I think, like so many arguments, this one is beginning to trip over semantics. When you say "scripting" do you mean a rigid set of scenes and outcomes which doesn't allow deviation, or do you mean a plan that guides heroes through a dramatic story. Or in other words, do you mean a rail road or a half-pipe? A snow boarder may not be confined to a half pipe, but they know that is where they can have the most fun, so they'll stay in it, and while they will go down the pipe fairly predictably overall, the details can vary tremendously and entertainingly. Of course, flow down a rail road is much faster, and for somethings you just want to get through them quickly.
Frex, you want the heroes to have to go off and accomplish three
tasks before the tribal ring will listen to them, and you figure
their eventual warning to ring will be much more memorable if they've
had to earn the right to give it. How to arrange this?
- You could just tell them that the ring refuses to listen them until
they complete three tasks, then get on with the tasks. (maybe
appropriate if time is limited and your players won't mind this too
much).
- You could let them try to get the rings attention, but set the
target number so high that they will fail, then give them the tasks.
(this one personally is the one that I hate, the illusion of free
will without any real chance to influence things).
- You could set the difficulty high, but let them really work on it.
If they do well, one of the ring members is sympathetic, and explains
that the tribal king hopes to get rid of them by guiding them through
difficult tasks, and treacherously making them even more difficult.
Forewarned, the heroes have a better chance of succeeding unscathed.
If they do not so well eventually they get given the tasks and have
no idea of the treachery waiting for them, although maybe some of the
ring will work to foil the king's treachery. If they do poorly they
hurt their relationships and have no secret helpers, but still
eventually get pointed at the tasks.
In many ways it is like informal version of carry over on a hero quest. Sure, there may be certain stations where you "must fail," but the carry over can still be positive if you do well enough. In short, just because you have an overall result in mind, assuming it is important enough to play out, doesn't mean that what the players do has to be irrelevant.
Every group (heck, every player) will vary in their toleration for a quick ride down the rail road to speed up the game. Some don't mind "The clan ring sent you with a message to the shaker temple. After two days of travel you on the lower slope of Kero Finn when a group of Mostali appear before you, pointing some long metal tubes your way." Other will howl in protest that they should have been able to choose their travel route, would have set out advanced scouts, should have somebody flying overhead to help see these things, etc. So know your group, if they insist on taking the the scenic route you may have to let them, but it should be straightforward enough to make sure that they still get caught by the Mostali patrol.
I've played with both types, and had fun with both. I tend to like characters with lots of interesting auxilary abilities, so overall I prefer more freedom, since I might be able to use those abilities to my advantage. But I also like an evening's play to get us farther than "OK, you finally have your horses loaded up, and start down the trail away from home."
All just my opinions, of course.
-Bryan
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