Railroad vs Sandbox

After running a game last night (Sat the 23rd) I got to thinking Railroad and Sandbox games. Here are my interpretations of each of them.

Railroad - setting a direct line for the players to follow with little deviation. The characters have little input on what happens in the game, they just move from plot point to plot point. The beginning, middle, and end of the story have already been planned out.I've played a few of these types and have run a couple I think...

Sandbox - a setting that is completely open, no real direction, just open world. The characters can go anywhere and do anything. The beginning has been created and there is a loose idea on what will complete the campaign but the middle and end are completely open for the characters to dictate.This is the style I really like to run.

Now there are good things with them: Railroad games are always moving forward and the players always know what is going on and what to do. Sandbox allow the players to shape the game and have more control over their destinies. And there are bad things: Railroads don't let the players feel like they are really affecting anything. Sandbox games can leave the players wondering what is going on and what they need to do next, feeling lost in the game.

I like to run games with a Sandbox style but I have to make sure that I give enough information so that the gamers aren't lost in trying to decide what to do next.