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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nagol" data-source="post: 6980667" data-attributes="member: 23935">The answer is simple, but can become quite complex to deliver on.  An interesting adventure is one with choices the players find interesting.OK, so what makes a choice interesting to the players?  Ah, thus begins the journey down the rabbit hole!  The answer to that is it depends on the players.At its basic level an interesting choice is one where a choice can alter the predicated outcome and the chooser cares about that outcome enough to give it at least a basic value assessment.There are a few things a DM can do to discover those items the players find interesting and thus are more likely to care about.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Pay attention to what aspects of gameplay each player and the table as a whole pays attention to</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Pay attention to which choices --seemingly inconsequential or not -- the group discusses</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Keep track of NPCs, locations, and any other setting bits the players engage with, even briefly</li> </ul>One point missing from the above list is asking the players.  There is a reason for that.  Many, or even most people, haven't given the issue much thought and most don't necessarily articulate these sorts of interests well.  Talking to the players ahead of the campaign about what they expect and after each session about what they enjoyed is a great techinique for the DM to build a model of what intrigues and engages each player.  Combining that with observation during the session about how the players actually act can build a pretty good model of what attracts the interest of individual players and the table as a whole.  Humans are contrary though so you can't completely rely on this model.  At some point as a DM, you'll through a well-baited hook onto the table only to see it completely ignored or misintepreted.A few cautions:Beware choice fatigue.  If the group is making the same basic type of choices consistently, fatigue will set in.  What is interesting once in  a while is boring under constant repetition.Beware victim fatigue.  Superman must get pretty tired of getting Lois Lane out of a jam all the time.  Players certainly do.  Beware sudden twists.  If the players engage enough to make a choice, resist the impulse to twist the result to something unexpected.  "Natural" and plausible unexpected consequences are acceptable espcially is the players are operating with partial knowledge of the situation, but if the choice is A or B and the players choose A, make the result A plus C rather than just C. Beware all roads lead to darkness.  If the table engages in a choice don't always have the consequences spiral downward.  Most of the time, if players believe every choice will lead to a bad result, they'll stop being interested.</blockquote>

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