My wish in these kinds of threads is that we could focus on specific moments of play and hone in on analyzing "what is going on under the hood" and the implications therein rather than working broadly from the macro conception (railroad) backwards to those important moments of play (of applied, or not, GM Force). I hate how so often threads devolve into that. We end up functionally analyzing nothing (collectively that is) and thus gain no greater understanding.
Problem is, if we can't agree on the macro definitions analyzing the specific moments becomes kinda pointless.
d) My AD&D1e (with heavy use of WSG) and 5e games have a lot of overlap and both share a lot with my 3.x games (except for LFQW is so bloody out of control in the latter). Granular hex-crawl and wilderness-exploration-heavy.
Given what I've read from you throughout your many (often very detailed) posts here and elsewhere, and what I've kind of gleaned as being your DMing style, I'd be very interested in seeing how you'd run 1e or a near variant. My guesses are:
1. It would be a good, fun game
2. It would be vastly different from mine (which I'd like to think is also good, and fun) even though we're using the same basic system. For one thing, I suspect you're much more mechanics-first than I am. (see below)
[MENTION=29398]Lanefan[/MENTION] , given what you've written in this thread (and the reply above), I don't think you have a good handle on:
* the sum-total of GM overhead (prep, improv/adjudication, conflict-framing, and creativity requirements) in a game like Dungeon World versus a game like B/X (or 5e).
* the nuance of GM overhead (prep, improv/adjudication, conflict-framing, and creativity requirements) in a game like Dungeon World versus a game like B/X (or 5e).
Upthread I wrote out
the fictional output from a play excerpt from Dungeon World. I followed that up with
revealing the mechanization of that excerpt in Dungeon World. I have now just
transliterated that over to reveal how that might be mechanized in B/X. Later I'll do 5e (which should be trivially done), when I have the spare time.
Do you think you could look those over and comment or ask questions to clarify. I would hope (if I've done my job...perhaps I haven't done it well enough though) the sum-total and nuance of GM overhead between DW and B/X would be much more clear to you.
Done.
Lots of questions and observations.
First, to nip in the bud any distracting talk of the crevasse in the DW example or the chute trap in the B/X example (which put the Elf alone in that situation) possibly being a form of railroading why not for the sake of this discussion say the Elf was singlehanding all along: a solo adventure where he'd reached that place during the normal course of exploration.
To the DW example I can say little as I don't know the system. I see what mechanics you're using to achieve what results but what's unclear is whether any of those mechanical resolutions could have been replaced with simple DM fiat and narration. It seems little to no advance GM prep went into the scene as you say right off it was all off the cuff - but was it a pre-mapped part of the dungeon to in theory be explored later or did it not exist at all until the Elf fell in?
And, one question: the Elf knew the Aboleth had 6 h.p. before shooting at it. Is it standard practice in DW that an opponent's hit points are known information to the players/characters? (also, if yes do the opponents get the same benefit in knowing the hit points of the PCs?)
With the B/X example I'm on more familiar ground. I get the sense you've added a bit more to the DM prep side on this one in pointing out he's got three pre-done adventures in the can ready to go - why would the same not be true in the DW example?
Beyond that, the DM in this scenario is relying on hard-coded mechanics far more than I ever would and thus making his own job a lot harder...with one exception: I'd think the wall-straddling move by the Elf needs some sort of check (roll under Dex?) to pull off quietly and-or gracefully. But the rest of it I'd have flow more organically, not worrying about Exploration Turns or any of that and probably deciding by DM judgement* that the Goblin coming onto the scene would take one look and run for its life. * - unless the Elf immediately did something unexpected like surrender, or itself flee.
As for running the caught Goblin through, isn't there a roll to hit involved in both systems? The other Goblins' reactions might be quite different if the Elf somehow manages to miss. (it's unclear what sort of level this Elf is)
I'd probably play the Parlay sequence much as you did only more organically, without the dice rolls and with a bit of attention to the Elf's Charisma (some Elves ooze Charisma out of every pore).
One other thing I'd be doing in both systems that you don't mention in either is quietly either rolling or fiat-ing what the Aboleth is up to and where it has gone. Maybe it scares another Goblin somewhere else and distant screams are heard. Maybe it moves in behind the Elf (intentionally or otherwise), such that if the Elf tries to leave the way he came in he'll run onto it. Or maybe it just goes to sleep somewhere and digests its lunch.
Now, back to the main topic: is any of this railroading? In either system I don't think so...it all looks like normal run of play to me; or at least I have to assume it is for DW.
Would it be railroading were it simple DM fiat/judgement that the Goblin shows up and flees for dramatic or story effect rather than the result of a random roll? Again I don't think so: particularly in B/X the player wouldn't - or shouldn't - know the difference anyway: all he knows is that a Goblin has just showed up. He doesn't know the mechanics (or lack thereof) behind that Goblin's arrival...all he can do (both in and out of character) is react to what's presented in whatever way makes sense to the character.
Lan-"Goblin: the other red meat"-efan