Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction
From: JSwing@nospam.wport.com (JSwing)
Subject: Re: "On Rails": Defining, and Designing to Avoid
References: <6ioc5togf2g3vrmcfqitarkkj8tahbelpj@4ax.com>
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In article <6ioc5togf2g3vrmcfqitarkkj8tahbelpj@4ax.com>, Ted M <kinbote@a-znet.com> wrote:
>
>Structurally speaking, what puts a game on rails?
>
>- Ted

The following article is taken from the online magazine Critical Miss
(www.criticalmiss.com). It's more aimed at pen and paper RPGs,
   but I think it's a good one to read for the folks who want to craft a
linear story:


   ===============================================

   What Is Railroading?

   How's this for a definition:

   Railroading is when the GM creates a scenario whose plot is so linear that
it offers the player characters only one route through. Any
   attempt by the player characters to perform an action that doesn't fit into
the GMs preconceived idea of how the scenario should
   develop will be blocked out of hand.

   Why Do We Railroad?

   Because it makes GMing easier. There is no way the GM can create a scenario
which allows full freedom of action to the player
   characters, yet also takes account of every possible action that they might
perform.

   In a railroaded scenario the GM can work out each action that the player
characters might perform and create, in advance, a
   descriptive, fully worked-out response.

   Is It Always Bad?

   So, if railroading can make a GMs job easier, is there any "good" way in
which we can use it?

   Perhaps.

   A railroaded scenario is one in which the player characters can only
perform certain actions. What you need to look at is the key
   element that is preventing them from performing the other actions.

   If this element is believable, reasonable, matches the motivations of the
characters, and fits neatly within the reality of the setting,
   then players will readily accept it.

   If this element is arbitrary, makes no sense within the setting, does not
match the motivations of the characters, and is clearly there
   to make the GMs job easier, players will resent it.

   And if there isn't really any reason at all, and the GM is simply using
emotional blackmail to force the players to make their characters
   pick the desired option - the players will probably just get up and leave.

   Some Examples Of Bad Railroading

   "CURIOROSITY DOESN'T KILL THE CAT - ALRIGHT?"

   The player character group is journeying from a small town to the capital
city, carrying a valuable cargo of furs that they have been
   contracted to deliver to a trader. As they journey down the road they pass
a mysterious cave...

   So what? Why should they care? Why on earth would they divert themselves
from their journey and risk losing their valuable cargo,
   just to go poking around a hole in the ground that is most likely nothing
more than a hole in the ground?

   Because the GM will keep on repeating his description of the "mysterious
cave" - that's why.

   As players, we know that something is significant simply because it is
mentioned. But to our characters it's just one more cave that
   we have passed. Give us some reason to go in there, other than mere
curiosity.

   THE SLAMMING DOOR

   Carefully the thief hammers the stout iron spike into the stone floor. Only
when he is satisfied that the door is securely held open
   does he follow his comrades into the room.

   Then, err... the spike kindof breaks, and the door, like swings shut. And
locks itself.

   This is the worst kind of railroading. The GM has written the scenario on
the assumption that an event will occur (in this case a door
   slamming shut behind the players) but this has been foiled by them taking
precautions (in this case spiking the door open). But he
   ignores what the players have done, and just makes the event happen anyway.


   Some Examples Of Good Railroading

   MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS / AIRSHIP

   "Well, I guess I'll wonder around looking for somewhere to get a drink."

   "There's only one bar, on the upper deck with views of the ground below."

   "I'll go there, order a drink, and see if I can strike up a conversation."

   "There is a single other passenger there, a Colonel Drendal... you get
talking... suddenly he stands up
   clutching his chest and falls to the floor."

   If you set your scenario within a contained location, this will constrain
the actions that the players can take. You don't need to worry
   about a character going off to buy some kind of wonder gadget that will
trash your plot. You don't need to worry about them getting
   bored and wondering somewhere else, just as your intricate storyline is
about to unfold.

   'Cous they've got nowhere to go.

   SPACE PATROL

   "Patrol Group 3, your orders are to travel immediately to the Deltacron
system at full speed."

   "Ok."

   If your campaign's theme involves the player character group having some
kind of overall motivation or task, you'll find it much easier
   to write scenarios.

   The classic example here is the Star Wars roleplaying game (from West End
Games, with a new version out soon from Wizards of the
   Coast). Since the player characters are all members of the rebellion, you
can create scenarios that have as a hook the mere fact that
   the Empire is doing something bad (which the characters will obviously want
to stop).

   Conclusion

   Creating scenarios which are written in such a way that there are only a
finite number of avenues that the players can take, is good.
   Nobody likes an ad-libbing GM, umming and ahhing and floundering. But
remember two things:

   Give the players some choices.

   Put your constraints within the reality of the game world.
