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<blockquote data-quote="Aldarc" data-source="post: 8136606" data-attributes="member: 5142">It seems like the same difference: they don't put it in because they believe it's self-evident what those hooks are. That doesn't mean that they are there or that good ones exist. It just means that the creators are making potentially mistaken assumptions about how the text will be received. If this is your intent, you still need to give people, whether they are GMs or PC players, a clear idea of what people/PCs do in the setting, in terms of the hooks, adventures, playable interest, etc. It doesn't have to be hyper-focused, as per many indie games, but it should be clear. The issue I put forth, IMHO, is less an issue of setting focus and more an issue of setting clarity. What are the expectations (1+) of typical play in a setting? I would argue Eberron, for example, is not a focused game behind its niche aesthetic. There is a lot of styles of campaigns you can run in it, but the setting also was intentionally built as being hook heavy with lore gaps, mysteries, national/faction intrigue, archaeological treasure and MacGuffin-hunting, etc. It's clearly designed IMO to facilitate play. I think Tekumél arguably exists in this space. It's a cool, rich setting but I have a hard time imagining what PC play is actually like in this byzantine setting. That's likely one reason it often seems like a commonly read but not played setting.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Aldarc, post: 8136606, member: 5142"] It seems like the same difference: they don't put it in because they believe it's self-evident what those hooks are. That doesn't mean that they are there or that good ones exist. It just means that the creators are making potentially mistaken assumptions about how the text will be received. If this is your intent, you still need to give people, whether they are GMs or PC players, a clear idea of what people/PCs do in the setting, in terms of the hooks, adventures, playable interest, etc. It doesn't have to be hyper-focused, as per many indie games, but it should be clear. The issue I put forth, IMHO, is less an issue of setting focus and more an issue of setting clarity. What are the expectations (1+) of typical play in a setting? I would argue Eberron, for example, is not a focused game behind its niche aesthetic. There is a lot of styles of campaigns you can run in it, but the setting also was intentionally built as being hook heavy with lore gaps, mysteries, national/faction intrigue, archaeological treasure and MacGuffin-hunting, etc. It's clearly designed IMO to facilitate play. I think Tekumél arguably exists in this space. It's a cool, rich setting but I have a hard time imagining what PC play is actually like in this byzantine setting. That's likely one reason it often seems like a commonly read but not played setting. [/QUOTE]

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