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<blockquote data-quote="Emerikol" data-source="post: 8244672" data-attributes="member: 6698278">You guys have been busy and I've tried to catch up best I can but there is a lot of text out there so forgive me if I missed something.I wanted to address the term plot.&nbsp; Whenever I use it, I use it in the way the phrase &quot;Evil men will plot villainy&quot; way.&nbsp;&nbsp; I am not using it in the &quot;plot of a novel&quot; way.&nbsp;&nbsp; Since the PCs in my games have complete agency (given the previously accepted limits like the sandbox), I have not plot agenda in the &quot;plot of a novel&quot; way of thinking.I try to keep a bunch of well defined NPCs both good, bad, and middle of the road going with various agendas.&nbsp; Perhaps agenda is a better word for what I'm talking about.&nbsp; I don't change those agendas to suit the PCs though on occasion those agendas have to change because the PCs are interfering or influencing.I definitely do not subscribe to DM guided games.&nbsp; I think that is unfair.&nbsp; I do create an interesting world with a lot going on so the group can easily find something to do.&nbsp; I definitely think it's not good if the group is wandering about randomly without a seeming purpose.&nbsp; I don't have that happen in my games for any significant length of time.&nbsp; The group is experienced with sandboxes and knows how to find interesting things to do.Also to address exploration as an agenda.&nbsp; I think discovery in sandbox play is akin to people liking to read fantasy or science fiction or history.&nbsp; They want to experience another world.&nbsp; That adds to the experience.&nbsp; For me to read about something in the present day, it has to be over the top good because it starts in the hole engagement wise.&nbsp; But, that does not mean that exploration is a character goal in the game 24/7.&nbsp;&nbsp; Most of the time they are engaging with the setting and pursuing their interests which often are defeating evil or finding treasure.There are some accepted conventions about sandbox play in my game....1.&nbsp; We usually have several session 0's where we build each characters background.&nbsp; They say what sort of character they envision and I provide them with a specific example.&nbsp; Often after a bunch of questions back and forth.&nbsp;&nbsp; I typically give them a high level regional map at minimum right off.&nbsp; If they have a scholar with the right skills I might even give them a continent sized map.2.&nbsp; I kind of insist on group loyalty.&nbsp; I am not big into games where the PCs are backstabbing each other.&nbsp; My worlds have a very strong cultural taboo against killing a fellow adventurer.&nbsp;&nbsp; So strong that people won't do it in general for fear of the Gods wrath.&nbsp;&nbsp; So even evil groups tend to be loyal within their own ranks.3.&nbsp; The players know they have to set the agenda and can do what they want.&nbsp; They know they have to drive the pace of the game.&nbsp; They also know the places to look for adventure.&nbsp; They know they will have choices.&nbsp; 4.&nbsp; The sandbox is a limited size portion of the world.&nbsp; I am not absolute in forbidding they never leave the sandbox but if they do I reserve the right to end the session right there and tell them I will have to build a new sandbox.&nbsp;&nbsp; This actually makes sense.&nbsp;&nbsp; I am also growing the sandbox organically as the campaign progresses.&nbsp; So at the beginning there may be a city that is known but outside the sandbox.&nbsp; I might add it at some point.&nbsp; By add, I mean provide sandbox level detail.&nbsp;&nbsp; So in the same sense some of you have genre conventions, I have let's call them game style conventions.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Emerikol, post: 8244672, member: 6698278"] You guys have been busy and I've tried to catch up best I can but there is a lot of text out there so forgive me if I missed something. I wanted to address the term plot. Whenever I use it, I use it in the way the phrase "Evil men will plot villainy" way. I am not using it in the "plot of a novel" way. Since the PCs in my games have complete agency (given the previously accepted limits like the sandbox), I have not plot agenda in the "plot of a novel" way of thinking. I try to keep a bunch of well defined NPCs both good, bad, and middle of the road going with various agendas. Perhaps agenda is a better word for what I'm talking about. I don't change those agendas to suit the PCs though on occasion those agendas have to change because the PCs are interfering or influencing. I definitely do not subscribe to DM guided games. I think that is unfair. I do create an interesting world with a lot going on so the group can easily find something to do. I definitely think it's not good if the group is wandering about randomly without a seeming purpose. I don't have that happen in my games for any significant length of time. The group is experienced with sandboxes and knows how to find interesting things to do. Also to address exploration as an agenda. I think discovery in sandbox play is akin to people liking to read fantasy or science fiction or history. They want to experience another world. That adds to the experience. For me to read about something in the present day, it has to be over the top good because it starts in the hole engagement wise. But, that does not mean that exploration is a character goal in the game 24/7. Most of the time they are engaging with the setting and pursuing their interests which often are defeating evil or finding treasure. There are some accepted conventions about sandbox play in my game.... 1. We usually have several session 0's where we build each characters background. They say what sort of character they envision and I provide them with a specific example. Often after a bunch of questions back and forth. I typically give them a high level regional map at minimum right off. If they have a scholar with the right skills I might even give them a continent sized map. 2. I kind of insist on group loyalty. I am not big into games where the PCs are backstabbing each other. My worlds have a very strong cultural taboo against killing a fellow adventurer. So strong that people won't do it in general for fear of the Gods wrath. So even evil groups tend to be loyal within their own ranks. 3. The players know they have to set the agenda and can do what they want. They know they have to drive the pace of the game. They also know the places to look for adventure. They know they will have choices. 4. The sandbox is a limited size portion of the world. I am not absolute in forbidding they never leave the sandbox but if they do I reserve the right to end the session right there and tell them I will have to build a new sandbox. This actually makes sense. I am also growing the sandbox organically as the campaign progresses. So at the beginning there may be a city that is known but outside the sandbox. I might add it at some point. By add, I mean provide sandbox level detail. So in the same sense some of you have genre conventions, I have let's call them game style conventions. [/QUOTE]

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