Recent content by Fenris-77

Generally, sure, charitable readings are always best. Useful definitions are also good. Somewhere in there is a balance.

There might be nuance (there's always nuance). But this isn't that nuance. Look, this is probably a silly thing for us to argue about, but when there's a definition in play with long usage and specific meaning then I'd prefer to stick with that over letting people just make up what words means...

A few people in a thread on teh interwebs isn't meeting that definition of language change. Railroading has a long history of use in terms of RPG games and it has never simply referred to linear design.

I think that's a mistake. We have a great word for linear designs - linear. Railroading is something else, even just by the definition from outside gaming (people getting railroaded into decisions etc). Conflating the two is something on the order of a category mistake IMO. Just because people...

I don't think it is, no. Not by definition anyway.

I completely agree. I would probably count a lack of that freedom more as something related to railroading.

How to Make a Fantasy Sandbox is the best resource I've seen for designing sandboxes of any flavour. Rob really knows his stuff. https://legacy.drivethrurpg.com/product/470041/How-to-Make-a-Fantasy-Sandbox

My sense of railroading is based less on agency and more on the use of GM force. I think that linear adventure design is fine and I'm not interested in attaching a stigma there (even if it's not to my personal taste). I think railroading lies more in the heavy-handed use of GM force to keep...

I'm probably being too broad there, let me dial that rhetoric back a little. Obviously we all have preferences and those will inevitably inform our posting, and people's preferences are something that we should be charitable about reading, considering, and taking into account. None of this...

Keep in mind that we're talking about your goofy hot take on 4E here. If someone agrees that 4E was slanted and exclusionary on purpose to exclude a certain group of gamers I'll laugh at them too. By all means let the agreement come rolling in though, why not.

Because you are only interested in what you think, and that's not interesting or informative. Step outside of that narrow little place and I've got your back.

The only person here who's concerned with personal preferences is you.

Your read on that, the one about exclusion, is the issue here. That's a very personal and idiosycratic read, and one you'd need to support idntou wanted anyone to take it seriously.

How those fans may feel is immaterial. They weren't excluded, just perhaps not catered to.

I'd disagree. I think RPG play has rather alot in common with how television progresses. Obvioulsy with the same caveats as regards books, but the focus of television on scenes and shorter story arcs is meaningful.