Design / Layout Question-Rule Book

[suicidepuppet]

A general question for all rpg players:

Which do you prefer:

(1) For all information concerning PC creation to be all together in one place.

or

(2) For description to appear first with class information grouped together later.

Example-The rules for creating a Mage or sub-class of Mage. Everything about the class together including all mechanics, spell lists, other abilities, advancement,etc.

or

Class types grouped together, a later section on mechanics listed in the same order as the descriptions earlier, all spells presented one list after another near the back of the rules, etc.

And how this affects printed vs pdf. In the pdf you would have discreet printing abilities-print only what you need for your character due to layout without overlapping text from other class types.

Hope I made that clear. I've had no sleep and my head is splitting. Please ask any questions where I've not been clear.

Thanks in advance,
the puppet

 

[Dice4Hire]

Well, for character creation in a new game, I want

0: Explanation of how the game works and how characters fit in it.
1: Flowchart
2: The character making process, with no details for each class. This should have examples.
3: Each class organized from low to high level with choices.

I think going this way helps make it easier to understand.

But this is a very broad question, as character-building varies so much form game to game.

 

[suicidepuppet]

Really it's very simple. So you prefer your class / character information spread out through the publication.

Thank you.

 

[Dice4Hire]

Really it's very simple. So you prefer your class / character information spread out through the publication.

Thank you.

Not exactly what I said, but no prob.

 

[suicidepuppet]

Just looking for linear or non-linear presentation.

If I might ask, what is your favorite RPG?

(The reason for my questions-I am finishing a player handbook and am looking for feedback on layout. I will be play testing 2 versions but the test group may be small so I like as much info as possible. Nothing here should be construed as a value judgment. And if there are other pet peeves you have with any other player handbooks share that as well.)

 

[Ariosto]

Either can work well or poorly for "spot" printing, depending on how you organize the material. In the "all in one section" approach, there might be too much rarely used material cluttering what we want for ready reference.

Really, the demands of an ideal reference and the demands of an ideal instructional text seem to me opposed. However hard one works for the best compromise, there is bound to be some need for duplication of material in another convenient format.

As I recall, Columbia Games' Hârnmaster rules book (like the Encyclopedia Hârnica volumes) had very specific sections and, as much as possible, kept a single sheet (2 pages, front and back) a single digestible unit. Starting a new section always on a right-hand page is an obvious corollary.

Literally putting all information for a type in one place sort of presumes some things not just about your division into types but about your rules for skills, combat, and so on. If you are doing something on the order of WotC-D&D, then those rules sections alone are huge -- too unwieldy to duplicate a dozen times!

D&D 4E deals with this almost as well as could be. I have not looked at the PHB recently, but maybe some more "Feats" could have been included in the class sections. A good index would also be a boon -- and that probably should involve someone other than the authors.

Talislanta on the other hand had much briefer rules for skills, combat and even magic. Moreover, the character types combined race and occupation. If it had included only a dozen or so types, then maybe there could have been a fairly complete "player basic rules hand out" specifically tailored to each. The myriad character types, though, were a key feature.

 

[Ariosto]

I will be play testing 2 versions ...

Excellent!

For truly exceptional excellence, blind-test the final version. By "blind-test" I mean giving it to people to use without your being present to help them. These should be people who have not already been part of the design and development process. We want fresh eyes, that will see what actually is (or is not) there rather than what everyone familiar with the project expects to see.

 

[DragonLancer]

Option 1. Everything in one place.

 

[Cergorach]

Really depends on the game (system). I find the 4E PHB horrendous, but I generally like the 2E and 3E PHBs.

 

[suicidepuppet]

Thank you! Now we are getting somewhere. I appreciate all the notes. And agree 100% with the 'fresh eyes'. That's one of the reasons why I started this thread. I'm still fairly new to Enworld so I have a large gaming community to interact with that has no idea what the project is. As I said, there are no right answers, just good advice.

Again, thank you, and anyone else with comments please post.