D&D General How Often Should a PC Die in D&D 5e?

[pemerton]

Your definition of railroad is far, far broader than most people's definition. A campaign can be linear and give PCs autonomy on approach while still having a clear default outline. If I'm playing Curse of Strahd, I may have multiple ways of approaching the campaign but when I agreed to play the game I knew what I was signing up for and that there would be certain aspects of the game predefined.

The fact that someone agrees to play a railroad doesn't make it not a railroad.

And linearity seems to be a defining characteristic of a railroad, rather than some sort of contrasting notion.

saying that a DM's campaign is a railroad is one of the most negative things you can say about a DM and rightfully so. But defining railroad too broadly like you do and it becomes you stating a one-true-way to run games, not a useful descriptor of a style of game DMing to avoid.

Useful for whom?

It's useful for me to be able to characterise an approach that I don't generally enjoy either as player or as GM.

I mean, you're hardly shy about forthrightly stating your own preferences and criticising those of others!

 

[Oofta]

The fact that someone agrees to play a railroad doesn't make it not a railroad.

And linearity seems to be a defining characteristic of a railroad, rather than some sort of contrasting notion.

Useful for whom?

It's useful for me to be able to characterise an approach that I don't generally enjoy either as player or as GM.

I mean, you're hardly shy about forthrightly stating your own preferences and criticising those of others!

I'm just not going to agree with your definition of a railroad if that means certain events and probable encounters or turning points are preplanned. The problem is with how you're categorizing it is that this is a public forum, I'm not telling you what to say or not of course, just pointing out to other potential newbies that there's a difference.

I disagree with your definition and why because I think it's important for people who are not familiar with the term railroad to understand the distinction between a linear campaign and a railroad. They need to know that while some people do not like linear campaigns (which includes pretty much most published campaign modules) and a railroad. In a railroad the DM decides everything and micromanages outcomes to ensure they follow their intended plan. A linear campaign can have an outline, expected outcomes and most likely path through the campaign and the probable conclusion. That, to me, doesn't make it a railroad.

It's a fuzzy line of course, but you don't seem to leave any light between "Have a campaign outline of what will likely happen" and "All aboard the railroad!"

 

[Umbran]

It's useful for me to be able to characterise an approach that I don't generally enjoy either as player or as GM.

Mod note:
Then, by all means, use it when you are talking to yourself.

You are not talking to yourself now, so the utility to you should not be the primary consideration, now should it?

When speaking with others, take a bit more effort to consider how constructive your approach to the discussion is apt to be, please. Because at the moment, the effect looks more "trying to pick a fight" than anything else, which isn't great.