Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="sheadunne" data-source="post: 6118433" data-attributes="member: 27570">I'm seeing some different uses of relevant in these posts. 1) Relevant to the player's goals2) Relevant to the DM's plotI'm seeing both of these uses mix-matched in various posts. Take the desert discussion for instance. I'm seeing the desert is relevant to the DM's plot and shouldn't be bypassed and I'm seeing the desert is irrelevant to player's goals so it can be bypassed. It seems to me that this is where the conflict is coming from. A misalignment of player goals versus DM plot.  If the player's goal is to reach the city to find the thing in question, then the desert is irrelevant to that goal.If the DM's plot requires the players interact with nomads in the desert to learn about "x" to further the plot of finding the thing in question, then it's relevant to the plot. How can these two things be rectified? I suppose it has to do with how the desert is presented. If the players arrived in the center of the nomad encampment at the end of the plane shift, then they could have immediately received the needed information while not wasting time wandering around the desert. Poof, you appear in the middle of nomad camp. The nomads are sitting around the fire talking about this siege around the city. After the surprise wears off, the players and nomads chat and learn about "x" and how to quickly and efficiently navigate through the desert to reach the city. The players then head off. Then the desert could be a transition scene that doesn't interfere with the DM's plot, nor derailed the players goals. I would find it hard to believe that the players wouldn't interact with the nomads in this situation, since it isn't about wandering around the desert, but instead about social interaction and information gathering. The DM's plot is affirmed and the players goals are supported.It might look like this1) Players are transported to outer plane (transition scene)2) Players arrive at nomad encampment (Social interaction)3) Players cross the desert (transition scene)4) Players arrive at the city under siege (social or action scene)I don't see any tension between relevance in this layout of events. If instead you added 1a and 3a - players travel the desert (exploration scene) then their might be conflict, since the player goals are about getting to the city to accomplish x.I'm also seeing that when the players first arrive on the plane, there is no description to interact with. You're in the desert, there's red sand and it smells like sulfur. There's nothing for the players to leverage or additional information to move the scene forward. In those events players usually fall back to goal achievement, which is perfectly understandable. What else do they have to do? When I run online games, players and myself are required to end any post with either a question (if its a social scene) or an action (but not resolution). Both which lead into the next post. What I wouldn't do is say "You arrive at place x. It's pretty. What do you do?" That doesn't further the game along. The players would sit around going, ummmm, we head towards our destination. If there was something else for them to interact with, I had better present it to them or they'll focus on their goals and miss what I had in mind, regardless of its relevance to the plot or story.  If that makes any sense.Anyway, it's still an interesting discussion and it wouldn't surprise me if it continued for another 1000 posts.</blockquote>

Verification