I think sandboxes are not especially fun. Chiefly, the limitation is that "unlimited possibility" effectively means "As fun as the funnest idea about sand you have in your head right now" which for me is generally middling at best.
For this reason, I prefer an approach which I alternatively call "The Solar Model" or "Billiards" depending on the weather. You start by making a box, and then fill it with orbs, celestial or (plastic? ivory? What are pool balls made of!?!?!?!) otherwise, and then imbue each orb with momentum, mass, direction. Because Dungeons and Dragons is turn-based, it is not necessary to constantly track all the orbs at all times- Just when your players are close enough to them, or to a place they're going to be. After each session, update the status of each orb- Is it somewhere new? Is it going somewhere new? Has there been a fun collision?
Orbs represent factions, characters, and concepts that are of interest to you, the DM. For example, in my current game, there is a scheming kobold crimelord, an exiled monarch, and xenophobia. Periodically, I ask myself what they're up to, and then update the players on their status, one way or another- Maybe the kobold will enlist a party ally in a protection racket, or rob their favorite deli. Maybe they'll just hear a rumor about a big diamond heist, but I'll make a note that he's extra rich now.
I feel like this approach combines the best aspects of a more traditional story structure because it gives the players lots of prompts to respond to (there are people to save, arguments to have, problems to solve, "quests" to take) without necessarily imposing a structure where I ever have to veto a player building a castle because that doesn't fit with "my vision." I don't have any grand plans, just a pretty good idea of how the present looks and a stream of rumors to suggest possible futures to the PCs should they not act.
Counterpoint: Was this just a lot of words to say "Sandboxes are great, but don't forget to have NPCs that do things. If they don't do things, the world may feel static and lifeless?"
For this reason, I prefer an approach which I alternatively call "The Solar Model" or "Billiards" depending on the weather. You start by making a box, and then fill it with orbs, celestial or (plastic? ivory? What are pool balls made of!?!?!?!) otherwise, and then imbue each orb with momentum, mass, direction. Because Dungeons and Dragons is turn-based, it is not necessary to constantly track all the orbs at all times- Just when your players are close enough to them, or to a place they're going to be. After each session, update the status of each orb- Is it somewhere new? Is it going somewhere new? Has there been a fun collision?
Orbs represent factions, characters, and concepts that are of interest to you, the DM. For example, in my current game, there is a scheming kobold crimelord, an exiled monarch, and xenophobia. Periodically, I ask myself what they're up to, and then update the players on their status, one way or another- Maybe the kobold will enlist a party ally in a protection racket, or rob their favorite deli. Maybe they'll just hear a rumor about a big diamond heist, but I'll make a note that he's extra rich now.
I feel like this approach combines the best aspects of a more traditional story structure because it gives the players lots of prompts to respond to (there are people to save, arguments to have, problems to solve, "quests" to take) without necessarily imposing a structure where I ever have to veto a player building a castle because that doesn't fit with "my vision." I don't have any grand plans, just a pretty good idea of how the present looks and a stream of rumors to suggest possible futures to the PCs should they not act.
Counterpoint: Was this just a lot of words to say "Sandboxes are great, but don't forget to have NPCs that do things. If they don't do things, the world may feel static and lifeless?"
I like it. I think Kevin Crawford's games with the built-in faction sysmtems inherently encourage this sort of thing, but it's useful to inlcude that sort of thing in other games, whether you mechanise it (like "clocks" in Blades in the Dark) or not (like the news posts on Hill Cantons).
ReplyDelete> Was this just a lot of words to say "Sandboxes are great, but don't forget to have NPCs that do things. If they don't do things, the world may feel static and lifeless?"
ReplyDeleteI think the "Just when your players are close enough to them, or to a place they're going to be" is a worthwhile addition to that theme.
Yeah when you put it that way XD
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