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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Crazy Jerome" data-source="post: 5571999" data-attributes="member: 54877">My experience with tactical play is that if the GM runs wide-open, full tactical play, using every metagame piece of knowledge at his disposal, and always moving every monster as a counter trying to win--the players will do the same.  If the GM roleplays the monster, which does include things like trolls beating on the guy in front of him, even if that isn't the most tactically sound, the players will also do the same thing. IMHO, there are two causes for this, with the second one being more subtle and thus sometimes poorly appreciated: 1. The players take cues from the GM. If the GM is getting into character with the NPCs, players will feel this and reciprocate. This applies to combat as much as any other time.  2. Roleplaying during combat--and this includes avoiding analysis paralysis and other metagaming bottlenecks by acting in character--can't happen very well when the players are focused on wringing every last mechanical advantage from the situation and their abilities. Push the players? Sure. They need to feel the danger to their characters. But don't push everything maximum effect, all the time. If you play 4E as a tactical skimish game--you get a tactical skirmish game. This was true of all prior versions of D&D as well, though the temptation was not as strong, since they weren't as good at that aspect as 4E.  You can go to Home Depot tomorrow, buy 20 different colors of paint, and turn your bedroom into a neon nightmare. Just because those colors are in the store, it doesn't follow that you have to use Home Depot that way.</blockquote>

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