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What best describes railroading as you understand it?
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<blockquote data-quote="ThirdWizard" data-source="post: 2966348" data-attributes="member: 12037"><p>There are several different kinds of railroads and several different levels at which railroading can take place. I think that is a key issue in the other thread, and one that needs to be taken into more consideration when one is discussing what "railroading" is.</p><p></p><p>Railroading on the combat level is <em>completely</em> different than railroading on the "field" or "adventure" (ie NPC interactions, PC decisions and plans, etc), which is also <em>completely</em> different than railroading on the "campaign arc" level.</p><p></p><p>If you ignore that these things are different and try to create one definition for railroading that fits all of them, then you'll just confuse the issue and will lead to arguments with people who think of them differently. It's fine if one person can fit their own definition into all of them, but most people are not going to.</p><p></p><p>For example, some people would consider the DM dictating the PC actions as railroading. But, then many people would consider the DM starting an adventure with "You're riding toward X destination" as perfectly normal. Indeed some people said the DM starting an adventure with the PCs having lost all their equipment is <em>not</em> railroading. Would the same be true for the combat level? Adventure/field level? Maybe. Maybe not.</p><p></p><p>But, I think a distinction really does need to be made between these different aspects of game and where railroading begins in each contnext.</p><p></p><p></p><p>For me, railroading can basically be boiled down to the literal meaning of what a railroad is, for the most part. A railroad is when there is a track and the PCs can't get off of it. That's not a defnition, but an idea instead. It's a context that will change from person to person.</p><p></p><p>For example, I assume that a game can be heavily railroaded and fun for all because the Players in this case like the tracks, enjoy the tracks, and can't wait to see where it takes them. And, that's fine. Others believe that it is only railroading if the Players aren't happy with it. That's fine, too, and its a difference of oppinion, but a very very large gulf between us.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="ThirdWizard, post: 2966348, member: 12037"] There are several different kinds of railroads and several different levels at which railroading can take place. I think that is a key issue in the other thread, and one that needs to be taken into more consideration when one is discussing what "railroading" is. Railroading on the combat level is [i]completely[/i] different than railroading on the "field" or "adventure" (ie NPC interactions, PC decisions and plans, etc), which is also [i]completely[/i] different than railroading on the "campaign arc" level. If you ignore that these things are different and try to create one definition for railroading that fits all of them, then you'll just confuse the issue and will lead to arguments with people who think of them differently. It's fine if one person can fit their own definition into all of them, but most people are not going to. For example, some people would consider the DM dictating the PC actions as railroading. But, then many people would consider the DM starting an adventure with "You're riding toward X destination" as perfectly normal. Indeed some people said the DM starting an adventure with the PCs having lost all their equipment is [i]not[/i] railroading. Would the same be true for the combat level? Adventure/field level? Maybe. Maybe not. But, I think a distinction really does need to be made between these different aspects of game and where railroading begins in each contnext. For me, railroading can basically be boiled down to the literal meaning of what a railroad is, for the most part. A railroad is when there is a track and the PCs can't get off of it. That's not a defnition, but an idea instead. It's a context that will change from person to person. For example, I assume that a game can be heavily railroaded and fun for all because the Players in this case like the tracks, enjoy the tracks, and can't wait to see where it takes them. And, that's fine. Others believe that it is only railroading if the Players aren't happy with it. That's fine, too, and its a difference of oppinion, but a very very large gulf between us. [/QUOTE]
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What best describes railroading as you understand it?
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