Except the only way you're ever going to get that feel for the table - particularly with strangers but sometimes even with friends - is to just let them play their characters however they will and see what transpires.
IME each party - even if it's the same players involved as were in other different parties - sets its own tone for how it's going to function; and IME that tone usually gets set early enough - as in, within the first few sessions - that if a few characters die or get driven out in the process it's no big deal as the players aren't too attached to them yet anyway.
On this I largely agree, though even then there's occasional tables where a full-on railroad works just fine as that's what the players want. Again, trial-and-error and let-'em'play wins here: in this case you drop some adventure hooks and if none get any bites due to indecisive or hesitant players then maybe you need to fire up the ol' 6-2-4 locomotive...