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<blockquote data-quote="Campbell" data-source="post: 8038765" data-attributes="member: 16586">In <a href="http://www.ptgptb.org/0027/theory101-02.html" target="_blank">this essay</a> M. Joseph Young points out a contradiction in mainstream roleplaying game design - the idea that the GM controls the story, but players control the protagonists.I am not overly fond of railroading as a term, mostly because a good number of people have very rigid requirements for what they consider to be railroading. From my perspective what is important is that the GM designs a scenario that is meant to be played and lets players control the protagonists. No matter how artful whether in scenario design or at the table if the GM is thinking in terms of How can I get the players to have their characters do X it is a nonstarter for me. This is a large part of why I prefer classic module design like Castle Amber and Keep on the Borderlands to more modern adventures like Descent into Avernus. It is also why I tend to prefer the sorts of GM techniques seen in games like Stars Without Number or Apocalypse World.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Campbell, post: 8038765, member: 16586"] In [URL='http://www.ptgptb.org/0027/theory101-02.html']this essay[/URL] M. Joseph Young points out a contradiction in mainstream roleplaying game design - the idea that the GM controls the story, but players control the protagonists. I am not overly fond of railroading as a term, mostly because a good number of people have very rigid requirements for what they consider to be railroading. From my perspective what is important is that the GM designs a scenario that is meant to be played and lets players control the protagonists. No matter how artful whether in scenario design or at the table if the GM is thinking in terms of [I]How can I get the players to have their characters do X[/I] it is a nonstarter for me. This is a large part of why I prefer classic module design like Castle Amber and Keep on the Borderlands to more modern adventures like Descent into Avernus. It is also why I tend to prefer the sorts of GM techniques seen in games like Stars Without Number or Apocalypse World. [/QUOTE]

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