Quote Originally Posted by Segev View Post
The difference is that a sandbox doesn't have a pre-scripted part for the PCs to play. When the PCs "choose a plot" (as you keep trying to put it), they aren't jumping into gaping holes in the narrative and filling them, riding along the DM's pre-scripted path. Instead, they're seeing something that the DM has going on, and getting involved. Their involvement changes how it goes, according to how they involve themselves. The DM has not created a role for them to fill, nor a series of events which are the pre-scripted result of PC actions. Instead, he has the NPCs and environment react to the PCs' actions, altering the outcomes of what would have happened if the PCs weren't there.
But you seem to be stuck at the start of an adventure. So the PC's pick a plot..ok, fine they do. But then a plot is a plot. It has a path and story and pre scripted events and a time table. If it does not have them things, then it's not a plot...it's just random stuff happening randomly. The plot is what has everything make sense.

To say ''a DM has the NPCs and environment react to the PCs' actions'' is exactly the same as saying ''the DM has a railroaded plot''. It does not matter if the DM has an ''evil railroad plot'' or they are just ''impossibly false improvising'', it's the same thing.

Like start with the basic plot of ''the PC's are going into the evlen woods to find a lost magic item'' (and yes, we are saying the ''sandboxy'' players did eventually pick this plot with their own free will)

Now, the Railroad DM makes the setting and an adventure, including encounters, NPCs, creatures, interesting things and notes. And the DM connects everything together in logical ways. For example the DM makes an elven king and his brother the rebel bandit and some politics and backstory. The DM also makes a note that ''the elven king likes people that respect nature''. And dozens of other things.

Now Sandbox DM either has nothing prepared at all or has a random pile of mostly crunchy ''elf stuff''. So this DM ''randomly'' makes an elf king when the PC's enter the woods and lets say he also ''randomly makes the elven king likes people that respect nature''. And lets say this DM ''randomly'' makes the kings rebel brother too. Though, of course, this makes both games all most identical, except the railroad game has tons more detail.

The Sandbox can only be blank for a couple minutes, as once the DM starts making things you can't avoid railroad plots, unless the game is pointless and makes no sense. Like when the Pc's just destroy the woods as they are ''so super awesome'', the normal railroad game elf king would be upset and take action. Now the sandboxy elf king will ''react to the PCs' actions'', following the railroading plot the sandbox game is not meant to have...

So how is the Sandbox different?