Rail-roading and you!

[Bjorn]

Given the limitations of a forum-based game, I think this is something worth discussing explicitly.  I do not have any fixed plot line in mind for this campaign.  I have lots of plot hooks, and a lot of space to make more, but there are lots of ways the story can go. 

However, I am going to be trying to push somewhat in order to keep the game's momentum going.  That might skirt the edges of railroading occasionally.  The beginning of the game is a good example of this: I've provided strong pushes to get things moving in the first place.  However, the game won't break if you don't take the push, and feel free to ask me to back up if I move beyond a point where you would have done something.  If I type out a post with a long bit of dialogue, for example, and you think your PC would have interrupted that speech at the three-quarters mark, post as if you would have done so, and we'll revise to make it fit.

Conversely, as players feel free to write in or assume things about the surroundings if it's dramatically appropriate.  If Marcelo wants to buy a flower to pin on his lapel, for example, Merc can just make up a flower-seller in the area and play out the encounter on his own; we don't need to stall the game with "I look for anyone selling flowers in the area" "Okay, there's one just across the next intersection" "Okay, I'm going to go over and look over her selection" etc.  As long as you keep from scripting other PCs or important NPCs, or using narration to replace mechanics, we're okay.  If you do step over the line, then no big harm; we'll step back and do it over.

Basically: forum-based games, I feel, have the best chance of succeeding if everyone tried to be aggressive about keeping things moving.  I'd rather have we need to rein back a bit than have the game wither and end.

[Dracos]

Yarr for aggressive  posting standards. :)