Preferred tone of RPG text

[Ralif Redhammer]

For my part, I tend to prefer the sections on rules and mechanics to be drier (though examples should have more character), while when it comes to flavor text, I want to see the writer go all-in. I want vivid descriptions and details that hook me in and spark ideas of my own. One of the things I’ve long loved about Shadowrun are the various comments from Shadowrunners sprinkled throughout the books. Those help draw you into the world.

 

[dco]

1- For rules.
2,3 - For background and adventures.

 

[MichaelSomething]

I demand you change number 3 to Gygaxian prose

 

[Sunseeker]

Crunch should be terse and dry. The point is to explain the rules quickly, in plain language, to the most people.

Fluff should fit the material, even down to specific settings. A writeup on Orcs written from the perspective of an orc should read differently than a writeup on Orcs from the perspective of a human.

 

[VengerSatanis]

I demand you change number 3 to Gygaxian prose

Haha, noted. Specifically, I was thinking of stuff like Maze of the Blue Medusa and Deep Carbon Observatory. But Gygax did have his moments.

 

[VengerSatanis]

Thanks for all the replies, everyone! As I suspected, there was no clear winner - at least, that I could see. Although, terse seemed to beat out verbose.

Experimentation can be awesome, but I couldn't imaging writing a whole RPG book (even a short one) in a writing style that was alien to me. But you never know...

 

[Crusadius]

I like it to conversational, but serious, with a wry humour. Anything too EXCITABLE!!ones!arentiawesome!!! just turns me off, as does "edgy" for the sake of it.

I think this sounds about right for me too.