...But to me, if the players are looking for an easy out, I might wonder if they weren't really interested in the story I had presented...
The thing is, if I'm playing, I tend to be problem solving. Finding an easy way out doesn't reflect my desire to interact with your story. I'm assuming that you want me to solve the problem...and your story accounts for that. Take a less hypothetical example - we started a campaign in a prison. From session 1 on,.my entire focus was to escape. All the sessions we were there were me, alongside the party, putting alliances together and then breaking out. Perhaps the DM wanted us to spend a significant part of the campaign in the prison, but my push to escape wasn't because his story sucked or anything - that was just the only objective that was in front of me. It wasn't communicated to me that he wanted a long period in the prison (nor afterwards, to clarify), so I was pushing to get on with the real story).
Which is to say, if a player is going for an easy solution, it doesn't necessarily indicate anything about their interest in their story. For me, if it is going against what you (as a DM) want, because it makes the final fight too easy or something, then my expectation is that you'll be creative and find a way to effectively block me. Hopefully, in a way that doesn't slap me down too hard or feel railroaded.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
...But to me, if the players are looking for an easy out, I might wonder if they weren't really interested in the story I had presented...
The thing is, if I'm playing, I tend to be problem solving. Finding an easy way out doesn't reflect my desire to interact with your story. I'm assuming that you want me to solve the problem...and your story accounts for that. Take a less hypothetical example - we started a campaign in a prison. From session 1 on,.my entire focus was to escape. All the sessions we were there were me, alongside the party, putting alliances together and then breaking out. Perhaps the DM wanted us to spend a significant part of the campaign in the prison, but my push to escape wasn't because his story sucked or anything - that was just the only objective that was in front of me. It wasn't communicated to me that he wanted a long period in the prison (nor afterwards, to clarify), so I was pushing to get on with the real story).
Which is to say, if a player is going for an easy solution, it doesn't necessarily indicate anything about their interest in their story. For me, if it is going against what you (as a DM) want, because it makes the final fight too easy or something, then my expectation is that you'll be creative and find a way to effectively block me. Hopefully, in a way that doesn't slap me down too hard or feel railroaded.
A fair response and I alluded to this bit with my comment about closing what I had called 'loopholes', though that may not be the best term really. The point I was trying (and failing) to make in my final two sentences is that it is my responsibility as a DM to create the kind of story that would account for the players having access to such a spell. If I don't want them to use it in a way that shortcuts them to the end of the story, I should set that up beforehand.
The thing is, if I'm playing, I tend to be problem solving. Finding an easy way out doesn't reflect my desire to interact with your story. I'm assuming that you want me to solve the problem...and your story accounts for that. Take a less hypothetical example - we started a campaign in a prison. From session 1 on,.my entire focus was to escape. All the sessions we were there were me, alongside the party, putting alliances together and then breaking out. Perhaps the DM wanted us to spend a significant part of the campaign in the prison, but my push to escape wasn't because his story sucked or anything - that was just the only objective that was in front of me. It wasn't communicated to me that he wanted a long period in the prison (nor afterwards, to clarify), so I was pushing to get on with the real story).
Which is to say, if a player is going for an easy solution, it doesn't necessarily indicate anything about their interest in their story. For me, if it is going against what you (as a DM) want, because it makes the final fight too easy or something, then my expectation is that you'll be creative and find a way to effectively block me. Hopefully, in a way that doesn't slap me down too hard or feel railroaded.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
A fair response and I alluded to this bit with my comment about closing what I had called 'loopholes', though that may not be the best term really. The point I was trying (and failing) to make in my final two sentences is that it is my responsibility as a DM to create the kind of story that would account for the players having access to such a spell. If I don't want them to use it in a way that shortcuts them to the end of the story, I should set that up beforehand.
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