#Descriptions Provide Focus and Options

If you never describe what is in your world, your players will never know what's in it. Whatever you present in the world will also be the focus of their attention. The blog post by the Angry DM here goes into more detail about it. Basically, you'll rarely get players who go off exploring when an objective is obviously right in front of them.

#Initially Present Problems, Not Solutions

Present problems, which then prompt the players to search for solutions. It can be as simple as "you found the tower/city, but it's barred! The guards are not letting you or anyone else in!" Since they want to gain access to the tower (which requires access to the city), they must get in somehow. The sewer grate/climbable wall was never mentioned, and you shouldn't mention them unless they do some investigation. This focuses your players on a problem, and lets their problem-solving brains to fire up.

#What About Side-Quests?

The simple answer is to put side-quests in their way. You want them to find a shop being ransacked? Put the commotion in their way as they go to the tower. Leave it to the players to engage with it or not. Should they have a run-in with a necromancer? Have them walk by and get an eerie feeling about a house, or have them smell the distinct smell of rotting corpses as they pass that home. This presents them options, and they can choose to interact with it or not.

In summary, present players with interesting problems, but don't present solutions or force encounters until the players engage with those problems.

Descriptions Provide Focus and Options

If you never describe what is in your world, your players will never know what's in it. Whatever you present in the world will also be the focus of their attention. The blog post by the Angry DM here goes into more detail about it. Basically, you'll rarely get players who go off exploring when an objective is obviously right in front of them.

Initially Present Problems, Not Solutions

Present problems, which then prompt the players to search for solutions. It can be as simple as "you found the tower/city, but it's barred! The guards are not letting you or anyone else in!" Since they want to gain access to the tower (which requires access to the city), they must get in somehow. The sewer grate/climbable wall was never mentioned, and you shouldn't mention them unless they do some investigation. This focuses your players on a problem, and lets their problem-solving brains to fire up.

What About Side-Quests?

The simple answer is to put side-quests in their way. You want them to find a shop being ransacked? Put the commotion in their way as they go to the tower. Leave it to the players to engage with it or not. Should they have a run-in with a necromancer? Have them walk by and get an eerie feeling about a house, or have them smell the distinct smell of rotting corpses as they pass that home. This presents them options, and they can choose to interact with it or not.

In summary, present players with interesting problems, but don't present solutions or force encounters until the players engage with those problems.

Descriptions Provide Focus and Options

If you never describe what is in your world, your players will never know what's in it. Whatever you present in the world will also be the focus of their attention. The blog post by the Angry DM here goes into more detail about it. Basically, you'll rarely get players who go off exploring when an objective is obviously right in front of them.

Initially Present Problems, Not Solutions

Present problems, which then prompt the players to search for solutions. It can be as simple as "you found the tower/city, but it's barred! The guards are not letting you or anyone else in!" Since they want to gain access to the tower (which requires access to the city), they must get in somehow. The sewer grate/climbable wall was never mentioned, and you shouldn't mention them unless they do some investigation. This focuses your players on a problem, and lets their problem-solving brains to fire up.

What About Side-Quests?

The simple answer is to put side-quests in their way. You want them to find a shop being ransacked? Put the commotion in their way as they go to the tower. Leave it to the players to engage with it or not. Should they have a run-in with a necromancer? Have them walk by and get an eerie feeling about a house, or have them smell the distinct smell of rotting corpses as they pass that home. This presents them options, and they can choose to interact with it or not.

In summary, present players with interesting problems, but don't present solutions or force encounters until the players engage with those problems.

#Descriptions Provide Focus and Options

If you never describe what is in your world, your players will never know what's in it. Whatever you present in the world will also be the focus of their attention. The blog post by the Angry DM here goes into more detail about it. Basically, you'll rarely get players who go off exploring when an objective is obviously right in front of them.

#Initially Present Problems, Not Solutions

Present problems, which then prompt the players to search for solutions. It can be as simple as "you found the tower/city, but it's barred! The guards are not letting you or anyone else in!" Since they want to gain access to the tower (which requires access to the city), they must get in somehow. The sewer grate/climbable wall was never mentioned, and you shouldn't mention them unless they do some investigation. This focuses your players on a problem, and lets their problem-solving brains to fire up.

#What About Side-Quests?

The simple answer is to put side-quests in their way. You want them to find a shop being ransacked? Put the commotion in their way as they go to the tower. Leave it to the players to engage with it or not. Should they have a run-in with a necromancer? Have them walk by and get an eerie feeling about a house, or have them smell the distinct smell of rotting corpses as they pass that home. This presents them options, and they can choose to interact with it or not.

In summary, present players with interesting problems, but don't present solutions or force encounters until the players engage with those problems.

Descriptions Provide Focus and Options

If you never describe what is in your world, your players will never know what's in it. Whatever you present in the world will also be the focus of their attention. The blog post by the Angry DM here goes into more detail about it. Basically, you'll rarely get players who go off exploring when an objective is obviously right in front of them.

Initially Present Problems, Not Solutions

Present problems, which then prompt the players to search for solutions. It can be as simple as "you found the tower/city, but it's barred! The guards are not letting you or anyone else in!" Since they want to gain access to the tower (which requires access to the city), they must get in somehow. The sewer grate/climbable wall was never mentioned, and you shouldn't mention them unless they do some investigation. This focuses your players on a problem, and lets their problem-solving brains to fire up.

What About Side-Quests?

The simple answer is to put side-quests in their way. You want them to find a shop being ransacked? Put the commotion in their way as they go to the tower. Leave it to the players to engage with it or not. Should they have a run-in with a necromancer? Have them walk by and get an eerie feeling about a house, or have them smell the distinct smell of rotting corpses as they pass that home. This presents them options, and they can choose to interact with it or not.

In summary, present players with interesting problems, but don't present solutions or force encounters until the players engage with those problems.

Descriptions Provide Focus and Options

If you never describe what is in your world, your players will never know what's in it. Whatever you present in the world will also be the focus of their attention. The blog post by the Angry DM here goes into more detail about it. Basically, you'll rarely get players who go off exploring when an objective is obviously right in front of them.

Initially Present Problems, Not Solutions

Present problems, which then prompt the players to search for solutions. It can be as simple as "you found the tower/city, but it's barred! The guards are not letting you or anyone else in!" Since they want to gain access to the tower (which requires access to the city), they must get in somehow. The sewer grate/climbable wall was never mentioned, and you shouldn't mention them unless they do some investigation. This focuses your players on a problem, and lets their problem-solving brains to fire up.

What About Side-Quests?

The simple answer is to put side-quests in their way. You want them to find a shop being ransacked? Put the commotion in their way as they go to the tower. Leave it to the players to engage with it or not. Should they have a run-in with a necromancer? Have them walk by and get an eerie feeling about a house, or have them smell the distinct smell of rotting corpses as they pass that home. This presents them options, and they can choose to interact with it or not.

In summary, present players with interesting problems, but don't present solutions or force encounters until the players engage with those problems.