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The Alexandrian’s Insights In a Nutshell [+]
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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 9287657" data-attributes="member: 42582"><p>The issue of <em>railroading</em> seems like a further matter.</p><p></p><p>If the GM writes down, as part of their prep, stuff that the players will have their PCs will do, is that railroading or simply prediction?</p><p></p><p>If the GM <em>doesn't</em> write down, as part of their prep, stuff that the players will have their PCs do, are they nevertheless anticipating certain action declarations by the players?</p><p></p><p>As an example of the latter, the GM might write down:</p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 20px">*At evening on the outskirts of the village, a portal opens up.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">*Raider come through the portal.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">*On the other side of the portal is visible a fortress, with a golden roof and the sun high in the sky reflecting off it.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">*The portal closes as the raiders retreat back through, two hours later.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><The GM then writes down stats for the raiders, a map and key of the fortress on the other side of the portal, and some notes about the relationship between the magic realm of the golden-roofed fortress and the mundane world, including a ritual that will re-open the portal from the other side.></p><p></p><p>There is no mention, in those notes, of the players having their PCs do stuff. Yet those notes suggest that the GM is anticipating the players having their PCs perhaps confront the raiders, and definitely having their PCs go through the portal to assault the fortress. Otherwise there will be no game to play.</p><p></p><p>Anyway, from my perspective, and as I've often posted before, the "three clue rule" and "node based design" are techniques for railroading, not alternatives to it. And this is for precisely the reasons that [USER=70468]@kenada[/USER] has been carefully setting out in this thread.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 9287657, member: 42582"] The issue of [I]railroading[/I] seems like a further matter. If the GM writes down, as part of their prep, stuff that the players will have their PCs will do, is that railroading or simply prediction? If the GM [I]doesn't[/I] write down, as part of their prep, stuff that the players will have their PCs do, are they nevertheless anticipating certain action declarations by the players? As an example of the latter, the GM might write down: [indent]*At evening on the outskirts of the village, a portal opens up. *Raider come through the portal. *On the other side of the portal is visible a fortress, with a golden roof and the sun high in the sky reflecting off it. *The portal closes as the raiders retreat back through, two hours later. <The GM then writes down stats for the raiders, a map and key of the fortress on the other side of the portal, and some notes about the relationship between the magic realm of the golden-roofed fortress and the mundane world, including a ritual that will re-open the portal from the other side.>[/indent] There is no mention, in those notes, of the players having their PCs do stuff. Yet those notes suggest that the GM is anticipating the players having their PCs perhaps confront the raiders, and definitely having their PCs go through the portal to assault the fortress. Otherwise there will be no game to play. Anyway, from my perspective, and as I've often posted before, the "three clue rule" and "node based design" are techniques for railroading, not alternatives to it. And this is for precisely the reasons that [USER=70468]@kenada[/USER] has been carefully setting out in this thread. [/QUOTE]
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