D&D General The Great Railroad Thread

[EzekielRaiden]

Not all manipulation is coercion. In the absence of a threat, I don't see how there can be coercion.

And if you don't realise there's a threat, then you won't change your behaviour and hence won't be coerced. (This happened to me once in a rather charged interaction with police that I had in a community legal education forum - the community lawyer who was with me recognised that one of the police officers was trying to intimidate me, but I ploughed blithely on. I wasn't coerced!)

Is the threat not implicit? The railroading GM, sooner or later, applies the threat of being ejected from the game.

The Ikiwisi*.


*I know it when I see it

I strongly suspect you're taking the piss, but just so we're clear, that's pretty much the definition of a qualitative standard.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I strongly suspect you're taking the piss

Usually a safe bet with me.

I agree with you, how much/how little meaningful freedom the players have must be a qualitive assessment. Is it too much or too little for me?

 

[pemerton]

Is the threat not implicit? The railroading GM, sooner or later, applies the threat of being ejected from the game.

Do they? or do they just manipulate events, player responses, etc? I've played in railroading games where there was no coercion, but plenty of manipulation.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Do they? or do they just manipulate events, player responses, etc? I've played in railroading games where there was no coercion, but plenty of manipulation.

And if those manipulations were seen or called out?