Worst examples of nonsensical railroading.

[Grampy_Bone]

Nothing tops the grand master all time champion: Serpent in the Staglands.

Ending: The bad guy wants you, a moon god in mortal form, to use your moon powers to create a tide that will flood the coastal city, killing thousands so he can take power in the aftermath. In exchange he will return you to god form.

If the player has done essentially any quest in the game, fought ANY enemies (bandits, genocidal natives, etc. doesn't matter), created custom party members, or mesmerized people into joining your party, then the bad guy will say "you're already a bad person so you can't choose not to do this for me" and that works. The player is forced to immediately turn on their entire party and butcher them and then murder an entire town.

The only way to avoid this ending is to basically skip all the game's content, avoid all quests, don't fight anyone (and there's no stealth or non-lethal attacks, so good luck with that), and never create custom party members.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

fable 2
https://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=2105
second hand informations, i would never touch that shit, i had enough with the first one already.

 

[Lucumo]

Dragon Age

"Do you want to become a Grey Warden?" -> "No"
"Do you want to become a Grey Warden?" -> "No!"
"Do you want to become a Grey Warden?" -> "No!!"
"Congratulations on becoming a Grey Warden!"

 

[KainenMorden]

Being forced to login to rate people's poasts as racist.

Can you make a video about why there aren't more people of color in game development?

 

[Daemongar]

No, that wouldn't work very well. Let's say you have a city of 10,000 people. For the sake of argument the city has two portcullises/gates. You have your 10 clerics at each gate. Ok, so, a group of farmers show up - there are 10. You cast know alignment on each one, and detect 5 to be neutral, 1 do be chaotic neutral, and 4 of various good alignments. You have no info on them other than their request to sell cabbages. "Sorry farmers, but the you 4 can come in. The other 6 must remain outside as I do not detect goodness in your hearts... etc. And now, the cleric attendants must rest. The other 100 people waiting outside, please wait until tomorrow..."

Even if you put a paladin as captain of the guard at each entrance, with perpetual detect evil on him, how does that help against CN chars, or a neutral character that feels they must keep the balance by offsetting the LG actions of your empire? Or a bunch of LE merchants arrive. Well, they never killed anyone, they may be chizzlers at heart, but I won't let them in as they may rip people off.

Let the neutrals in, they are fine (I think most average people are supposed to be neutral?). OK, some CNs get in, again, you're still reducing crime by like 95%. It's not perfect, but Perfect is the enemy of Good. The point is you're vastly better off without evil people in your kingdom. Maybe LE merchants or other people of importance are allowed in under guard, maybe they are still banned.

https://dnd-wiki.org/wiki/SRD:Detect_Evil

Lasts 10 Mins/level btw. Most level 1 clerics should be able to cover for about a half hour.

Or better "Help wanted! LG Executioner! Must only kill those who he feels in his heart that those are guilty, and go against the law and king when he feels justified to maintain his alignment!" "Help wanted! LG torturer! Uh..."

Yeah, there's other problems with detect alignment spells being easily accessible besides mine.

Ok, I'll let this go as we are seeing this differently. 0 level peasants are going to be hearing "your husband can't come in, my god tells me he's evil." That would quickly turn into "yet for a 10 sp donation to my church, he'll agree to act on his best behavior and we'll pray for him" by non LG clerics, or such. That is, to peasants, how the hell do they know you are telling the truth - all that is revealed is in their head.

Thanks for the DND wiki link though - never used that - looks hand.

 

[Tavernking]

Dragon Age where you either side with the templars and all the mages become evil, or you side with the mages and all the templars become evil. Top tier retard shit.

Yes!!!

And you can use blood magic in front of them consequence free.

I'm getting second-hand embarrassment for a game I haven't even played.

 

[Sykar]

Dragon Age where you either side with the templars and all the mages become evil, or you side with the mages and all the templars become evil. Top tier retard shit.

And neither realized that there was only one good guy around!

Dragon Age where you either side with the templars and all the mages become evil, or you side with the mages and all the templars become evil. Top tier retard shit.

Yes!!!

And you can use blood magic in front of them consequence free.

I'm getting second-hand embarrassment for a game I haven't even played.

Yeah it was pretty much batshit retarded. I remember when I was going through the mage tutorial and was told all the evils about blood magic, then opted to become one and.... nothing. Absolutely nothing, the prologue primes you that blood magic is DAO equivalent to WH 40k Warp/Immaterium but when you become a psyk.. errr blood mage it is of no consequences whatsoever apart from your spells costing a little health. To say I was underwhelmed would have been an understatement.
That was when I realized that Bioware was completely and utterly chickenshit spineless.

 

[KörangarTheMighty]

"Do you want to become a Grey Warden?" -> "No"
"Do you want to become a Grey Warden?" -> "No!"
"Do you want to become a Grey Warden?" -> "No!!"
"Congratulations on becoming a Grey Warden!"

I came here just to write this, but you beat me to it. It's what made me drop Origins like a hot potato. Played as a Human Noble, did all the stuff around Ostagar up to Lothering. The character I was playing had been shanghaied by the Grey Wardens and wanted nothing more to do with them after they were annihilated in the battle. Much more pressing was the concern of finding his missing brother, which the game even let you express in dialogue, but nah, you can't find him, so like... just give up bro! instead, go recruit people to help a dead faction you have no reason to remain loyal to. No thanks.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Not exactly railroading but I hate games where you get special magic abilities irrespective of your barbarian class. And the ones where you're stuck playing a caster, but that's neither here nor there.

 

[lukaszek]

blood magic usage is retarded, sure. But you are omitting the fact that in order to unlock it you have to make a pact with demon lol

 

[Elwro]

RDR2 and the thing your char does so that the 'redemption' title is justified.

Completely idiotic.

 

[Sykar]

blood magic usage is retarded, sure. But you are omitting the fact that in order to unlock it you have to make a pact with demon lol

And? You can still save the boy. If you have the expansion you can buy the tome from a barkeep so whatever.

 

[lukaszek]

blood magic usage is retarded, sure. But you are omitting the fact that in order to unlock it you have to make a pact with demon lol

And? You can still save the boy. If you have the expansion you can buy the tome from a barkeep so whatever.

are you dense or skip all the dialogs? If you strike a deal boy will be possessed

 

[CthuluIsSpy]

in kcd i sneaked into monastery and stole a bunch of quest items. When game finally took me there, my possessions were stripped, including those items in question.

Also game does not acknowledge you being sneak archer. You can pew pew through enemy stronghold fine, then finally find the bad guy. Cutscene, time for combat. Except now you are carrying a sword. Played whole game without it, didnt even know the swings etc. Had to quickly change back to my bow, while backpedaling, draw the bow to the fullest and hit bulls human eye - as enemy was wearing full helmet. All in tight space. Had to reload few times as it did require perfect execution. I think there were 2-3 such fights in whole game

The stealth is kind of jank in general
> Be me
> Stealing shit in town
> No armour, just black clothing
> Quietly knock out a guy sleeping on an upper floor
> Go back down stairs
> Door opens
> It's the priest
> Who lives across town.
> In a stone building.
> Who decided to walk all the way over to investigate something he heard through his stone walls, 100m away through some guy's wooden walls

The fuck warhorse?

Anyway, I still don't forgive that fucking questline in Kingmaker where they make your party go full retard and start blurting out their names to something that's obviously evil. Oh, and the soul stealing demons just happen to know your name because fuck you, you're fighting one on one with one. Oh, you're not a paladin? You're a squishy alchemist? Eat shit.

I had to beat that encounter by cheesing it. Everyone got shoved into a gap between coffins and spells and heals were spammed. It's not a good fight. Shit, the final showdown with the lich wasn't as bad, and that has one of your party members just up and leave for story reasons. Who just happens to be your designated healer because fuck you that's why.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

It's the priest
> Who lives across town.
> In a stone building.
> Who decided to walk all the way over to investigate something he heard through his stone walls, 100m away through some guy's wooden walls

It's a priest, he heard the darkness in your heart.

 

[CthuluIsSpy]

It's the priest
> Who lives across town.
> In a stone building.
> Who decided to walk all the way over to investigate something he heard through his stone walls, 100m away through some guy's wooden walls

It's a priest, he heard the darkness in your heart.

Average Bohemian medieval priest :

 

[Sykar]

blood magic usage is retarded, sure. But you are omitting the fact that in order to unlock it you have to make a pact with demon lol

And? You can still save the boy. If you have the expansion you can buy the tome from a barkeep so whatever.

are you dense or skip all the dialogs? If you strike a deal boy will be possessed

https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Blood_Mage_(Origins)
" If your skill in persuasion is high enough you can intimidate the desire demon twice to get the ideal outcome. Converse with the desire demon, say that you want it to release the boy, say that you would need coaxing, ask what you would you give me, choose the (Intimidate) option, then select the (intimidate) option again, choose the "Keep it simple. Something to increase my talents." You will have saved Connor without the negative epilogue consequences, and recieved a Tome of Arcane Technique to further increase you power as a mage."

 

[Red Hexapus]

Anyway, I still don't forgive that fucking questline in Kingmaker where they make your party go full retard and start blurting out their names to something that's obviously evil. Oh, and the soul stealing demons just happen to know your name because fuck you, you're fighting one on one with one. Oh, you're not a paladin? You're a squishy alchemist? Eat shit.

I agree completely, the entire time I was thinking: "Stop giving away your names you fucking retards"

 

[Alex]

Nothing tops the grand master all time champion: Serpent in the Staglands.

Ending: The bad guy wants you, a moon god in mortal form, to use your moon powers to create a tide that will flood the coastal city, killing thousands so he can take power in the aftermath. In exchange he will return you to god form.

If the player has done essentially any quest in the game, fought ANY enemies (bandits, genocidal natives, etc. doesn't matter), created custom party members, or mesmerized people into joining your party, then the bad guy will say "you're already a bad person so you can't choose not to do this for me" and that works. The player is forced to immediately turn on their entire party and butcher them and then murder an entire town.

The only way to avoid this ending is to basically skip all the game's content, avoid all quests, don't fight anyone (and there's no stealth or non-lethal attacks, so good luck with that), and never create custom party members.

I am so glad I didn't try that game.

An example still fresh in my mind is Fallout: New Vegas where there is no way to leave the Desert even though that is probably the most obvious choice for someone who is just a courier who suddenly finds himself in the middle of a battlefield and has already been shot in the head because of the said conflict.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Nothing tops the grand master all time champion: Serpent in the Staglands.

Ending: The bad guy wants you, a moon god in mortal form, to use your moon powers to create a tide that will flood the coastal city, killing thousands so he can take power in the aftermath. In exchange he will return you to god form.

If the player has done essentially any quest in the game, fought ANY enemies (bandits, genocidal natives, etc. doesn't matter), created custom party members, or mesmerized people into joining your party, then the bad guy will say "you're already a bad person so you can't choose not to do this for me" and that works. The player is forced to immediately turn on their entire party and butcher them and then murder an entire town.

The only way to avoid this ending is to basically skip all the game's content, avoid all quests, don't fight anyone (and there's no stealth or non-lethal attacks, so good luck with that), and never create custom party members.

I am so glad I didn't try that game.

An example still fresh in my mind is Fallout: New Vegas where there is no way to leave the Desert even though that is probably the most obvious choice for someone who is just a courier who suddenly finds himself in the middle of a battlefield and gas already been shot in the head because of the said conflict.

For what it's worth that option was apparently cut during development.
Though the situation was not quite a battlefield until the courier expedites hostilities, funnily enough.

 

[Alex]

Nothing tops the grand master all time champion: Serpent in the Staglands.

Ending: The bad guy wants you, a moon god in mortal form, to use your moon powers to create a tide that will flood the coastal city, killing thousands so he can take power in the aftermath. In exchange he will return you to god form.

If the player has done essentially any quest in the game, fought ANY enemies (bandits, genocidal natives, etc. doesn't matter), created custom party members, or mesmerized people into joining your party, then the bad guy will say "you're already a bad person so you can't choose not to do this for me" and that works. The player is forced to immediately turn on their entire party and butcher them and then murder an entire town.

The only way to avoid this ending is to basically skip all the game's content, avoid all quests, don't fight anyone (and there's no stealth or non-lethal attacks, so good luck with that), and never create custom party members.

I am so glad I didn't try that game.

An example still fresh in my mind is Fallout: New Vegas where there is no way to leave the Desert even though that is probably the most obvious choice for someone who is just a courier who suddenly finds himself in the middle of a battlefield and gas already been shot in the head because of the said conflict.

For what it's worth that option was apparently cut during development.
Though the situation was not quite a battlefield until the courier expedites hostilities, funnily enough.

You have both Caesar's Legions and NCR troops scouring the desert and shooting each other from the get go, and the game makes it clear that the legions are happy to destroy towns if it fits their plans. Frankly, I think anyone who is not committed to either side or some kind of mercenary should be looking to get the hell away.

 

[hanzohasashi]

Nothing tops the grand master all time champion: Serpent in the Staglands.

Ending: The bad guy wants you, a moon god in mortal form, to use your moon powers to create a tide that will flood the coastal city, killing thousands so he can take power in the aftermath. In exchange he will return you to god form.

If the player has done essentially any quest in the game, fought ANY enemies (bandits, genocidal natives, etc. doesn't matter), created custom party members, or mesmerized people into joining your party, then the bad guy will say "you're already a bad person so you can't choose not to do this for me" and that works. The player is forced to immediately turn on their entire party and butcher them and then murder an entire town.

The only way to avoid this ending is to basically skip all the game's content, avoid all quests, don't fight anyone (and there's no stealth or non-lethal attacks, so good luck with that), and never create custom party members.

Thank god I never tried playing that

Also Mass Effect comes to mind, the story is mostly the same if you choose renegade or paragon actions. Even the level design is just tube like passages, that you can not leave.

 

[lukaszek]

blood magic usage is retarded, sure. But you are omitting the fact that in order to unlock it you have to make a pact with demon lol

And? You can still save the boy. If you have the expansion you can buy the tome from a barkeep so whatever.

are you dense or skip all the dialogs? If you strike a deal boy will be possessed

https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Blood_Mage_(Origins)
" If your skill in persuasion is high enough you can intimidate the desire demon twice to get the ideal outcome. Converse with the desire demon, say that you want it to release the boy, say that you would need coaxing, ask what you would you give me, choose the (Intimidate) option, then select the (intimidate) option again, choose the "Keep it simple. Something to increase my talents." You will have saved Connor without the negative epilogue consequences, and recieved a Tome of Arcane Technique to further increase you power as a mage."

how many PC wizards out there with high persuasion?

most people unlocked the profession and reloaded anyway

 

[Stokowski]

 

[Smerlus]

I remember in Oblivion getting to the point Kvatch is about to be invaded and then going off to do every side quest i can find. Spend about 30 in-game days doing things and decide to check out this Kvatch ruins for a bit just to find out I'm right on time for this invasion that was imminent 30 days ago.

Wasteland 3's DLCs were pretty good at forcing battles in the end. They were pretty good at offering non-violent play throughs until they shoehorn in a dumb reason on why there's a final boss fight.