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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 9677260" data-attributes="member: 177">So, it is a big-old, "that depends".  With a note that there's a difference between what my character knows, and what the player knows, and both are relevant to such questions.  For example:1) Traditional game:  Let us say that the setting/game creator (GM or published designer) had an idea for a cosmology.  They have build mechanics inspired by what they feel the consequences of that cosmology are...Meh.  If I can work with the mechanics without knowing the cosmology, the cosmology is flavor text.  I find worlds in which the mortals are largely ignorant of the reality of the cosmology to be more interesting, because people in that world can disagree about elements of the cosmology, and their individual takes, and how they disagree, helps reveal internal character.2) Traditional game: The cosmology is going to be plot relevant to events in the story, and eventually PCs are going to directly interact with the cosmology itself.Then, the cosmology should be revealed like any other plot element.  I probably don't want all the details up front.  Please allow the details to be revealed as the character would learn them.3) Narrative-focused game:  the cosmology is part of the relevant fictional conceits of the game, and the GM needs the players' help to work the narrative impacts of the cosmology into the dramatic aspects of the game, even if the characters are unaware of them.Yeah, fine, tell me the cosmology.</blockquote>

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