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<blockquote data-quote="Sebastrd" data-source="post: 7324640" data-attributes="member: 21473">In both of your examples, you accomplish a minute amount of general worldbuilding before play begins, allow your players to add some of the specifics, and then jointly accomplish the rest during actual play. Does that about sum it up?The default in D&amp;D and in most campaigns is that the DM accomplishes the worldbuilding with little, if any, input from the players before play actually begins. If I understand th point of this thread, you're wondering why games default to GM-centric worldbuilding prior to play instead of player-centric worldbuilding during the course of the game.Assuming I'm correct, the answer is, &quot;Relatively few players desire to engage in the worldbuilding exercise, so that task falls to the GM. Developing the world during play is a rare talent, so most GMs do their worldbuilding beforehand.&quot; Personally, I view the campaign setting and NPCs as the GM's &quot;characters&quot;. I &quot;roll&quot; them up just as a player rolls his/her PC, I give them traits and motivations, then I let them loose in the game. I consider my worldbuilding notes the world's character sheet. I refer to those notes when I have questions about how situations might unfold.Most of the players I've GM'd for over the years enjoy exploration. They want to find out what's around the next corner or what's in the next dungeon room. They enjoy the thrill of discovery. They can't get that kind of fun if they're deciding what's around the next corner or what's in the next dungeon room.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Sebastrd, post: 7324640, member: 21473"] In both of your examples, you accomplish a minute amount of general worldbuilding before play begins, allow your players to add some of the specifics, and then jointly accomplish the rest during actual play. Does that about sum it up? The default in D&D and in most campaigns is that the DM accomplishes the worldbuilding with little, if any, input from the players before play actually begins. If I understand th point of this thread, you're wondering why games default to GM-centric worldbuilding prior to play instead of player-centric worldbuilding during the course of the game. Assuming I'm correct, the answer is, "Relatively few players desire to engage in the worldbuilding exercise, so that task falls to the GM. Developing the world [I]during play[/I] is a rare talent, so most GMs do their worldbuilding beforehand." Personally, I view the campaign setting and NPCs as the GM's "characters". I "roll" them up just as a player rolls his/her PC, I give them traits and motivations, then I let them loose in the game. I consider my worldbuilding notes the world's character sheet. I refer to those notes when I have questions about how situations might unfold. Most of the players I've GM'd for over the years enjoy exploration. They want to find out what's around the next corner or what's in the next dungeon room. They enjoy the thrill of discovery. They can't get that kind of fun if [I]they're deciding[/I] what's around the next corner or what's in the next dungeon room. [/QUOTE]

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