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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Amaroq" data-source="post: 1897624" data-attributes="member: 15470">This is definitely a per-group-of-players variable, and I've seen it run the gamut.I DM'ed a group with little-to-no railroading, and the group really meandered: it didn't feel like they had any idea what to do without a forced hook to follow, and eventually somebody would get bored, start some trouble, and the rest of the group would react to it; a very reactive group.The next group I DM'ed 'carrot and the stick' style. There are people trying to kill at least two of the PC's, who have some ideas why but may not know for sure; they certainly can't talk to their pursuers or sit still; there are also some 'carrots' out there in terms of things that the PC's want. This group enjoyed it greatly, and got into some great role-playing (the two 'hunted' PC's each became convinced that the pursuers of the OTHER one had it right...)A later group I've been playing in has a DM who is a bit more 'traditional dungeon adventure' oriented, and a very high role-playing contingent. Entertainingly, this group inverts that first one: the players are happy to spend an entire evening having an intense in-character discussion; the DM gets bored, starts some trouble, and the group has to react to it. (And yes, it actually is frustrating when this happens!)The group I'm starting up in December or January this year includes a player who would be happiest with that first 'open-ended' style, so I'm going to have to compromise between forcing the group to react and allowing them to forge their own choices in the absence of pressure.An interesting distinction you might enjoy, in thinking about DM'ing style: there's a big difference between 'railroading' and 'carrot and the stick' - railroading is where the players can ONLY go down one path; the latter ensures that 'stagnation' is a bad thing (the stick) and gives some ideas of places to jump (carrots) but the players can jump in whichever direction they choose.</blockquote>

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