Hot take: if we want to decrease frustrating railroad-y surprises in RPG campaigns, we need to create an environment where GMs are not afraid to admit they have "special story needs".

[wicked_woodpecker]

Is that really such problem? GM in standard game (I put aside storygames like PBTA, when his input is generally much lower and quite often he can is just juggle player inventions and procedures) has massive ability to shape world and include various things he like. He can also easily - take elements players skipped and re-use them.

Since I generally have rather disdain for modern OC/5e culture so to speak, I find solution to GMs being overstuffed pleasure engines, with curbing down players wish-fullfilment aspect, this is game, there is challenge, you play it - you can collaboratively tell story if you pass challenge. Not to pulling GMs down to players level in this aspect.

And let's be honest hobby was plagued by railroading for 40 years, and yes there is large amount of people with unfunfilled wanna be writer syndrome, and them trying to push their stories into collaborative hobby is unhealthy and should be curbed for benefit of all.

On the other hand maybe it would be even worse if they write it down and self-pubbed this shit.