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<blockquote data-quote="JamesonCourage" data-source="post: 6110257" data-attributes="member: 6668292"><p>1) I've been using what he's told me is his preference, as far as his take on "setting" and "plot" go.</p><p>2) While I accept his preference is skipping the desert, I can't see how the desert is inherently any different from the city, still.</p><p></p><p>To an extent. He did say it felt a little contrived. He also called making the desert relevant "contrived". He just said the siege was better. Both, according to him, were contrived (when they were introduced).</p><p></p><p>No, Hussar's posts have agreed with you about the siege, but he hasn't said anything to back up the reasoning you just described. </p><p></p><p>You have, once again, made the siege into an interesting and relevant piece of the situation, and made the desert uninteresting and irrelevant. In those terms, of course you're right.</p><p></p><p>However, let's say that the desert encounter has those nomads who are leading refugees, and being escorted by mercenaries, and all because of something going down in the city that involves the goal inside the city. And now, let's say the siege is just a quarantine of the city out of precaution (nothing's wrong inside), they're willing to let people inside, and the party can fly over them anyways. Which one is relevant to the player goals inside the city, and which one is irrelevant?</p><p></p><p>But, once again, you've framed it in a way where the desert isn't relevant to the goals, and the siege is. And my point is that it entirely depends on context that the GM gives it.</p><p></p><p>Again -to an extent. He called your siege "a little contrived." But, regardless, I'm only working on what the real Hussar has written here. Sorry about that.</p><p></p><p>No it's not. Neither are inherently one way or the other.</p><p></p><p>Yes! This is true, and very evident from this thread. I just don't see how "the siege is always relevant" and "the desert is never relevant" is true. And that's not really what Hussar has said; he just called the desert a lot more contrived than the siege was, and that he preferred the siege because it was relevant (even though I can make an irrelevant siege).</p><p></p><p>That's fine. But, again, I don't see any inherent different between a desert encounter with nomads and a siege. The GM can make them different, relevant, irrelevant, related, or whatever. He can even use player cues to make those decisions. But it has nothing to do with whether the desert or city is "inherently" relevant. It's not. As always, play what you like <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p></p><p>Seemingly. Take my "quarantine siege", above. Completely irrelevant to the PCs and their goals.</p><p></p><p>Take my nomads leading refugees accompanied by mercenaries, above. If there was an attack on the temple (where the PCs are headed) in the city, and a siege isn't very contrived, I'd imagine that this is okay too. Yeah? As always, play what you like <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="JamesonCourage, post: 6110257, member: 6668292"] 1) I've been using what he's told me is his preference, as far as his take on "setting" and "plot" go. 2) While I accept his preference is skipping the desert, I can't see how the desert is inherently any different from the city, still. To an extent. He did say it felt a little contrived. He also called making the desert relevant "contrived". He just said the siege was better. Both, according to him, were contrived (when they were introduced). No, Hussar's posts have agreed with you about the siege, but he hasn't said anything to back up the reasoning you just described. You have, once again, made the siege into an interesting and relevant piece of the situation, and made the desert uninteresting and irrelevant. In those terms, of course you're right. However, let's say that the desert encounter has those nomads who are leading refugees, and being escorted by mercenaries, and all because of something going down in the city that involves the goal inside the city. And now, let's say the siege is just a quarantine of the city out of precaution (nothing's wrong inside), they're willing to let people inside, and the party can fly over them anyways. Which one is relevant to the player goals inside the city, and which one is irrelevant? But, once again, you've framed it in a way where the desert isn't relevant to the goals, and the siege is. And my point is that it entirely depends on context that the GM gives it. Again -to an extent. He called your siege "a little contrived." But, regardless, I'm only working on what the real Hussar has written here. Sorry about that. No it's not. Neither are inherently one way or the other. Yes! This is true, and very evident from this thread. I just don't see how "the siege is always relevant" and "the desert is never relevant" is true. And that's not really what Hussar has said; he just called the desert a lot more contrived than the siege was, and that he preferred the siege because it was relevant (even though I can make an irrelevant siege). That's fine. But, again, I don't see any inherent different between a desert encounter with nomads and a siege. The GM can make them different, relevant, irrelevant, related, or whatever. He can even use player cues to make those decisions. But it has nothing to do with whether the desert or city is "inherently" relevant. It's not. As always, play what you like :) Seemingly. Take my "quarantine siege", above. Completely irrelevant to the PCs and their goals. Take my nomads leading refugees accompanied by mercenaries, above. If there was an attack on the temple (where the PCs are headed) in the city, and a siege isn't very contrived, I'd imagine that this is okay too. Yeah? As always, play what you like :) [/QUOTE]
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