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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nagol" data-source="post: 5044395" data-attributes="member: 23935">My sandbox is composed of the geographics areas in question, thier contents, and the intended actions of its inhabitants.  As part of the intended action, I create a timeline of events that are likely consequential to the sandbox.  In this case, one faction needed the baron gone.  I had a timeline of actions thta culminated at a particular date with his death if the players did not interfere.Yes.No.  The timeline is a set of actions, their date, level of success, public results, and expected consequences / new situations caused by the event.  Player activity can modify the timeline or results depending on player action.  It is possible in some cases for a trigger to be set.  For example, party A needs to accomplish some hazardous task, but doesn't have the ability.  Party A will approach the first group to appear to ask for aid.  Often, these triggers will have an review date or expiry date on them. I.e. if the PCs do not make themselves known within 3 weeks, Party A will set forth to the larger town to look for aid.I knew the basics -- the predetermined level of success, the level of ability of the assassin, and the expected strategy to prevent simple resurrection.  Running the session was done on the fly including a couple of points where the party could have modified the result.The timeline is part of the sandbox.  Environments evolve over time so should the sandbox.My timeline for the event would be much less detailed.  It would look like this:Date 99/99/99 Event -- murder by butler Butler will attempt to coup de gras master overnight with candlestick from dining room.  Establish alibi with stablehands by joining card game. Then restored cleaned weapon to dining room when safe to do so.  Maid will discover body during normal rounds in the morning.  No intervention: successThe butler's personality will dictate how much interference he'll accept before adjusting/cancelling the event.Think of the timeline as a guideline of how the starting situation will achieve equilibrium (or at least flip to the next state) in the absence of PC action.Player interference forces the actors to adjust their actions, timings, and goals.  In other words, the players choices have effect on the game world.  A timeline is one way to add a fourth dimension to the sandbox -- the PCs aren't the only forces dynamically affecting the environment.  The universe continues to evolve in a plausible fashion in the absence of the PCs.  The PCs could enter a dungeon and return a week later to discover the overthrow of their king.  some events are known in advance and the PCs have the luxury of proactive action.  Others come as a surprise and the PCs have to react.</blockquote>

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