I think one of the issues I have with soft world building in a game (vs in a movie or book) is that the players have much more agency in where they go and what they interact with than the characters in a plot driven story. In a movie a train in the background can just be dressing, but in a game if the players suddenly decide they want to ride that train, and you haven't planned out the answer to where it goes, you're going to have to do a lot of improv all of a sudden, and it's not as likely to be as cohesive to the world as if you had put the time into it beforehand. That being said, too much info is usually overlooked and unnecessary for most players, and a lot of work for the GM that often never gets used. The sweet spot is having a general idea without too much specific detail, and if you DO have that detail share it with the players as if it was soft. Even if you know the answer, there is no reason to give them all the info straight away, let the discovery be entertaining instead of boring. And always keep in mind that sometimes improv, and a few details that don't 100% make sense under scrutiny, are a lot of fun, easier to generate, and somewhat realistic. If you look at many of the decisions and events in the real-world, many of them don't make sense either, make the incongruencies a mystery that simply hasn't been solved.
Beautifully said! I agree with everything you said and I've been on the receiving end of that train metaphor lol. Definitely all about finding that balance
I think one of the issues I have with soft world building in a game (vs in a movie or book) is that the players have much more agency in where they go and what they interact with than the characters in a plot driven story. In a movie a train in the background can just be dressing, but in a game if the players suddenly decide they want to ride that train, and you haven't planned out the answer to where it goes, you're going to have to do a lot of improv all of a sudden, and it's not as likely to be as cohesive to the world as if you had put the time into it beforehand.
That being said, too much info is usually overlooked and unnecessary for most players, and a lot of work for the GM that often never gets used.
The sweet spot is having a general idea without too much specific detail, and if you DO have that detail share it with the players as if it was soft. Even if you know the answer, there is no reason to give them all the info straight away, let the discovery be entertaining instead of boring.
And always keep in mind that sometimes improv, and a few details that don't 100% make sense under scrutiny, are a lot of fun, easier to generate, and somewhat realistic. If you look at many of the decisions and events in the real-world, many of them don't make sense either, make the incongruencies a mystery that simply hasn't been solved.
Beautifully said! I agree with everything you said and I've been on the receiving end of that train metaphor lol. Definitely all about finding that balance
Great points/tips! I also appreciate that you offer non-automatic closed captions. 😀
I didn't know that you could tell the difference! haha. I always upload them myself
In other words. It is not about the world building you do behind scenes. But what and how you present it in an organic manner.
👌