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Message: <blockquote data-quote="hawkeyefan" data-source="post: 9859653" data-attributes="member: 6785785">I made the distinction between “a railroad” as a noun and “railroading” as a verb up thread. I think it’s an important one. Linearity in adventure design is often labeled as a railroad… but that doesn’t really say anything about the experience of play. Is that linearity an engaging experience for the players? Is it largely what they expected or signed up for? Is there enough freedom of choice within the overall path to satisfy whatever need or desire they have for such? None of these questions are answered by the use of railroad as a noun. But when we instead consider railroading as an action by the GM… that is the use of force to reach some predetermined state… then we at least begin to address those questions. The idea of “being forced” that railroading implies seems far less neutral. It hints at overriding choice, at subverting freedom… of removing decision making from the players. So I think the best way to examine play to see if railroading is happening is to look at GM decisions and the reasons behind those decisions. And then to consider how this seems from a player POV… how do these decisions shape the play experience. Are the reasons for these decisions somehow a higher priority than maintaining player choice? That’s what needs to be looked at and interrogated. How one feels about the conclusions will vary, I expect… but I think that examining GM choices is what’s necessary.</blockquote>

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