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<blockquote data-quote="steenan" data-source="post: 4732830" data-attributes="member: 23240">I call what happens during a gaming session railroading if player's choices are restricted in a way that was not known before the game started (taking into account game setting, system and group's social contract). Thus, no restrictions determined and presented before the game are railroading. Mind control spells and similar powers, antimagic areas, monsters immune to some attacks etc. are not railroading if used moderately (as they are a part of game mechanics), but may be if overused (violating the social contract). Deciding that whichever road the party walks will lead to the dungeon is not railroading if players choose them at random (as there is no real choice that could be restricted), but doing the same when they gathered information about what is down the roads is railroading. Changing the system without players' knowledge, in general, is (or leads to) railroading, but may be not if either system or social contract allows doing this in a given situation (e.g. in most games the GM is free to homebrew places, NPCs and monsters, but should follow some guidelines).</blockquote>

[QUOTE="steenan, post: 4732830, member: 23240"] I call what happens during a gaming session railroading if player's choices are restricted in a way that was not known before the game started (taking into account game setting, system and group's social contract). Thus, no restrictions determined and presented before the game are railroading. Mind control spells and similar powers, antimagic areas, monsters immune to some attacks etc. are not railroading if used moderately (as they are a part of game mechanics), but may be if overused (violating the social contract). Deciding that whichever road the party walks will lead to the dungeon is not railroading if players choose them at random (as there is no real choice that could be restricted), but doing the same when they gathered information about what is down the roads is railroading. Changing the system without players' knowledge, in general, is (or leads to) railroading, but may be not if either system or social contract allows doing this in a given situation (e.g. in most games the GM is free to homebrew places, NPCs and monsters, but should follow some guidelines). [/QUOTE]

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