Quote Originally Posted by Talakeal View Post
But if one path is easier, why would the players not take it? Why would they deliberately choose a sub-optimal path?

For example, if I tell them where the switch to disable the trap is, why would the players attempt a risky or potentially failure prone way to bypass or disarm it even if it is possible?
If I tell the players there are trolls in room 3a and a troll-bane sword in room 4c, why would they ever try and defeat the trolls without grabbing the sword first?
If you tell them there is a treasure hidden behind the bookshelf, why would the players ever avoid picking it up?
Sure, in very specific situations there may be an optimal choice, but in many situations there isn't. Let's say that the party needs to enter the castle of their enemy. They could fight the guards, trick the guards, sneak past the guards and probably a dozen other options, depending on the specifics, and frequently none of them is the obviously easiest path and it comes down to player style, party makeup or whatever (and in my experience, that can even make players knowingly choose a sub-optimal path. If player A likes sneaking and player B likes fighting, they're pretty likely to argue in favor of sneaking and fighting respectively even if neither is the easiest path for the situation at hand).

In any case, my point is that if there is only one option then it's a railroad whether the players know it or not and if there are fifteen different options (of roughly equal value, so not fourteen detours and one correct path), then it's not a railroad even if the players know their options.