Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="payn" data-source="post: 9732834" data-attributes="member: 90374">Not always, and I wish folks wouldn't make such blanket assumptions.A linear adventure can encompass far more than that. Often, there are preconceived notions of what the player's troupe is. For example, the adventure path might be one where the PCs are a group charged by a church to search out restless undead souls and give them peace. A pretty specific metagoal to follow session to session. So, it it not sandbox in the sense that folks can just stop being ghost hunters and become pirates or dungeon splelunkers instead. Though, that doesnt mean ghost hunting is done from point A to B to C in sequential order. You can encompass all kinds of sandbox atributed styles such as map and key, mystery investigation, etc..    Again, you are conflating two things that are not the same. Railroading is a pejorative in which the game play is bad and not enjoyable becasue the GM has taken all agency away. A linear game is a compromise in which the players agree to some constraints but are still allowed agency in the adventure. The GM may set up an antagonist, or a situation, and the players can still investigate as they see fit. No, A to B, to C even if there are only three items to investigate. The players may investigate as they see fit. The sitaution can unfold based on their actions, in which the antagonists can become reactive or even proactive changing the very nature of A, B, C just like a sandbox or non-linear adventure.  What if sandbox was called litterbox pejoratively instead? Where there is no direction, no point, but to fancy a deuce in the GMs world as you see fit. Would you champion "litterbox" style of play? Or would you prefer folks not conflate litterboxing with non-linear adventure style RPGs? Exactly, even a "sandbox" has walls. There isnt really such thing as total agency. Every game group is going to have their own ideas on who controls which aspects of the game. Both GM and player will have some buy in. However, a lot of folks want to boil it down to total agency or zero agency when really its a spectrum.  It's entirely possible to GM in a certain style, and perfer to play in another. Which is why I think its important to be respectful of diverse opinions.</blockquote>

Verification