Why I Dislike the term Railroading

[Zhaleskra]

But riding the train requires you to get somewhere by a certain path. That's the point.

Well, that and avoiding traffic considering that the only "traffic" trains generally have to deal with is other trains on the same track going the opposite direction. This being another purpose of the switches.

 

[wayne62682]

Isn't it referencing the fact that the passengers of the train (PCs) can't determine where to go next, but it's decided by the conductor (DM/GM) and they just have to sit and wait until the next destination?

 

[pawsplay]

Isn't it referencing the fact that the passengers of the train (PCs) can't determine where to go next, but it's decided by the conductor (DM/GM) and they just have to sit and wait until the next destination?

Yes. That is what the term is all about. While trains are a great way to get from Berlin to Moscow, they are not a fully featured way to run an RPG and have a strong tendency to create dysfunctional play.

 

[pawsplay]

Assuming you knew that you were boarding the train in the first place, sure.

A railroaded RPG is a lot like showing up for a three beach cruise, and then being told get on the train.

 

[Zhaleskra]

Yes. That is what the term is all about. While trains are a great way to get from Berlin to Moscow, they are not a fully featured way to run an RPG and have a strong tendency to create dysfunctional play.

This is why I don't write "plots". I'll do an outline with hints, a defined starting point, and a possible end point. It might take me a bit to come up with something if the players do something I really don't expect.

 

[pawsplay]

This is why I don't write "plots". I'll do an outline with hints, a defined starting point, and a possible end point. It might take me a bit to come up with something if the players do something I really don't expect.

Another good reason not to write plots is that most poets and authors in the post-modern era have concluded that plots and themes are not really the central point of storytelling, and may not always be necessary. I think one thing that makes RPGs really great is that you can "explore text" in a post-modern sense in a way few other forms of entertainment permit.

 

[francisca]

This topic has nothing to do with whether "railroading" is good or bad. It is about what I dislike about the term itself.

Okay, so a train can only go where the tracks it is on go. This is where we get this term. But railroads also have switches, that allow/force one train to go somewhere else. I'm not going to get into why, because it's not important.

Hmm, as I write this I think my problem is not so much with the term "railroading" as it is with the concept of "jumping the tracks". Granted even going to separate, switched tracks, can still only get you to limited destinations.

Do you have a term you think would be a better fit?

How about "shafted"?

Like "I got shafted by DL1, and it hurt like futhermucker."

 

[hexgrid]

Assuming you knew that you were boarding the train in the first place, sure.

A railroaded RPG is a lot like showing up for a three beach cruise, and then being told get on the train.

Right, and because neither of these situations exist with real trains, the analogy to RPGs doesn't make much sense, because it's not really analogous.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Right, and because neither of these situations exist with real trains, the analogy to RPGs doesn't make much sense, because it's not really analogous.

Well, y'know, it's hard to have a perfect analogy. Some munchkins aren't even small.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Right, and because neither of these situations exist with real trains, the analogy to RPGs doesn't make much sense, because it's not really analogous.

You can apply the situation to any mode of transport that you desire.

Take this fine example from Run DMC for instance:

" It's not funny when we got, on the wrong plane. We wanted to go to L.A. but we were headed for Spain."