Crunch and Fluff?

[drose25]

Okay, I'm slow. I'll admit it. But in the meantime, could someone please explain to me what is crunch and what is fluff?

 

[Arkhandus]

Terms used by gamers recently to describe rules material (crunch) and roleplaying material (fluff). I.E. statting out a prestige class or magic item would be crunch, but describing the history and organization behind the prestige class or magic item would be fluff.

 

[EricNoah]

Most RPG products are a mix of rules and flavorful description. Crunch generally refers to rules, and fluff generally refers to flavor text/descriptions/dialogue/backstory, etc.

Some folks dislike the term fluff because it implies a lesser status or that it's unnecessary.

 

[virtus]

Some folks...

It is called an RPG for a reason. It's the first I've heard of those terms too, but I would agree that there's a reason for both, and it would be hard to have one without the other.

 

[Mark]

I prefer the terms "Hardies" (mechanics) and "Laurels" (fiction).

 

[Nightcloak]

Didn't the whole "crunch" vs. "fluff" issue start with an anecdotal story SKR told in relation to development issues he was having with management at Wizards. He remember him posting a humorous short story someplace about little elves making cookies (or some such, it was a couple of years ago) and the management basically coming along and telling the elves to bake less fluff because people wanted more crunch in their cookies.

I believe he was concerned that the FR supplement Silver Marches would be the last of its kind do to too much “fluff” and not enough “crunch” to sell books, at least in the opinion of the management of Wizards. Several years later, I’d say he had nothing to worry about in that regard, but the terms live on as lexicon…

 

[Nightcloak]

I prefer the terms "Hardies" (mechanics) and "Laurels" (fiction).

I must admit, I like the imagery that evokes. [/yoink]

Then again, I have 3 black and white pictures on one wall of some of the classic comedians, the Three Stoogies posing in golf attire being my favorite, while another wall has a large poster of the Marx Brothers. So I am naturally biased

 

[Raven Crowking]

I prefer the terms "Hardies" (mechanics) and "Laurels" (fiction).

I prefer the terms "meat" (background material) and "bones" (rules mechanics).


RC

 

[Mark]

I must admit, I like the imagery that evokes. [/yoink]

Then again, I have 3 black and white pictures on one wall of some of the classic comedians, the Three Stoogies posing in golf attire being my favorite, while another wall has a large poster of the Marx Brothers. So I am naturally biased

Are you yoinking my Laurel and Hardy bit?! I may have to switch to the more no-more-proprietary, but lesser-used "Abbott and Costello" imagery....

I've seen a Guiness Beer advert that uses that particular Stooges pic.

"Three men and a woman trapped in an elevator. Send Help. If you can't send help, send two more women" - Groucho

 

[Mark]

I prefer the terms "meat" (background material) and "bones" (rules mechanics).

That's good, too.