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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 7374810" data-attributes="member: 29398">DM's real too, at least for now.  Some systems might function with a robot once robotics has advanced a bit further.OK, let's try another angle.In both The Hobbit and LotR Tolkein puts a lot of effort and a lot of words into describing the settings through which the parties travel.  He also introduces elements of the greater world, particularly from the historical side, and repeatedly makes it very clear that there's a world out there beyond what the protagonists see or even know of (the Southrons are one example of such).  Unless you skip all these bits when you read the books, you can't help but become immersed in the world of Middle Earth and end up knowing a lot more about it (and wanting to know more yet, most likely) than just what the protagonists saw on their journeys.Well, the same is true when playing/DMing a fantasy RPG using a homebrew world.  The more description and flavour and richness you can give it the better, in terms of player immersion and depth of imagination.  Sadly I don't have JRRT's gift with words, so my somewhat lesser descriptions will have to do for my table. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Now both The Hobbit and LotR the setup is such that the "PCs" are on a mission that is so important (to the Dwarves in one, to the whole world in the other) that it can't be ignored or abandoned; and even then it is at various times.  The Hobbit crew have Bilbo leave the party on more than one occasion; they then get diverted by the Wood Elves, which then leads them to Laketown and into another diversion.  The LotR crew get diverted all over the place - Old Man Willow leads to Tom Bombadil; they get back on track just in time to be diverted by the barrow wights, after which they stay on course for a while and gather the fellowship...which then splits into three different groups only one of which carries on with the original goal.  And this is while trying to ignore as many diversions as they can.And this is in a novel, where the author has complete control over who goes where and does what.  In the more open-ended situation of an RPG where there's options for players to follow up on whatever diversions they want, the only way to keep them on story is to never present or offer any diversions.  In other words, keep the game-world descriptions and framed scenes completely focused on what the PC is trying to do at that moment, and ignore everything else.  A soft railroad.  Bleah.Lanefan</blockquote>

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