Plot Railroading: How much?

[OldTrees1]

Um, why do you think I said the players get no choices ever? The ''choice'' being talked about is the Jerk Tyrant Player Choice.

You said you give the players no choices. You are even currently arguing that choices don't exist in the game.

Spoiler: evidence

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I do understand giving the players the illusion of choice.

I'd never do anything UNFUN.

I agree that it is better to simply not give the players choices....lol.

You lost me with all the deserts.....how about, no choice made by the players in a game with a DM is real.

I, and the rest of this thread, know it to be a cooperative game where one person creates a campaign and multiple people are faced with meaningful choices that they respond to.

Yup, that is the problem right there, all right.

Timeline A-The good players, following the plot must use the game rules, setting information, game details and whatever the DM says to advance the plot

Timeline B-The bad players, reject the ''stupid DMs plot'' and just do whatever they want, and utterly ignore whatever the DM says and make up their own ''way forward'' that they demand the DM use : "Ok, we just go in the secret door that is there!".

Reading Fail! In Timeline B you already kicked the bad players out and you are running their PCs (as NPCs) through the campaign. How would that story differ from Timeline A.

Sure, I can think of three.....but after a couple you do get very repative like ''the characters can attack with a sword '' and ''the characters can attack with a club'' can be rolled in to ''the characters attack with a weapon''.

I am going to guess you would only allow the first two reasonable solutions and even then I expect you would pull a gotcha on the first. Everyone else here would accept most of these and some not listed.

1. The characters attack and kill each other's clones (so none dies by their OWN hand)
2. The characters attack but do not kill the clones
3. The characters inform the clones that the clones souls will also be forfeit to the contract if they fight to the death. Thus they peacefully disengage
4. The characters run away through dangerous terrain
5. The characters run to some allies/enemies that can attack the clones without triggering the contract