And another reason I hate the term "fluff" . . .

[fanboy2000]

. . . is it makes me think of "fluffers". You know, from the, ahem, adult film industry.

Please retire this dreadful term. We should speak of "Crunch" and "Flavor", which at least keeps the "taste" metaphor consistent. But dear gods, how I hate the term "fluff."

Has anyone here seen that game on Who's Line is it Anyway? called If You Know What I Mean? In it, the performers say a bunch of innocuous things like "I was 'watching TV' if you know what I mean." And everyone would laugh as they created their own dirty joke.

Anyways. My point, and I do have one, is that anything can be taken as a sexual innuendo. If I struck every word that could taken as a sexual innuendo in some other contents from my vocabulary, I probably wouldn't be able to get through a Dick and Jane book.

I mean, lets look at the word fluff. Should I not describe eggs, pillows, stuffed animals, whipped cream, or a winter coat as fluffy just because of it's connotations in the adult film industry? I don't think so.

I understand not liking the word fluff in RPGs, but the argument from alternate definitions is a non sequitur.

 

[werk]

That's just a sign you need to get out of the house, return the pr0n to the dirty vid store, and go on a date or something.

Right, get your mind out of the gutter!

http://www.answers.com/fluff&r=67

The problem is the OP's horrible, horrible mind...not the term itself.

 

[Technomancer]

. . . is it makes me think of "fluffers". You know, from the, ahem, adult film industry.

Please retire this dreadful term. We should speak of "Crunch" and "Flavor", which at least keeps the "taste" metaphor consistent. But dear gods, how I hate the term "fluff."

Wait...are you saying "fluff" has a different meaning when it comes to RPGs?

Excuse me for a moment...

/rushes off to go rewrite house rules document

 

[Driddle]

I think "fluff" and "crunch" are both lazy excuses for atrophying writing skills, in much the same way that smilies are overused to imply emotional content.

What is it someone doesn't like about a gaming product? "It's all fluff, not enough crunch." And what does that mean, exactly? "You know: too much touchy-feely stuff and, uhh, rule thingies."

 

[Desdichado]

That's just a sign you need to get out of the house, return the pr0n to the dirty vid store, and go on a date or something.

Indeed. I have little sympathy for this particular reason for not liking the term.

They're well-accepted shorthands. I don't think they're brilliant, but it's difficult to argue with their success at very succinctly summarizing the contents of a bit of RPG work.

 

[Mr. Patient]

If I struck every word that could taken as a sexual innuendo in some other contents from my vocabulary, I probably wouldn't be able to get through a Dick and Jane book.

I'd say this is pretty much a certainty.

 

[Prince of Happiness]

Anyways. My point, and I do have one, is that anything can be taken as a sexual innuendo. If I struck every word that could taken as a sexual innuendo in some other contents from my vocabulary, I probably wouldn't be able to get through a Dick and Jane book.

Huh huh! You said "innuendo." My mind had taken an unfortunate turn when I read that as a skill in the 3.0 PHB.

It just can't be helped. Sometimes the brain's gears just work that way. If you know what I mean.

 

[werk]

I think "fluff" and "crunch" are both lazy excuses for atrophying writing skills, in much the same way that smilies are overused to imply emotional content.

What is it someone doesn't like about a gaming product? "It's all fluff, not enough crunch." And what does that mean, exactly? "You know: too much touchy-feely stuff and, uhh, rule thingies."

Are you saying you prefer the latter...because it's more intellectual?

I'll stick with short-hand IYKWIMAITYD

 

[MKMcArtor]

Most people at Paizo and WotC hate the terms "crunch" and especially "fluff." We prefer "mechanics" and "flavor."

For what it's worth.

 

[Ry]

I just realized how to explain something I have thought for years: The concern for flavour and mechanics really distracts from what you need to prep for your game. You need more than stats for a warforged and what it looks like - you need a situation: What it is about a warforged character that's going to mix it up when PCs interact with it.

I think most products do deliver situation but the mechanics vs. flavor debate makes it seem like Situation is just a gloss you put on the game when it's right at the core of what happens when people are there with dice.