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<blockquote data-quote="Mort" data-source="post: 5586615" data-attributes="member: 762">I don't believe I'm missing your point - I'm saying that your definition of railroading is too broad. Railroading is not &quot;heavy-handedness&quot; - it is the limited instance of not giving players any actual choices. In the example I posted meaningful choices existed - there just happened to be one that was more meaningful than others - this might (and likely is) bad DMing and way too heavy handed, and yes very manipulative - but if you label it as railroading - that's too broad a definition. I do believe the DM is entitled to make some problems bigger than others, saying all problems are equally important is less realistic and would completely destroy some people's sense of verisimilitude.I also believe the DM is allowed to initiate conflict (something you listed as a possible negative) – The world having conflicts that appear, get resolved, don’t get resolved – with the PCs, without the PCs etc. is a living dynamic place. If the world just waits for the PCs to show up (or, more importantly, has the appearance of doing so) then the sense of a living, breathing world is lost and the player’s experience may well suffer for it.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Mort, post: 5586615, member: 762"] I don't believe I'm missing your point - I'm saying that your definition of railroading is too broad. Railroading is not "heavy-handedness" - it is the limited instance of not giving players any actual choices. In the example I posted meaningful choices existed - there just happened to be one that was more meaningful than others - this might (and likely is) bad DMing and way too heavy handed, and yes very manipulative - but if you label it as railroading - that's too broad a definition. I do believe the DM is entitled to make some problems bigger than others, saying all problems are equally important is less realistic and would completely destroy some people's sense of verisimilitude. I also believe the DM is allowed to initiate conflict (something you listed as a possible negative) – The world having conflicts that appear, get resolved, don’t get resolved – with the PCs, without the PCs etc. is a living dynamic place. If the world just waits for the PCs to show up (or, more importantly, has the appearance of doing so) then the sense of a living, breathing world is lost and the player’s experience may well suffer for it. [/QUOTE]

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