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<blockquote data-quote="iserith" data-source="post: 8695311" data-attributes="member: 97077">Correct, railroading allows for the preservation of prep. Prep takes time, so the more you keep your players on your prep by railroading, you don't have to create a lot of extra stuff that might not get used. Accordingly, you save yourself prep time. Ultimately this is a matter of time management on the part of a DM who has chosen to railroad over other approaches that might be workable for their schedule. I, for example, plan my next campaign right when I start my current one. I outline what I'll need for prep, break that down into little pieces, then work on those pieces bit by bit while the current campaign is playing out. When done, I'm ready to start this new campaign and I repeat that process. No fuss, no muss, and no railroading needed.But ultimately here's the thing: All you have to do is explain to your players and ask them for their agreement to stick to the prep as much as they can while understanding sometimes you'll move stuff around to keep things on track, and you're no longer railroading. Railroading is by definition doing something against someone else's wishes. If they're cool with going along with your plot, finding reasons for their characters to stick with it, and good with you moving that ogre to their current path, then you're not railroading anymore. What's revealing is the objection to just saying what you're doing up front. Everyone understands that time is a limited commodity. They'll understand some adjustments need to be made. And if they don't, then they don't have to play.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="iserith, post: 8695311, member: 97077"] Correct, railroading allows for the preservation of prep. Prep takes time, so the more you keep your players on your prep by railroading, you don't have to create a lot of extra stuff that might not get used. Accordingly, you save yourself prep time. Ultimately this is a matter of time management on the part of a DM who has chosen to railroad over other approaches that might be workable for their schedule. I, for example, plan my next campaign right when I start my current one. I outline what I'll need for prep, break that down into little pieces, then work on those pieces bit by bit while the current campaign is playing out. When done, I'm ready to start this new campaign and I repeat that process. No fuss, no muss, and no railroading needed. But ultimately here's the thing: All you have to do is explain to your players and ask them for their agreement to stick to the prep as much as they can while understanding sometimes you'll move stuff around to keep things on track, and you're no longer railroading. Railroading is by definition doing something against someone else's wishes. If they're cool with going along with your plot, finding reasons for their characters to stick with it, and good with you moving that ogre to their current path, then you're not railroading anymore. What's revealing is the objection to just saying what you're doing up front. Everyone understands that time is a limited commodity. They'll understand some adjustments need to be made. And if they don't, then they don't have to play. [/QUOTE]

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