Pretty short and sweet, how do you successfully narrate travel between points of interest as a GM without it being all hurky-jerky?
I’m imagining attempting to narrate the epic travel scenes in Lord of the Rings, where they travel for days in fast-forward with nothing really interesting happening, only to then suddenly have time reel down to normal when something is about to happen. Every time I try this in a game though it just feels awkward and abrupt, while also clearly indicating to the players that something is going to happen.
Is there a way to make this a more smooth and natural transition?
Describe the place they are leaving. Ask them how do they feel about that. Then do a montage of their journeys (just a couple scenes) and ask someone to pitch in, like «Ranger, what’s totally unexpected grows here?», or «You see a small pillar of smoke, seems like there is a small village off the beaten path; Cleric, who do they praise here?». And after that you can tell them «…so, you’re here».
This aspect is really close to what I’m trying to accomplish. Zoom in on some action, then montage the travel until they hit another focus point. But you’re advice of prompting something of interest and letting them lead into the focus scene is take neat!
Involving your players in worldbuilding, even in games like D&D, is a fantastic way to engage them. Places they describe might not be relevant at all, but it lets them stay engaged in the game nevertheless. And also you can feature some of their creations later! AND you get to listen to them and not to do this work yourself! It’s a win-win situation.