome.  Player inattention is equally annoying to a DM.  If players are inattentive and don't catch something, that's their fault IMO, and the DM shouldn't worry that he's doing a bad job if they miss clues.  If the players are attentive, especially if they're the kind that like to take notes and pore over them during the week (yes, I have had players like this) and they still don't "catch something" the DM should not penalize them... obviously they aren't on the same wavelength but they are trying to interact with the DM's world and his story and trying to understand it.  And if they are attentive and not catching clues, it's time for the DM to look at himself and say, "maybe these are more obscure than I thought."The thing that I think is important for players to realize is that DMs put a lot more work into the weekly gaming session than the characters do.  DMs spend hours creating and balancing adventures and creating plotlines and backstories.  Players show up to the weekly session and maybe bring drinks or chips.While DMs shouldn't railroad players, players should be willing to play along when the DM drops hints their way.  When I DM I usually have 3 or 4 different adventures ready for a given session.  I spread out the "hooks" and let the PCs go after the one they want.  Maybe I do a little bit of over-preparation <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> but I make it clear to the players before they are allowed into my campaign that, "I do a ton of work to get ready for the sessions - I am not going to force you to do one specific thing, but I do ask that you select something from the variety of hooks I present instead of constantly trying to avoid the stuff I have prepared."  My players (fortunately) respect (a) the work I put and (b) the fact that I'm trying to give them a choice by offering them multiple paths to take - which lead to different endings/rewards/etc.  Usually I "take away" a couple of plot hooks after each adventure and add some new ones.   For example, if players have a choice of adventures 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 and they pick 3, when they complete 3, adventures 1 and 4 may have gone away (accomplished by NPCs, the PCs are now in a different geographical location that precludes them from trying them, etc.) but I now present them with hooks for adventures 6, 7 and 8, giving them the choice of 2, 5, 6, 7, 8.  This way, they have choices, but it gives the illusion of "if I choose X, I may not be able to choose Y later" and/or "my choice of X affects things in way Z."DMs should not try to railroad players, but players should not try to railroad DMs either.  When I offer you adventure 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, please don't say, "I want adventure 18."  That's bullying the DM and disrespecting the work he puts in.  The DM is not an opponent to be beaten, he is a collaborator in having fun.My 2 cents.  Sorry if it was a bit rantish.--The Sigil</blockquote>

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