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<blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 8964415" data-attributes="member: 177">So, here's a game I played in recently, in which simulation of realistic world history got seriously in the way of having a successful RPG.I was playing a larp just a month or so back, set in Berlin on the day that it got divided between East and West.&nbsp; There were the Science and Language characters, who were working on the issues of the C'thulhoid horrors present in Berlin (because, of course there are!), and the Military and Diplomatic characters, who were dealing with the various nations struggling for power.The diplomatic types spent three hours of a four hour game hammering out agreements within their stated goals and limitations to prevent the division of Berlin.&nbsp; Hooray!&nbsp; Peace and diplomacy prevail!Except, at that point, the Scientists learn there was one, and only one, way to resolve how Time is Broken, and will destroy the universe, and the only way that technical solution could happen is that Berlin be divided.Now, normally you'd just call this railroad - the the GMs wanted the end result.&nbsp; In conversation with them afterwards, though, they didn't realize that's what they'd built.&nbsp; They just didn't think through the simulation steps and realize that their simulation had only one result that'd be acceptable to the characters (not allowing the universe to end, not dropping a nuke on Berlin, and such).&nbsp; It was railroad by simulation.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Umbran, post: 8964415, member: 177"] So, here's a game I played in recently, in which simulation of realistic world history got seriously in the way of having a successful RPG. I was playing a larp just a month or so back, set in Berlin on the day that it got divided between East and West. There were the Science and Language characters, who were working on the issues of the C'thulhoid horrors present in Berlin (because, of course there are!), and the Military and Diplomatic characters, who were dealing with the various nations struggling for power. The diplomatic types spent three hours of a four hour game hammering out agreements within their stated goals and limitations to prevent the division of Berlin. Hooray! Peace and diplomacy prevail! Except, at that point, the Scientists learn there was one, and only one, way to resolve how Time is Broken, and will destroy the universe, and the only way that technical solution could happen is that Berlin be divided. Now, normally you'd just call this railroad - the the GMs [I]wanted[/I] the end result. In conversation with them afterwards, though, they didn't [I]realize[/I] that's what they'd built. They just didn't think through the simulation steps and realize that their simulation had only one result that'd be acceptable to the characters (not allowing the universe to end, not dropping a nuke on Berlin, and such). It was railroad by simulation. [/QUOTE]

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