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Message: <blockquote data-quote="howandwhy99" data-source="post: 3276655" data-attributes="member: 3192">There was a long thread a few months back about defining railroading.  Definining a DMing technique isn't exactly easy and I don't think it was resolved in the end.  I called it "force", for lack of a better word, for when a DM manipulates events to an outcome they desire rather than one of consequence.I wouldn't be too hasty of calling railroading an indefinable term.  The concept came about for a reason.  And there is a perfect way to roleplay, it's called "let's pretend" and everyone can join in with their own ideas in the way they want.  Hey! You are absolutely right here.  The fact that only one key can open my front door doesn't make my house a railroading adventure.  Designing a game where the players must go through the front door and only with the key that opens it or you quit playing is railroading for me.I ran into a similar problem a few months back when 2 PCs became trapped in a crypt.  The ways out were just too obsure and difficult to determine.  If other PCs were not coming, the session could have become like any too-hard riddle or puzzle.  Not that other options for play in the crypt weren't available, but escaping assuring survival was the main priority.This is the traditional Referee stance.  I have found it is better to alter NPC decisions than dice rolls when bending the world towards players' ideas.  It's a form of "force" like I said above, but I prefer my players' plans have a good chance of succeeding.The fact of the matter is, we don't all railroad.  It sucks if all the DMs a person has met do railroad, but that still does not make it true.  Interesting things have no reason to happen to the PCs, so don't design events to do so. Living in a dangerous, fantastic, adventure-filled world means the PCs are going to bring events upon themselves.  If they choose to become farmers, that is their choice.  Who am I to say farming isn't fun for these players?  Let the players choose their fun (that has to be the antithesis of railroading right there).  On the other hand, wandering endlessly and finding nothing or randomly finding Dragons in foxholes is a world design issue, not something that requires railroading to deal with.These aren't truths for those who choose not to railroad.  Stop designing adventures according to "planned" encounters.  Stop ensuring your PCs can never run into inappropriate ELs or CRs.  Stop having your NPC monsters kill red shirts first.  And stop allowing the PCs to succeed or save the day when they haven't.I admit above that I like to change the world's consequences to give the players' plans a good chance of succeeding.  This was a hard lesson to learn as I just don't want to fudge.  I think the high power disparity between levels in 3E has made it too difficult for me to do otherwise.  So stop fudging the dice and keep giving world-sensible consequences to your players.  Fudging is your call, but I wouldn't call it railroading necessarily by the way the term was used when I learned the game in the 80's.  The "illusion" of freedom is the thing you can give up quite easily.  That's a gaming style sometimes called "Illusionism" and tends toward railroading, while keeping the players under the illusion they can do anything.  In truth, I've found almost all players in such games know they can't do anything they want.  They follow were they are led because they know that is where the DM has designed the game, the potential enjoyment.  It's a different style of play and sounds like the one you are lamenting above.Interesing and profitable things can lie in any direction in a freeform game.  It isn't impossible.  Even in a world where absolutely nothing is interesting or profiitable, playing in it is not railroading - just dull.  Give 'em a world of adventure and don't fudge the dice.  Let 'em learn when to run, when to fight, and even how to overcome even seemingly impossible odds.  It's more of a wargame style of play, but it does not require predetermination other than world creation.  And if having a specific world to play in is railroading, I have no idea how to get out of that.  (possible some narrative games, I suppose)</blockquote>

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