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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Steel_Wind" data-source="post: 5169272" data-attributes="member: 20741">There is macro railroading and micro rail-roading.Macro rail-roading is the majority of all RPG campaigns and the game would break down without the social contract approving of the macro-railroad.In this context, I mean that the GM has presented "the adventure" to the players. There' s the plot hook and there is an expectation and agreement that that is what you are going to do. This is especially important in games with a more complicated rule structure as it becomes quite difficult to whip up an adventure, locale, foes and plot on the fly.Not saying it can't be done - some GMs excel rather well at this. But most, I think it must be admitted, do not.In that sense, there is a social contract between GMs and players that the macro-railroad is the default structure of the game.The more granular that scale becomes, the less acceptable it becomes, to the point where a GM interferes and forces the players to NOT do a thing or, alternatively TO DO a thing that the players just don't want to do. The more specific the choice, generally speaking, the more objectionable it becomes.Turning to the great Grand-Daddy Railroad of them all, let's look at DragonLance DL-1, Dragons of Despair.Macro acceptable railroad. There is an adventure where you are going to escape capture in the Inn of the Last Home and ultimately rescue this barbarian princess and her magic staff from capture and find out where it came from and what it means.This is acceptable railroading on a macro scale.The module progresses to more heavy-handed tactics. As the armies advance, they tightens the noose across the lands of Ansalon, forcing all player movement to a choke point at Xak Tsaroth - where the "dungeon" is.This is heavy-handed, but might be objectionable to some players and 'okay" to others.Lastly, there is an encounter with the elves where they take you prisoner and forcibly bring you to the Forest Master - an encounter which is, in turn, a one way trip via pegasi to the swamps of Xak Tsaroth. This last bit is over the top micro rail-roading and is at a level of overtness where the design is no longer acceptable by the majority of players given present day standards of adventure design.1- The Adventure itself? "Ok" to most but the most ardent sandbox players; 2- Limiting Options for Overland Movement and Overtly Channelling the PCs to a specific Area? Grudgingly Accepted - but the strings are beginning to be seen too clearly now...; 3- Marching the PCs at Sword Point to a one way, no save Sleep plus airline trip to the dungeon locale? Unacceptable.We will leave aside here the whole issue of obscure death and unkillable Plot NPCs in DragonLance, which can work in some cases as long as the strings are not overtly seen. Once the unkillable NPC is revealed as unkillable - verisimilitude tends to breakdown and the unacceptable railroad is on.</blockquote>

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