What is "railroading" to you (as a player)?

[Thomas Shey]

Stealing their stuff is something that is done to the character, not the player.

I can pretty much promise you that with many, if not most, players they're not going to see the difference as significant in this kind of situation. Its the same reason there's so much resistance to being captured, even in genres where its very common.

 

[Umbran]

And yes, I would separate "GM force" from other kinds of GM actions.

There's no reason to use it if not to differentiate it from something else.

Do you recognize that calling one "normal" is setting up a fraught scheme?

 

[Micah Sweet]

I can pretty much promise you that with many, if not most, players they're not going to see the difference as significant in this kind of situation. Its the same reason there's so much resistance to being captured, even in genres where its very common.

Yeah, probably not, but I'm of the opinion that a lot of players are more attached to their characters than I like.

 

[Fenris-77]

Do you recognize that calling one "normal" is setting up a fraught scheme?

Not having normative behavior means that you can do whatever you like. Are we saying there are no best practices in RPG play? I agree that we don't want to other different playstyles, but given that RPGs share a common frame of reference the use of 'normal' doesn't have to be making that strong a move.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Yeah, probably not, but I'm of the opinion that a lot of players are more attached to their characters than I like.

That may be, but when assessing how they'll react to something, your view of it (as in, the view other than the players) is pretty much irrelevant.

 

[SkidAce]

Right. Which is why it is to me very heavy-handed railroading. You have a particular scenario you want to force and you are figuring out how to do that.

I wouldnt say scenario. I would say result.

Developing scenarios is part of the DMs job.

How the players react to the scenario, with the results are arbitrated from what they do, not what the DM wants or prefers (so many precious scenarios burned to the ground...shakes fist at clouds) keeps it from being a railroad.

Now I have basic comprehension skills, and I understand like discussed upthread that a railroad is a spectrum. Some folks use the definition that putting players in a scenario not of their actual choosing is railroading. I feel its mostly a development of the campaign. Stuff happens.

BUT...if I choose all the scenarios and line them up without their input or desires....yes, railroad. And the spectrum lies between.

 

[Micah Sweet]

That may be, but when assessing how they'll react to something, your view of it (as in, the view other than the players) is pretty much irrelevant.

Yeah, but it's still irritating to me. To my mind, sometimes PCs die, and then you make another one. While they're there you care about them, but I just don't see why you can't accept the occasional bad thing happening to your PC. It's not you.

 

[Fenris-77]

Yeah, but it's still irritating to me. To my mind, sometimes PCs die, and then you make another one. While they're there you care about them, but I just don't see why you can't accept the occasional bad thing happening to your PC. It's not you.

That might be what you think, and for what it's worth I agree with you, but that doesn't change anything about how 'people' react to having all their goodies stolen in-game. Or to being captured. Or even to being mind-controlled in some cases. It's a thing.

 

[GrimCo]

While some people view "railroading" as negative, i view it more neutral. Good or bad, it's primarily based on player buy, methods DM uses to keep things on the rails and do people have fun. Both Disneyland roller-coaster and Transsiberian railway are railroads, but one of them is fun twisty turny adrenaline filled ride, other is long, boring and mostly uneventful.

Situation from OP is textbook example of adventure staging in Ravenloft. You walk trough the mist and find yourself trapped in plane with very few ways of making back.

Most of my games in last decade or so could be called railroads. Part of it is cause i find sandbox games boring and part of it is cause i know my players and without guide rails, there would be lot of session time wasted on them deciding what to do. So i run games that are on the strong rails. Players have agency in how to deal with stuff, not so much in what stuff to deal with. It like theme adventure park ride. But, key here is, i have explicit player buy in. They are willingly staying on rails.

 

[Reynard]

I think the right words are "disrespect" and possibly even "violation".

Man there is a lot of hyperbole in this thread.