So, if I may, let's see if I can condense what we have so far...
There are, what we'll call, the "General" fluff of the world i.e. Those things that are "a given" to exist in the world. The countries/realms/nations, what and how the people of those lands are and interact (culture, religion, economies).
And then there are the "Specific" fluff i.e. Signifcantly noteworthy NPCs, Areas/Terrains ("Landmarks" as SMoss called it) of certain regions, Plot hooks/adventure opportunities available for a given region.
This is interesting since every DM and player seems to have their own standard as to "How much detail is too much/not enough?" But it seems universally (from the posts thus far) people want both General material and Specific...but not tooooo Specific so as to choke-hold the DM.
A fine line to tread, indeed.
So, what we have for "General fluff":
Government: Seems pretty universally desired. What kind of government it is? Who's ruling it? What is their foreign policy (what nations-and races- get along with whom)?
Economy: This has more requests than I would have expected. As Zelda pointed out, "not fun" to come up with. But, it would add some color to the various nations as well as contributes to the diplomacy/foreign policy issues of what nations get along and why. And (also as Zelda points out) adds the "realism" or what I like to term "internal consistency" of the world as to why item X costs Y in this nation and costs Z in that one...and might not even be even available in nation Q.
Culture: Well, this is the big one, right? Everyone wants this, I think. I can't imagine the detail of a world or country being written without some attention here. This also ties in with SMoss' request for Major Religions: what religions are big in what nations, what religions get along and don't. This is something I spend a good amount of time working out in my "fluff." And whether you involve the gods themselves or just the mortal representatives a, you'll forgive the pun, treasure trove of plot potential! Culture also ties in with economy and the "imports/exports" issue thus what nations (or individual realms) are doing business and which one's aren't...leads to questions (and potential plots) like "Is there a smuggling operation for X? Is there a black market for Y which is allowed in country but its distribution is restricted/outlawed?"
History: Though listed separately, is integrally connected with a realm's Culture. What has happened in that land (or the world in general) that has brought the culture, and thus the people, to where/how they are now. This, like culture, is one I cannot imagine any setting being presented without, though the amount of history/time frame and clarity of that "history" (versus what REALLY happened in the past) is certainly something that can be minimal or completely expansive on the creator's part. I get the feeling that here, people would rather see "major moments", wars, cataclysms, invasions/conquering nations but not necessarily a very detailed document.
I would add "Demographics": Where are all of the monsters coming from? Where do the endless waves of orcs and goblins come from? Are the elves close to the halflings or on the other side of the continent? Is the kingdom of Greatheroking for dwarves only or are there various races of humans within a single realm...are they all at odds even though they inhabit the same country or is it a non-issue? How much racial mixing is there and where? These all lead back to the contribute to the history, the culture, could certainly effect the econonics and even sway governments. I'd say demographic "fluff" is a necessary part of our "General" classification.
For "Specific fluff" we have:
Whether this is NPCs, terrain/landmarks or adventure specific fluff is, just that, specific. Short, sweet and to the point for that particular person or place. Too much and the inspiration and imagination get stifled...this again dances on the fine line.
NPCs: Curiously, CarlZog is the only one to mention this, but it seems like an unquestionable necessity. If nothing else, the major players of the world- rulers, heads of temples/powerful clerics/religious figures, major or unique magical figures or creatures, major heroic figures, major threats/villains. This would be, for me, the bare minimum. A few colorful individuals at various level of the society is always fun too.
Terrain/Landwarks/Location, location, location: Giv'em the plot hooks! Where are they finding their treasure? Where is the cult of Bigbaduns originating? Where are the lost Wutchacallzits of Chimchimchiree? This is all relavent fluff. You can't, obviously, let the players know this! But you, the DM, the world creator should have SOME of this kind of information at your fingers for those times you just don't feel like coming up with stuff on your own...or want to mine ideas from the world. I'm not saying every last piece of treasure or magic item in the world, but a few major items/legends should be present in pretty much every distinct area/nation/realm of a world.
How does all that sound for everybody?
--Steel Dragons
