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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 7418215" data-attributes="member: 82106">But the post he's responding to doesn't make such an assertion. Given the detail with which the story was framed in that post, it seems reasonable to consider that no such instruction was intended, though its possible [MENTION=21473]Sebastrd[/MENTION] simply didn't consider that dimension.However, even the lack of any such consideration is indicative. He says which to me at least points in the direction of a set notion of how the game is 'supposed' to go, and that he himself decided the theme, genre, and tone of the game on his own. Now he COULD have done so in consultation with the players, that's entirely possible, he just doesn't present it that way. Again, this tends to make me think that the paradigm is "GM comes up with story elements, players follow along and make it work."Later he says which is frankly kind of a mixed message. He talks about "discover the setting ideas and elements I've come up with" etc. He also claims that 'nothing is scripted'. Still, if you read the list of elements it is at least a rudimentary meta-plot and backstory. Certain things seem to be thought of as 'stuff that will happen', 'a storm', 'maintenance of the light-house', etc. What I would call Story Now play would leave the idea of a golem/undead and interest in taking on some sort of mission (possibly as a concomitant to another more general goal) as things that would evolve out of PLAYER ideas, not usually ones that would be hatched by GM and thought of as the central elements of plot. In other words we have, to whatever degree Sebastrd sticks/stuck with it, a 'Story Before' represented by that plot. I think he quite reasonably explicates what world building (at least adventure building, I don't want to quibble) is about. It is supplying a ready-made situation and supporting details which feed into that story. Now, this is described as a 'one-shot', there's quite limited time to spend on establishment. So that could also be cited as a reason to generate these elements ahead of time. While Story Now could easily work in this time frame if you are somewhat practiced you probably want to have a chance to take a few sessions to get it right. Anyway, its probably something you could find in a TSR module (somewhat elaborated). The assumption of the table is that the GM presents an 'adventure' and the players USUALLY are 'good sports' and take it up, with the understanding that if they want to carry on some activity of their own on the side, or further explore some aspect of the situation not addressed already, then the GM will likely go along, at least up to a certain point. Of course, Sebastrd could simply ignore all his own notes and material and just go with what the player's backstory or whatnot suggests when it comes to it, or he could push the players to stay mostly on the 'rails' (IE by having the townsfolk insist in no uncertain terms that the PCs be the ones to go out to the lighthouse). I'm assuming from what he's said that he isn't going to be that insistent.</blockquote>

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