From: Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou)
Subject: Re: Improvisation!
Organization: Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada
	<BtCIM9.Cxn@acsu.buffalo.edu>
	<1992Aug25.220628.17273@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu>
	<BtKE2M.L0A@acsu.buffalo.edu>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 13:27:39 GMT

In article <BtKE2M.L0A@acsu.buffalo.edu> swann@acsu.buffalo.edu (Stephen Swann) writes:


   In article <1992Aug25.220628.17273@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu> cassidy@cps.msu.edu (John J Cassidy) writes:
   >In article <BtCIM9.Cxn@acsu.buffalo.edu> swann@acsu.buffalo.edu (Stephen Swann) writes:
   >
   >[quote, quote, quote, ... ad infinitum]
   >
   >>But to extend the example, do you know the location of every loose
   >>paving stone on every road in every part of the adventure, or doesn't
   >>your world have loose paving stones?  That's one way to make sure the
   >>players don't do anything unexpected - have every object in your
   >>campaign be equivalent to its Platonic Ideal form.
   >
   >	Steve brings up a good point.  A loose paving stone used to kill
   >many a cartdriver in ancient days.  The wheel plants on it and when the
   >stone moves it usually provides for more than the driver can handle.
   >When your characters race over paving stones in a cart chase, do you
   >know just which stone is loose?  Or do you roll a percentage every turn
   >to see if their cart hits one?  Or do you roll every fifth turn or so?

   Actually I was thinking of the possibility of picking up a paving
   stone to throw through a window, to start a distracting commotion.  Or
   that maybe you would hide the gem you just stole under a loose paving
   stone so that when that detachment of soldiers catches you, they won't
   find it on your person.  Or that you might want to use it to prop open 
   a self-closing gate, while you explore the courtyard.

   When someone claims that they have taken -everything- into account in
   their preparation, I have to ask them if they know the location of EVERY
   loose paving stone.  Because I might need one.  I might also need a
   handful of dry grass, so they better have detailed that in their
   writeup as well.  If you don't have that, then you just aren't a full
   prep DM, in my book.

Full-prep sucks, IMHO. If you want full prep, play Final Fantasy II or
Zelda III on the super NES. Everything in it except the PC/NPC interaction.
LImited choices. Well, for a computer gam I really had fun (esp. with both
Final Fantasy), but it's an adventure game, not a roleplaying game...

There are just too many things that prep can't handle. That doesn;t mean
SOME prep isn't desirable.

I mean, if you ask me where every loose stone is in my world, you really
think I'll say "Ok, give me a couple hours and I'll get it back to you..."
and start writing little Xs on my maps? Ludicrous. I'll wing it. What's so
BAD about not using the best pf both worlds, impro and prep???

Another guy who think that because a GM does prep, he doesn't impro. Sigh.

It would be just as bad a me thinking that because a guy improes, he
doesn't do also some prep.

--
/---------------------------\
| Patrick "Paradak" Rannou. |
| Rannou@info.polymtl.ca    |
\---------------------------/

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc