Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="Snoweel" data-source="post: 5042340" data-attributes="member: 4453">I agree.But the purpose of this thread is to determine where the line is drawn (and as importantly, who draws that line).I totally agree.But here's where the distinction breaks down.If the DM decides something happens in the game world, and he decides that event could come to the attention of the PCs, then he necessarily decides the probability of that event coming to the PCs' attention.Then if (when) it comes to their attention it is happening to the PCs; even finding new information will influence their decision-making cycle, even if the reaction is to ignore the new information.The PCs are actively choosing to ignore the new information. It is forcing them to act.So whatever the DM decides to have occur in the game world (that could possibly come to the PCs attention) is a form of railroading, because if (when) it does pop up above their Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance threshold (whether they actively or passively find it), it forces them to reassess their situation, even if they decide the event has no bearing on them.So any instance of new NPC motivation appearing in the game world (ie. not stemming from the existing/status quo situation) makes the existence of the sandbox an illusion. The DM has made an ultimately arbitrary decision (even one conforming to the rules of the setting) that will affect the PCs.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Snoweel, post: 5042340, member: 4453"] I agree. But the purpose of this thread is to determine where the line is drawn (and as importantly, who draws that line). I totally agree. But here's where the distinction breaks down. If the DM [i]decides[/i] something happens in the game world, and he [i]decides[/i] that event could come to the attention of the PCs, then he necessarily [i]decides[/i] the probability of that event coming to the PCs' attention. Then if (when) it comes to their attention it [b]is happening to the PCs[/b]; even finding new information will influence their decision-making cycle, even if the reaction is to ignore the new information. The PCs are [b]actively choosing[/b] to ignore the new information. It is forcing them to act. So whatever the DM [i]decides[/i] to have occur in the game world (that could possibly come to the PCs attention) is a form of railroading, because if (when) it does pop up above their Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance threshold (whether they actively or passively find it), it forces them to reassess their situation, even if they decide the event has no bearing on them. So any instance of new NPC motivation appearing in the game world (ie. not stemming from the existing/status quo situation) makes the existence of the sandbox an illusion. The DM has made an ultimately arbitrary decision (even one conforming to the rules of the setting) that will affect the PCs. [/QUOTE]

Verification