D&D General The Great Railroad Thread

[Crimson Longinus]

And yet variations on equally simple situations are exactly what most of the RPG hobby is based on. If everything is complicated, then that's tedious after a while. Not everything is complicated. Most things aren't. I like complicated scenarios too, but the are more like the spice or maybe the dessert, not the main ingredient.

This thread is really going to town with the cooking metaphors, isn't it?

I definitely think the complicated situations should be the main ingredient. Simple ones are just scaffolding to get there. I really, really do not think that making meaningful decisions is onerous or tedious in a RPG, it is in fact the point of playing.

 

[Thomas Shey]

I definitely think the complicated situations should be the main ingredient. Simple ones are just scaffolding to get there. I really, really do not think that making meaningful decisions is onerous or tedious in a RPG, it is in fact the point of playing.

But there are plenty of people who are perfectly happy to follow the lead and take the opportunity to play with the mechanics and do the incidental roleplaying along the way. Complicated decision making is the last thing they want.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

But there are plenty of people who are perfectly happy to follow the lead and take the opportunity to play with the mechanics and do the incidental roleplaying along the way. Complicated decision making is the last thing they want.

And will gladly point them towards the nearest railway station, I just do not wish to join them!

 

[zarionofarabel]

Well, the last two or so pages of posts seems to once again confirm what I alluded to early on...

The only difference between a "railroad" and "linear adventure" is player buy in, in that both are functionally the same. Both feature a predetermined sequence of scenes and encounters that the players must experience. In a "linear adventure" the players are happy to follow the predetermined path laid out by the GM. In a "railroad" the players are either forced to follow the predetermined path, or are unknowingly manipulated into doing so.

I would parse out all the quotes to show proof of my point, but I'm old, and my Parrot wants to go for a nap, so I'm going to go for one too.

 

[Gradine]

Having spent most of the past two decades DMing for largely new players every time, I've developed what I like to refer as "nature trails".

The trail is there, the trail is complete, and the trail is full of wonderful sights and adventure. But the trial also sometimes have branching paths, maybe smaller loops, and you can always leave the trail completely for a bit to explore, but the campaign is the trail and the trail is the campaign, and there's always a clear sense of where things are heading, where things are going.

With a railroad, well, to quote a great philosopher, activist, and father, "there ain't no gettin' offa this train we're on". The nature trail provides the same structure as the railroad, but offers way more freedom.

 

[Mort]

Well, the last two or so pages of posts seems to once again confirm what I alluded to early on...

The only difference between a "railroad" and "linear adventure" is player buy in, in that both are functionally the same. Both feature a predetermined sequence of scenes and encounters that the players must experience. In a "linear adventure" the players are happy to follow the predetermined path laid out by the GM. In a "railroad" the players are either forced to follow the predetermined path, or are unknowingly manipulated into doing so.

I would parse out all the quotes to show proof of my point, but I'm old, and my Parrot wants to go for a nap, so I'm going to go for one too.

Yes it's the "only" difference.

Other than that, how was the play Mrs. Lincoln?

 

[payn]

Yes.



I just think people are using words weirdly. If there are many meaningful decisions that impact what course the events take, then it is not linear or a railroad!

No, you are choosing to be deliberately singular in definition of linear and not considering the context of the discussion.

 

[Thomas Shey]

And will gladly point them towards the nearest railway station, I just do not wish to join them!

That's fine, its just not a great idea to think that the hobby is dominated by people who want to get into the guts of decision making every session. At most for a lot of people it's an occasional side gig.

Point is, significant, distinct choices that cause major plot changes isn't a priority for everyone; handling choices and the opportunity is often enough.

 

[payn]

The real kicker is that you can be railroaded in a sandbox.

Players: We can go anywhere and do anything we want?
GM: Thats right! Also, everywhere you want to go leads to a forest trail and everything you want to do ends with fighting an ogre.

 

[Thomas Shey]

The real kicker is that you can be railroaded in a sandbox.

Players: We can go anywhere and do anything we want?
GM: Thats right! Also, everywhere you want to go leads to a forest trail and everything you want to do ends with fighting an ogre.

Though the easy answer to that is "It just looks like a sandbox. Its a railroad with illusionism laid over it heavily."