Originally Posted by
Draccus
Imagine if your pencil and paper DM did that.
DM: Ok, you've killed the ogre king and looted his chests. What do you do.
Player: We return to town to spend our gold on wine, women, and song!
DM: OK, what do you do?
Player: Uh, I leave the ogre king's lair...I just said that...
DM: Fine. You take a step. What do you do next?
Player: Huh?? I said I go to town.
DM: OK, you take another step, I assume.
Player: Obviously! I walk to town!
DM: Ok, you take another step.
Player: *Sigh* whatever. OK, I take steps towards town until I get there or you tell me something else happens.
DM: Sounds good. You walk out of the lair. And through the caves you fought through. And out into daylight. You descend the cliff face that you walked up earlier. You reach the plains. You tread across the a field of wild grasses...and across a stream...and across another field of grass...and come to a rocky outcropping. You cross the outcropping and find another grassy field. You cross it and enter some sparce woods. You walk across the leafy ground, deeper and deeper into the woods....
Player: zzzzzzzz
Boring! How's a live DM do it?
DM: Ok, you've killed the ogre king and looted his chests. What do you do.
Player: We return to town to spend our gold on wine, women, and song!
DM: Ok, let me roll some random encounters and...you arrive in town.
That's what DDO is trying to replicate.