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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 5170805" data-attributes="member: 4937">I think the term 'railroading' has been used so broadly and to cover so many things, that without specifically defining what you mean by it, it's hard to have a conversation.For my part, I think most players are happy with the "narrow-wide-narrow" structure previously mentioned where the DM hooks them and 'brings the fun', and then after being hooked they may find there own path to the resolution.  In fact, I'd say that whether they know it or not or admit it or not, that's what almost all players want.  Players that really want to 'find there own fun' usually are players that really want 'narrow-wide-narrow' plots only with greater illusionism.  That is, they want to find a classic adventure narrative in whatever direction that they go, which is in fact 'railroading'.  Likewise, I think that most players are happy with 'linear' adventures where a->b->c->d, provided that they don't get a steady diet of them.  Most players want more freedom than that in between the hook and the resolution, but will go along with stories that have a naturally linear structure happily from time to time.However, I don't personally feel railroading refers to either of those things.  In my opinion, railroading refers to a number of techniques where the DM either elimenates player choice or creates the illusion of player choice when it is not in fact there.So, some examples:1) NPC's which are vastly more powerful than the players take control over them and force them to do various things.2) There is a fork in the road, but regardless which direction the players take, the also go to location A first, and then location B if they go back and take the other fork.  In fact, the PC's will get to location A even if they take neither path and just head off cross country.3) When the PC's decide to do anything other than the one thing they are supposed to do, they are punished.4) If the PC's decide to say no, something will come along and force them to say yes anyway.  This includes situations where the PC's are accompanied by a vastly powerful NPC minder, who takes charge whenever the PC's don't do what the DM wants them to do.5) The BBEG's hitpoints expand to fit the damage the PC's do, and/or hurting or downed PC's get blankets of protection thrown over them to ensure survival (ei, the bad guys ignore them or attacks on them always miss).  Important NPC's reutinely violate the normal action sequence to escape, or are invulnerable to attacks in scenes before they are supposed to die.</blockquote>

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