Quote Originally Posted by kyoryu View Post
Which means you're primarily prepping a world/situation, with some ideas for a plot. Compare that to something like Dragonlance again, where you've got a series of encounters and not a ton of stuff outside of that linear path. It also depends on how far ahead you write your "plot".
I wouldn't quite say that. I plan similar to Dragonlance (with a little bit more outside planning), but then if/when things move beyond what is planned you go with improvisation. Rather than waste my time planning around every single contingency or going slack with complete improv I plan based around the most likely course of events within the plot and then if things go sideways from that then I use other methods including sandboxing (which is greatly helped by previous plots which went sideways) and improvisation (which is greatly helped by having a defined and consistent world). I write a plot not because characters have to stick to it but rather because it helps provide a defined starting point to base the other aspects on. I love adventure paths not because they restrict the amount of agency but rather because they provide an alternate universe version of what would have happened if you hadn't taken that agency, if everything had gone according to plan. It's rather rare that things stick with them but it provides more fuel for the creative fires.

But that's just the way I do things, I don't expect it to work for everyone.