My thoughts exactly. Players "discovering" terrain at random isn't a feature, it's a bug that kills player engagemen. Appendix B even explicitly says it's primarily for use *before* a session or in solo play.
"Discovering" a new geographic feature that should have been obvious to any observer from a neighboring hex is verisimilitude breaking. It's "dungeon design thinking" taken to the surface world.
Your method is the proper one to set the stage. A framework is necessary for travel on the map to happen, for both the GM and the Players. The players will fill in the details of the world during play.
Forcing the players to sit through the GM's hex-by-hex generation means you get away from the "Hyper-detailed World with Railroads" by going to the same kind of autonomy-killing, verisimilitude-sucking extreme.
Some of my favorite TTRPGs, like Dungeon World, and tools, like Jason Lutes’s awesome Perilous Wilds start with #ZeroPrep so the initial setting can be collaboratively built with players. It’s session zero play, but I’d argue, this IS campaign play. From there, I agree that having light prep is good. But also, “prep addiction” is fine too. Many GMs see “prep as play.” I wrote about that joy here:
"#ZeroPrep is dumb, immersion-breaking, and unfair to your players."
-This is needlessly aggressive. Prefer your way to play, sure. Attacking the way others play is unnecessary. Maybe you got defensive because 'One went so far as to say “that’s stupid, because no one cares”,' but that doesn't mean you have to sink down to their level. How is it unfair if your players agree and enjoy playing that way? How is it immersion-breaking? If you roll up a mountain, then you simply say "This mountain has always been in the distance as you approach and now you're finally at it's foot." It's clear you wouldn't like that and that's fine! Make your argument about your preferred method without calling those who do something else "dumb".
What is the appropriate amount of prep? I've seen comments ranging from a single town, to macris' small to large continent, to mapping the whole world.
My thoughts exactly. Players "discovering" terrain at random isn't a feature, it's a bug that kills player engagemen. Appendix B even explicitly says it's primarily for use *before* a session or in solo play.
#ZeroPrep is clue-free thinking.
"Discovering" a new geographic feature that should have been obvious to any observer from a neighboring hex is verisimilitude breaking. It's "dungeon design thinking" taken to the surface world.
Your method is the proper one to set the stage. A framework is necessary for travel on the map to happen, for both the GM and the Players. The players will fill in the details of the world during play.
Forcing the players to sit through the GM's hex-by-hex generation means you get away from the "Hyper-detailed World with Railroads" by going to the same kind of autonomy-killing, verisimilitude-sucking extreme.
Some of my favorite TTRPGs, like Dungeon World, and tools, like Jason Lutes’s awesome Perilous Wilds start with #ZeroPrep so the initial setting can be collaboratively built with players. It’s session zero play, but I’d argue, this IS campaign play. From there, I agree that having light prep is good. But also, “prep addiction” is fine too. Many GMs see “prep as play.” I wrote about that joy here:
https://open.substack.com/pub/soloist/p/the-worldbuilding-issue?r=5okvb&selection=fdf5733b-2336-4ac6-bd45-a00b142a36b1&utm_campaign=post-share-selection&utm_medium=web
"#ZeroPrep is dumb, immersion-breaking, and unfair to your players."
-This is needlessly aggressive. Prefer your way to play, sure. Attacking the way others play is unnecessary. Maybe you got defensive because 'One went so far as to say “that’s stupid, because no one cares”,' but that doesn't mean you have to sink down to their level. How is it unfair if your players agree and enjoy playing that way? How is it immersion-breaking? If you roll up a mountain, then you simply say "This mountain has always been in the distance as you approach and now you're finally at it's foot." It's clear you wouldn't like that and that's fine! Make your argument about your preferred method without calling those who do something else "dumb".
What is the appropriate amount of prep? I've seen comments ranging from a single town, to macris' small to large continent, to mapping the whole world.