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<blockquote data-quote="Man in the Funny Hat" data-source="post: 2700909" data-attributes="member: 32740"><p>There are two types of railroading. First is when there ISN'T an option and the DM OPENLY disallows any deviation from his dictated, scripted adventure. But more commonly railroading is nothing more than the AWARENESS that your choices are irrelevant. It is possible for your choices to be irrelevant <em>without</em> being "railroaded".</p><p></p><p>For example, let's say I prepare an adventure to... rescue the princess. I present the PC's with several "plot hooks": one PC gets clues about his long-lost sister, there is a rumor in the taverns about a dangerous ogre having moved into the area and killing people, and the party together witnesses an altercation between two nobles. What the PC's don't know is that ALL of those hooks are going to lead into my "rescue the princess" adventure because the princess has been captured by a nefarious individual hired by a noble to kidnap his rival's daughter. The rumors of the ogre are just that, but they've been spread in order to draw attention away from the truth. The sister of the PC had been kidnapped by the aforementioned nefarious individual and in the unfolding adventure I've cooked up the PC may find his sister, or simply acquire more clues as to her fate/whereabouts from Mr. Nefarious.</p><p></p><p>Now at the time the PC's make their decision about which of the very different plot hooks to follow they do not FEEL railroaded, they don't know they're being "railroaded" but in a manner of speaking they are. Their decision is actually irrelevant - each option will lead to my prepared adventure. But again, they don't KNOW that and there is no feeling of it by the players, and thus they don't fight against it.</p><p></p><p>At worst, at the end of my adventure, after having discovered that their original choice about the plot hooks was irrelevant they might feel somewhat railroaded. But then it's possible that all the plot hooks might NOT have been followed/played out during my adventure. Any thing I have not formally established I can freely change. If the players only follow up through the altercation between nobles they can rescue the princess and possibly capture/kill the nefarious guy - but I don't have to have that clue about the PC's lost sister lead still lead to him, and I don't have to have the Ogre remain a red herring but can build my next adventure around him. Again, the PC's are technically being railroaded but because they don't KNOW it/don't FEEL it, as far as their concerned there's no railroading involved.</p><p></p><p>Railroading is simply PERCEPTION of irrelevancy of choice.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Man in the Funny Hat, post: 2700909, member: 32740"] There are two types of railroading. First is when there ISN'T an option and the DM OPENLY disallows any deviation from his dictated, scripted adventure. But more commonly railroading is nothing more than the AWARENESS that your choices are irrelevant. It is possible for your choices to be irrelevant [I]without[/I] being "railroaded". For example, let's say I prepare an adventure to... rescue the princess. I present the PC's with several "plot hooks": one PC gets clues about his long-lost sister, there is a rumor in the taverns about a dangerous ogre having moved into the area and killing people, and the party together witnesses an altercation between two nobles. What the PC's don't know is that ALL of those hooks are going to lead into my "rescue the princess" adventure because the princess has been captured by a nefarious individual hired by a noble to kidnap his rival's daughter. The rumors of the ogre are just that, but they've been spread in order to draw attention away from the truth. The sister of the PC had been kidnapped by the aforementioned nefarious individual and in the unfolding adventure I've cooked up the PC may find his sister, or simply acquire more clues as to her fate/whereabouts from Mr. Nefarious. Now at the time the PC's make their decision about which of the very different plot hooks to follow they do not FEEL railroaded, they don't know they're being "railroaded" but in a manner of speaking they are. Their decision is actually irrelevant - each option will lead to my prepared adventure. But again, they don't KNOW that and there is no feeling of it by the players, and thus they don't fight against it. At worst, at the end of my adventure, after having discovered that their original choice about the plot hooks was irrelevant they might feel somewhat railroaded. But then it's possible that all the plot hooks might NOT have been followed/played out during my adventure. Any thing I have not formally established I can freely change. If the players only follow up through the altercation between nobles they can rescue the princess and possibly capture/kill the nefarious guy - but I don't have to have that clue about the PC's lost sister lead still lead to him, and I don't have to have the Ogre remain a red herring but can build my next adventure around him. Again, the PC's are technically being railroaded but because they don't KNOW it/don't FEEL it, as far as their concerned there's no railroading involved. Railroading is simply PERCEPTION of irrelevancy of choice. [/QUOTE]
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