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The Sandbox and the Railroad
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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 7471116" data-attributes="member: 29398"><p>Not in this case, because their choice is predetermined by their own characters and what makes them tick. If the DM can lay down 50 hooks while already knowing which one the players will go for, it's not the DM doing the railroading but that party is still on rails. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>And here we go with the story-now mantra again.</p><p></p><p>Your analysis of "the first sort of action" is lacking - if the players don't declare such actions (i.e. they don't bite the hook) then the DM might have to abandon that adventure idea and go on to plan B. Sooner or later either they players will take a hook, or they'll come up with their own hook and take that (thus putting the DM in react mode), because if they do neither of these then the game will grind to a halt.</p><p></p><p>And sometimes this happens - there's in-game information out there that would be really useful to the PCs but for whatever reason they just don't find it (or better yet: they find it, don't realize its significance, and either ignore it or immediately forget it!), and so they have to proceed without it. A DM who tries to force-feed info e.g. the assassin idea would be better served to just stand back and see what develops, even if it means the party don't have what they need.</p><p></p><p>Lanefan</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 7471116, member: 29398"] Not in this case, because their choice is predetermined by their own characters and what makes them tick. If the DM can lay down 50 hooks while already knowing which one the players will go for, it's not the DM doing the railroading but that party is still on rails. :) And here we go with the story-now mantra again. Your analysis of "the first sort of action" is lacking - if the players don't declare such actions (i.e. they don't bite the hook) then the DM might have to abandon that adventure idea and go on to plan B. Sooner or later either they players will take a hook, or they'll come up with their own hook and take that (thus putting the DM in react mode), because if they do neither of these then the game will grind to a halt. And sometimes this happens - there's in-game information out there that would be really useful to the PCs but for whatever reason they just don't find it (or better yet: they find it, don't realize its significance, and either ignore it or immediately forget it!), and so they have to proceed without it. A DM who tries to force-feed info e.g. the assassin idea would be better served to just stand back and see what develops, even if it means the party don't have what they need. Lanefan [/QUOTE]
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