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

[Thomas Shey]

100% of the time. Like, no one player ever leans over to another player and says, "Can I get you some coffee?" or "Did you take that spell when we levelled?" or "This is too easy, I think the DM has a trick up their sleeve," or "Nice roll!"

I am not doubting it, and definitely do not disparage it, it just seems hard to comprehend.

As far as I can tell from people who've indicated all discussion is done in-character, there's a physical tell if you need say something OOC--raising a hand or turning a cup in front of you upside down or some such.

Since I play primarily in third person its never been something I've seen in person (I'd be as welcome as sunlamps at a vampire convention), bt I also gather some simply physical reactions aren't treated as part of it (laughing at something some other player's character does for example).

 

[Bill Zebub]

I also gather some simply physical reactions aren't treated as part of it (laughing at something some other player's character does for example).

“The war chief assumes you are laughing at him and orders his guards to attack…”

 

[Thomas Shey]

“The war chief assumes you are laughing at him and orders his guards to attack…”

Which is why largely involuntary reactions aren't treated as part of it, I'd assume.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

As far as I can tell from people who've indicated all discussion is done in-character, there's a physical tell if you need say something OOC--raising a hand or turning a cup in front of you upside down or some such.

Since I play primarily in third person its never been something I've seen in person (I'd be as welcome as sunlamps at a vampire convention), bt I also gather some simply physical reactions aren't treated as part of it (laughing at something some other player's character does for example).

I sometimes use the LARP off-game indicator of raising a hand above my head if I want to be absolutely clear, but nothing of the sort is usually needed. The characters will speak differently than the players, and it tends to be clear which talk is IC and which OOC.

 

[Thomas Shey]

I sometimes use the LARP off-game indicator of raising a hand above my head if I want to be absolutely clear, but nothing of the sort is usually needed. The characters will speak differently than the players, and it tends to be clear which talk is IC and which OOC.

I'm talking about discussing it with GMs or players from groups that were very clear all discussion was assumed to be in-character as a strong default. I don't hit it often, but when I do the peope involved are very firm about it.

 

[Micah Sweet]

As I was alluding to up ahead, more as a thought experiment although the bolded part makes me wonder if it really is: it seems a bit perverse to me that the GM should give the player of a low Wisdom or low Intelligence character as much information as they would give a high Wis/high Int character, and then ask them to basically pretend they don't have the information, according to criteria that might not be shared by the player.

Perverse? That's a little overstated IMO. To me, that just separating knowledge and roleplaying your character. No one in my group seems to have a problem playing their stats. But if it's a problem for you, that's why people have different preferences. Enjoy what you enjoy.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Well that obviously sounds like crap, yeah. I think (and I'm sure there will be shouting to the contrary) that a line needs to be drawn between character and player. Sometimes the players need the knowledge and that gets filtered (in some cases) through ability scores, but you can't just tell the table things if it's all based on stats. Sometimes I'd just prefer to unlimber the knowledge to the players and let them sort out how to talk about it as players and how to roleplay it via their characters.

The fact that players talk as a group, as players and not as characters, is something that some versions of how this works simply misses. Vanishingly few tables play in character 100% of the time, and talking about this issue using that as the normative behavior set is silly. I have all the respect in the world for that kind of play but it simply isn't even common, never mind the norm.

Yeah, that's what my players do. If they feel they should take actions a certain way because of their stats, they just do it. Like I said, I haven't seen this be a problem for anyone.

 

[Micah Sweet]

100% of the time. Like, no one player ever leans over to another player and says, "Can I get you some coffee?" or "Did you take that spell when we levelled?" or "This is too easy, I think the DM has a trick up their sleeve," or "Nice roll!"

I am not doubting it, and definitely do not disparage it, it just seems hard to comprehend.

That's talking out of character. People do that all the time, in mine and probably every other group. It's part of the social activity, but not part of play.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Yeah. A playstyle I have zero interest in is “if the players are talking then the NPCs can hear you.” $&#% that.

You've got to make judgement calls and play it by ear to make that work. If they're talking in character in a situation the NPCs would overhear, why wouldn't they?

 

[Micah Sweet]

“The war chief assumes you are laughing at him and orders his guards to attack…”

See, now you're just being silly. There are human beings involved here, and human judgement.