Second, once the background is established, the players embark on the adventure. However, unlike stories in books, movies, and television shows, the parameters of the adventure story are not pre-written. For the player or game master reading this, yes – the adventure contains the elements that create the story. That means the story has some predetermined plot points, a group of antagonists, a central theme, and a climax. However, for many adventure modules, there is no set path that the players (or the player characters) must follow. Basically, there is no pre-written script.
Before moving on, we need to go back to the second point and add one more element – stories also have protagonists. The protagonists in the adventure story are the player’s characters, or – in actuality – the player characters. Each player, based on their character’s traits and abilities, interacts with the setting and other characters as they deem appropriate. This means that the story is written by the players. They manage the story, the interactions, and the success of the game based on what they do. The story is created by the people playing the game. In the classroom, this is the real learning experience. Students need to collaborate, cooperate, and utilize their own abilities to solve problems to succeed within the parameters of the game.