We all know that GMs shouldn't railroad characters, but is it ok if they railroad players?
Only with active consent.
>>46509987
It kind of defeats the purpose, but sure, I guess.
>>46509987
What, like the GM has the players tied up sitting around the table, forcing them to play?
>"Roll to see if rocks fall"
>"But you did things to me last time my character died."
>"And it'll be worse if you don't roll, now roll to see if rocks fall"
What, like that?
>>46509987
That's practically the same thing. And generally it doesn't matter if the story is interesting and you give the players some measure of freedom, but I've played with some GMs where it felt like I had invisible walls everywhere my party went. So badly that if I forgot to get something in town, my GM wouldn't let me go back to pick it up for some random reason he'd make up on the spot or simply sperg out saying it wasn't part of his story.
But, yeah, if you come to your players and have a specific story-driven game you wanna tell and they agree, it's no issue. Just don't promise them a game and then clumsily force them to do what you want them to do. That's the fucking worst.
>>46509987
Platinum Rule: Always railroad both characters and players.
Diamond Rule: Never let them realize you're doing it.
Hidden railroading is literally the only way to get a decent game running unless you have an absolute top-tier group. If you give most groups a sandbox, they sit around mumbling and doing nothing. Railroad them obviously and they sperg out hard.
So you need to railroad in ways that make the players:
>believe they come up with the ideas themselves
>believe there's a genuine choice, when in fact it's the same prize behind every door
>believe that they're rationally discounting alternative plans, rather than realizing you've stacked the deck such that wildly divergent plans will always be a bad idea
>>46509987
Narratively speaking, I break up my steady roads with round-abouts and cul-de-sacs, so the players get the illusion of freedom.
And the illusion is the important part of GM-ing.
>ten billion hours in mspaint
>>46509987
http://www.miningmayhem.com/
>>46510278
This is how I dm.
>>46510341
good, it's the best way really. having explicit plans is for plebs.
>>46509987
If someone is so idiotic they don't realize they are being lead by the nose, why should i not lead them?
>>46510095
No, the GM actually ties the players to Railroad tracks like in the old movies.
>>46509987
Yes. Your players misuse their free will. It is better that you put constraints on it, so that they can't wreck themselves with bad decisions. This goes doubly so for any of your players that are in relationships.
>>46509987
Depend on the group, I have three of them and out of those only one is able to handle sandbox, one think it can handle it but complain every time I don't railroad them and the other just can't handle living without a convenient quest giver to tell them where to go and what to do.
>>46510236
I prefer the strategy of "The river and the floodplain"
Have one path that flows cleanly and in one direction (The River), ensure it's obvious to your players that it exists, and this is where the CR-appropriate loot quests and plot RP is located.
Outside of The River, there is The Floodplain - places you haven't mapped out fully, so it's mostly an empty featureless flat expanse. The players are free to explore their own area, but they'll either have to carve their own channels, or cope with the evaporation of their motivation and desire.
Most of the time, the players will realise they've managed to beach and airdrown their enjoyment, and clamor to get back in the river.
Sometimes, they will build their own channel on the Floodplain (The Irrigation) and worldbuild around it (The Farm). Feel free to let them.
But remember, the story is perfectly fine moving along without the players' involvement and knowledge, Eventually, stormy times will come. With the stormy times comes The Flood (the plot affecting the world), and The Flood flows to The River.
>>46510278
I've got a good one that's trying to be insane and is running out of ways to keep it from being shit
>>46510001
Enthusiastic consent? :^)
>>46510236
Came here to post this opinion.
Even top-tier players' experiences can be enhanced with hidden railroading.
