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<blockquote data-quote="Jedi_Solo" data-source="post: 3657246" data-attributes="member: 40245">At first you don't know so most (I believe) would listen.&nbsp; When that doesn't appear to be relavent some will listen to the next piece.&nbsp; When that doesn't seem to be relavent...and so on and so forth...Just like mentioned earlier in the thread (and I think Hussar was the other one) we paid attention to some fluff in the Baulder's Gate games for a bit and then proceeded to skip the rest (reading books, history of weapons, etc).&nbsp; It becomes a learned behavior - if it's not important then it's not important and is simply extra* information.It takes longer to write down notes than it is to listen to the information (unless you know shorthand - which most people do not).&nbsp; They will likely only write down &quot;what seems important&quot; so they can stay on top of things.&nbsp; I'm horrible with character names but I know &quot;the guy who did this&quot; or &quot;the queen of this area&quot;.&nbsp; I won't remember who the nephew of so-and-so is until they show up and do something because I won't remember them as &quot;The Nephew of So-And-So&quot; but as &quot;The Guy Who Did This&quot;.&nbsp; Doesn't matterhow important they actually turn out to be three months from now.&nbsp; I'm not going to remember who they are until they show up &quot;on screen&quot;; and until then as far as I am concerned they are &quot;extra&quot;.&nbsp; I usually have enough trouble keeping up on relevant information (though I know I am able to) that I can't keep up on Extra stuff.You don't have to only give the immediately relevant parts.&nbsp; I've played in games where it worked. You just have to make the players THINK they are immediately relevant.&nbsp; Dole out the future hooks in small chuncks.&nbsp; Give an immediate and a future piece at the same time.&nbsp; Give an immediate and an &quot;extra&quot; piece at the same time.&nbsp; When the players figure out that the conversations/descriptions/characters may actually by important, and important RIGHT NOW they will likely start paying attention and the reason they start paying attention is that it is important RIGHT NOW (even if not all ofit is).I will be the first to agree that the realy cool payoffs are the ones that have a ton of buildup over multiple sessions - maybe even over the course fof months or more.&nbsp; But front loading the information and background in session one for a three months of gaming just isn't going to work.&nbsp; Some player don't rememebr stuff from last week and I'd hazard a guess that most don't remember stuff from two months ago.&nbsp; You want the sword to lead to the really cool plot line where the PCs bring together the barabarian tribe?&nbsp; Have the sword show up and get the sword named.&nbsp; THEN have someone looking for the sword for reason A.&nbsp; A couple week later have someone look for the sword for reason B.&nbsp; When a search in the library the following week drops a side note about the ancient legend of a similar sounding weapon then pieces start falling into place.&nbsp; The players may not have cared about the three page history of the weapon when it was found, but you can bet they care now about the weapon and the region now.Want to run a mystery?&nbsp; Have the PCs find &quot;interesting items&quot; A, B, C and D.&nbsp; Item A leads to the climax of this isession.&nbsp; Item B is the 'real clue' that needs to be put together with event Q and character trait Y three weeks from now.&nbsp; Items C and D mean absolutely nothing.&nbsp; Yet the players will notice the evidance and talk about it later even through half of it means nothing.*I think this is a more neutral term that &quot;fluff only&quot; or something like that.&nbsp; This may be background, description or something that is entirly not relevant in any way shape or form but the DM thinks is cool.&nbsp; I'll use &quot;extra&quot; to try and stay even-handed here.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Jedi_Solo, post: 3657246, member: 40245"] At first you don't know so most (I believe) would listen. When that doesn't appear to be relavent some will listen to the next piece. When that doesn't seem to be relavent... and so on and so forth... Just like mentioned earlier in the thread (and I think Hussar was the other one) we paid attention to some fluff in the Baulder's Gate games for a bit and then proceeded to skip the rest (reading books, history of weapons, etc). It becomes a learned behavior - if it's not important then it's not important and is simply extra* information. It takes longer to write down notes than it is to listen to the information (unless you know shorthand - which most people do not). They will likely only write down "what seems important" so they can stay on top of things. I'm horrible with character names but I know "the guy who did this" or "the queen of this area". I won't remember who the nephew of so-and-so is until they show up and do something because I won't remember them as "The Nephew of So-And-So" but as "The Guy Who Did This". Doesn't matterhow important they actually turn out to be three months from now. I'm not going to remember who they are until they show up "on screen"; and until then as far as I am concerned they are "extra". I usually have enough trouble keeping up on relevant information (though I know I am able to) that I can't keep up on Extra stuff. You don't have to only give the immediately relevant parts. I've played in games where it worked. You just have to make the players THINK they are immediately relevant. Dole out the future hooks in small chuncks. Give an immediate and a future piece at the same time. Give an immediate and an "extra" piece at the same time. When the players figure out that the conversations/descriptions/characters may actually by important, and important RIGHT NOW they will likely start paying attention and the reason they start paying attention is that it is important RIGHT NOW (even if not all ofit is). I will be the first to agree that the realy cool payoffs are the ones that have a ton of buildup over multiple sessions - maybe even over the course fof months or more. But front loading the information and background in session one for a three months of gaming just isn't going to work. Some player don't rememebr stuff from last week and I'd hazard a guess that most don't remember stuff from two months ago. You want the sword to lead to the really cool plot line where the PCs bring together the barabarian tribe? Have the sword show up and get the sword named. THEN have someone looking for the sword for reason A. A couple week later have someone look for the sword for reason B. When a search in the library the following week drops a side note about the ancient legend of a similar sounding weapon then pieces start falling into place. The players may not have cared about the three page history of the weapon when it was found, but you can bet they care now about the weapon and the region now. Want to run a mystery? Have the PCs find "interesting items" A, B, C and D. Item A leads to the climax of this isession. Item B is the 'real clue' that needs to be put together with event Q and character trait Y three weeks from now. Items C and D mean absolutely nothing. Yet the players will notice the evidance and talk about it later even through half of it means nothing. *I think this is a more neutral term that "fluff only" or something like that. This may be background, description or something that is entirly not relevant in any way shape or form but the DM thinks is cool. I'll use "extra" to try and stay even-handed here. [/QUOTE]

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