I have to agree with
@zakael19 here. I don't think the tradeoff you see is intrinsic or necessary. Modules can be both easy to run AND have that kind of complexity.
What's the example that proves your assertion correct?
To me it's the difference between long paragraphs explaining a faction's backstory, versus a standard template that lists a faction's key characteristics, it's relationships with other factions, and its goals.
1) Yes, but we are looking for
both readability (for which prose paragraphs are best)
and playability (standard templates being useful here) - you look to be prioritizing the latter, which isn't meeting the brief.
2) We are talking about many individual NPCs, with detailed (inter)personal histories, relationships, and motivations, not generalized factions with sketchily defined members.
3) You then have a choice - pull out all the faction information in one place,
separate from the map and key (requiring frequent page flipping for reference, not good for reading), put all the faction information in every individual keyed area they appear (playable, but redundantly wasteful of print space, also not really readable), or put partial information in the keyed areas as you expect it will be needed (readable, but making reference difficult if you need the information at some other point), or some admixture (a readable and playable version of which is not certain to exist).
Information design for multiple intended uses at the same time isn't easy. Compromises and creativity are likely required. There's a reason why information design these days is a job-marketable skill, rather than a solved problem.
