--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Time and time again, the players…" description: "\"Time and time again, the players constantly surprise you and often not do at all what you expect and completely muck up your preparation, and that's ki..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffc/matthew-mercer-26201_beauty_time-and-time-again-the-players-constant_750226.jpg" --- # Time and time again, the players constantly surprise you… ![“Time and time again, the players constantly surprise you and often not do at all what you expect and completely muck up your preparation, and that's kind of the beauty of the game. It wouldn't be as fun to the DM if everything worked out exactly how you thought it would.” quote by Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffc/matthew-mercer-26201_beauty_time-and-time-again-the-players-constant_750226.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffc/matthew-mercer-26201_beauty_time-and-time-again-the-players-constant_750226.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffc/matthew-mercer-26201_beauty_time-and-time-again-the-players-constant_750226.jpg) > “Time and time again, the players constantly surprise you and often not do at all what you expect and completely muck up your preparation, and that's kind of the beauty of the game. It wouldn't be as fun to the DM if everything worked out exactly how you thought it would.” [Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unexpected player actions disrupt plans, creating excitement and highlighting the game's unpredictable nature. **In simple terms:** Surprises make the game fun. Key Takeaway Embrace unpredictability. Themes gaming improvisation creativity Mood enthusiastic reflective Type gaming motivational When to use this quote - role‑playing games - team projects - live events - teaching - sports coaching Key Concepts player agency narrative flexibility Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance preparation with flexibility? - What benefits arise from surprise? A Different Perspective Too much chaos can derail goals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Constantly Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constantly-surprise-5838307/) [Dm Worked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dm-worked-5838306/) [Fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fun/) [Game Wouldn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game-wouldn-550111/) [Players Constantly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/players-constantly-804520/) [Preparation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preparation/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [It's nice to have a camaraderie among the players and constantly push each other to be better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-draper/it-s-nice-to-have-a-camaraderie-among-the-players-and-constantly-push/) [Jack Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-draper/) > [Football players are constantly talking about their workouts, trading secrets, helping each other become the best players they can be. Now that I'm retired,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-schlereth/football-players-are-constantly-talking-about-their-workouts-trading/) [Mark Schlereth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-schlereth/) > [Green base ballers don't want to be viewed as unhealthy. Young players are constantly judged and evaluated on every layer of their being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-kapler/green-base-ballers-don-t-want-to-be-viewed-as-unhealthy-young-players/) [Gabe Kapler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-kapler/) > [I truly love the game; I wouldn't be playing if I didn't love the game. I'm not getting paid astronomical dollars; it's truly for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-truly-love-the-game-i-wouldn-t-be-playing-if-i-didn-t-love-the-game/) [Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/) > [I've never seen myself as a victim because of my physicality. If I did play that game, I wouldn't be the comedian that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/i-ve-never-seen-myself-as-a-victim-because-of-my-physicality-if-i-did/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [I was always a fan of the game, and I wouldn't have taken this job if I wasn't a fan of the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bettman/i-was-always-a-fan-of-the-game-and-i-wouldn-t-have-taken-this-job-if/) [Gary Bettman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bettman/) > [I knew I could play really well in one game, score the winning goal and then, come the next game, I wouldn't play at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jermain-defoe/i-knew-i-could-play-really-well-in-one-game-score-the-winning-goal/) [Jermain Defoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jermain-defoe/) > [I adore the game, but wouldn't be interested in being the England coach in a million years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-beenhakker/i-adore-the-game-but-wouldn-t-be-interested-in-being-the-england/) [Leo Beenhakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-beenhakker/) > [I said, 'Maz, if I hadn't screwed up that Game 7, you wouldn't be in the Hall of Fame.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-law/i-said-maz-if-i-hadn-t-screwed-up-that-game-7-you-wouldn-t-be-in-the/) [Vernon Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-law/) > [If you had a game that said, 'Oops, you're dead. Now switch off the game,' it wouldn't be very successful. So you do need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hidetaka-miyazaki/if-you-had-a-game-that-said-oops-you-re-dead-now-switch-off-the-game/) [Hidetaka Miyazaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hidetaka-miyazaki/) > [I hope they make a video game of me. At least I wouldn't have any cellulite then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-johansson/i-hope-they-make-a-video-game-of-me-at-least-i-wouldn-t-have-any/) [Scarlett Johansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-johansson/) > [A lot of games that preceded 'Warcraft' made the assumption that this type of game wouldn't appeal outside the hard-core audience, so that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/a-lot-of-games-that-preceded-warcraft-made-the-assumption-that-this/) [Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) > [When they started to drain a swamp where birds and fish had lived, for a new housing development down the road from his apartment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maile-meloy/when-they-started-to-drain-a-swamp-where-birds-and-fish-had-lived-for/) [Maile Meloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maile-meloy/) > [Little things make the difference. Everyone is well prepared in the big things, but only the winners perfect the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-bryant/little-things-make-the-difference-everyone-is-well-prepared-in-the/) [Bear Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-bryant/) > [Erase from your mind that your preparation must be perfect. Hard work + dedication = a shot at your dreams. Keep believing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-goucher/erase-from-your-mind-that-your-preparation-must-be-perfect-hard-work/) [Kara Goucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-goucher/) ## More by Matthew Mercer > [There's an old-school gatekeeper mentality to some of the RPG community: 'It's unfair that somebody out there can make money on something that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/there-s-an-old-school-gatekeeper-mentality-to-some-of-the-rpg/) [Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/) > [Whenever I'm driving through an area of a town, and it gets really foggy, my brain immediately starts having anxiety because of 'Silent Hill.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/whenever-i-m-driving-through-an-area-of-a-town-and-it-gets-really/) [Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/) > [The difference between 'Resident Evil: Damnation' and 'Resident Evil 6' is in 'Resident Evil 6' we did facial mo-cap, along with the voice over.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/the-difference-between-resident-evil-damnation-and-resident-evil-6-is/) [Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/) > [Role-playing games are just an organic improvised space for storytelling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/role-playing-games-are-just-an-organic-improvised-space-for/) [Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/) > [A lot of games and voiceover projects, they're not giving the actor a lot of context. The actor, no matter how good they are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/a-lot-of-games-and-voiceover-projects-they-re-not-giving-the-actor-a/) [Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/) > [For me, the very first video game I ever played would have been 'Return of the Jedi' on the Atari 2600.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/for-me-the-very-first-video-game-i-ever-played-would-have-been-return/) [Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/) > [I try desperately to try and figure out how they'd react to different scenarios. That's part of what the DM's job is: to try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/i-try-desperately-to-try-and-figure-out-how-they-d-react-to-different/) [Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/) > ['Resident Evil: Damnation' was physically mo-capped and recorded with the mo-cap actors first, so there wasn't a whole lot of flexibility with timing, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/resident-evil-damnation-was-physically-mo-capped-and-recorded-with/) [Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/) > [I've worked on a lot of fighting games, so I was very used to the idea of combat sounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/i-ve-worked-on-a-lot-of-fighting-games-so-i-was-very-used-to-the-idea/) [Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/) > [Thanks to Twitter, Reddit, web media, and social media, we have the opportunity now to kind of blur that line between the people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/thanks-to-twitter-reddit-web-media-and-social-media-we-have-the/) [Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/) > [I played the first 'Resident Evil' on a PlayStation in high school. I remember, those were the beginning of the survival-horror genre; I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/i-played-the-first-resident-evil-on-a-playstation-in-high-school-i/) [Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/) > ['Dungeons and Dragons' has evolved over the years, and so has the community that played the game. It had a lot of lingering stigma…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/dungeons-and-dragons-has-evolved-over-the-years-and-so-has-the/) [Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/) > [The rules - I think that's one big thing that people seem to get caught up in is that I have to know all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/the-rules-i-think-that-s-one-big-thing-that-people-seem-to-get-caught/) [Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/) > [It's always hard when you're working on a project, and you're seeing it in bits and pieces, whether that be film, television, video games,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/it-s-always-hard-when-you-re-working-on-a-project-and-you-re-seeing/) [Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/) > [I prefer ensemble casts, but with games like 'Resident Evil 6,' where there's just so much dialogue and recording mo-cap, or with 'Resident Evil:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/i-prefer-ensemble-casts-but-with-games-like-resident-evil-6-where/) [Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/) [Explore all 22 Matthew Mercer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/) ## More Beauty quotes > [We do not want nowadays temples of worship and outward rites and ceremonies. What we really want is an Asram. We want a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/we-do-not-want-nowadays-temples-of-worship-and-outward-rites-and/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [How could anybody confuse truth with beauty, I thought as I looked at him. Truth came with sunken eyes, bony or scarred, decayed. Its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/how-could-anybody-confuse-truth-with-beauty-i-thought-as-i-looked-at/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [To fathom the power, to witness the beauty, to bathe in the fountain, to swing on the spiral of our divinity, and still be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tool/to-fathom-the-power-to-witness-the-beauty-to-bathe-in-the-fountain-to/) [Tool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tool/) > [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/) [Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/) > [“We've all met people who are beautiful on the outside, however, when they open their mouths to speak, they have nothing of substance to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/we-ve-all-met-people-who-are-beautiful-on-the-outside-however-when/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [There are various orders of beauty, causing men to make fools of themselves in various styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-are-various-orders-of-beauty-causing-men-to-make-fools-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [To me, the beauty of a quilt or a dress lies within the stitches and the thought of the person who made them. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/to-me-the-beauty-of-a-quilt-or-a-dress-lies-within-the-stitches-and/) [Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/) > [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [“I already love in you your beauty, but I am only beginning to love in you that which is eternal and ever precious –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-already-love-in-you-your-beauty-but-i-am-only-beginning-to-love-in/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Call her beautiful a million times and she won't believe you. Call her ugly once, and she will never forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr/call-her-beautiful-a-million-times-and-she-won-t-believe-you-call-her/) [Tumblr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tumblr/) > [Time can but make her beauty over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/time-can-but-make-her-beauty-over-again/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) > [“What about you? What do you do?” I needed to ask questions, draw him out. I needed to find out all the information I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-avery-ellison/what-about-you-what-do-you-do-i-needed-to-ask-questions-draw-him-out/) [Kate Avery Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-avery-ellison/) [Browse all 24,662 Beauty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Time and time again, the players constantly surprise you and often not do at all what you expect and completely muck up your preparation, and that's kind of the beauty of the game. It wouldn't be as fun to the DM if everything worked out exactly how you thought it would.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matthew Mercer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/time-and-time-again-the-players-constantly-surprise-you-and-often-not/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beauty" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/time-and-time-again-the-players-constantly-surprise-you-and-often-not/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffc/matthew-mercer-26201_beauty_time-and-time-again-the-players-constant_750226.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffc/matthew-mercer-26201_beauty_time-and-time-again-the-players-constant_750226.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffc/matthew-mercer-26201_beauty_time-and-time-again-the-players-constant_750226.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Time and time again, the players constantly surprise you and often not do at all what you expect and…” — Matthew Mercer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Matthew Mercer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Time and time again, the players...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/time-and-time-again-the-players-constantly-surprise-you-and-often-not/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/time-and-time-again-the-players-constantly-surprise-you-and-often-not/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```