Is NV railroaded?

[Kilgore Trout]

Is it a bad thing? No, but if one path (south) only requires the player to walk and absorb while the other (north) requires the player to either run and smash spacebar to escape Cazadors/Deathclaws, then the game is definitely pushing the PC is one way. Note I say pushing, not forcing.

And for me at least, I would define railroading as the devs forcing a certain path on you, not simply encouraging you take a particular path. If we were to apply your definition, than the original Fallouts were also railroaded, since a first time player would also most likely die if they tried to deviate from the "preferred" route. But none of the obstacles to keep you on the preferred path, in the original Fallouts or New Vegas, are insurmountable - and this is what stops it from being railroading.

A true railroad would be if you tried to travel north and literally could not move in that direction, due to impassable terrain or an invisible wall. Cazadores and Deathclaws, while difficult, can be avoided or possibly even killed at early levels if you have the right build.

 

[Languorous_Maiar]

Railroading? Next thing, people are going to say that Fallout 2 is railroading you by placing those Enclave patrols around Navarro.

Meh, any person can escape those.

Like any person can escape cazadores (just by jumping) by using fastest route (via north from Goodsprings) to Vegas.

I did not say that was hard.

However.. Escaping them is one thing, living with their venom is another thing.

It's the same in Fo2.

In Fo2 you're getting Enclave patrol - load.
In FNV you're attacked by cazadores - load.

Same stuff, game in both FO2 and FNV only suggest path, but isn't railroaded at all.

 

[woo1108]

Actually, there are some other road rather than following quest marker

1. follow the train railroad.
As far as I know, it is the safest way to get to Nipton.
2. passing through the Primm pass.
it looks danger but crippling the deathclaw's leg isn't that hard.
it's fastest way to get to Novac
3.passing through the deathclaw's road.
well... it's not impossible but..
4.passing through Sunnyspring

etc...

 

[Warhawk]

I would argue it's railroaded on the basis of stat-bloat and enemy spawns, but that's an argument against the game genre in the first place. I'd have preferred some kind of survivalist system where everything simply "was," and your stats and perks mattered far less than how you used items and the environment. But then you're left with a Day-Z-ish sandbox, and not much room for plot. Also would have to contend with existing Fallout "Holy #@%$!" creatures which were always intended to be pure death on legs.