D&D 5E To boxed text or not to boxed text

[The Green Hermit]

As a beginning DM with beginning players, I love boxed text. However, I don't always read it word for word. It depends upon the situation.

 

[Imaculata]

I despise boxed text.

-First of all, boxed text is primarily in English, and only a small percentage of D&D players runs their adventures in English. While most D&D players can be expected to be fluent in English, reading the boxed text aloud interupts the current language being used by the group.

-The phrasing of the boxed text will almost always be entirely different from how the DM himself describes things, creating a jarring contradiction. The DM may also be asked by his players what the boxed text means, when difficult words are used. What an adventure in my opinion should do, is give the DM all the information they need to describe a room in their own words.

-The boxed text often leaves out important information about a room, or includes details that are missing in the room description. This sort of sloppyness is all over dozens of D&D adventures, and is the main reason I don't like running published adventures.

-Boxed text often tries to relay a lot of information in a way that is difficult for the players to parse, especially if the boxed text is overly wordy and English is not the groups primary language. This prompts the DM to either have to reread the boxed text, or translate in his own words what the boxed text means. Which raises the question, why not just always let the DM do this himself?

-Boxed text breaks immersion. It calls attention to itself when read aloud in a manner that takes players out of the game.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I despise boxed text.

-First of all, boxed text is primarily in English, and only a small percentage of D&D players runs their adventures in English. While most D&D players can be expected to be fluent in English, reading the boxed text aloud interupts the current language being used by the group.

-The phrasing of the boxed text will almost always be entirely different from how the DM himself describes things, creating a jarring contradiction. The DM may also be asked by his players what the boxed text means, when difficult words are used. What an adventure in my opinion should do, is give the DM all the information they need to describe a room in their own words.

-The boxed text often leaves out important information about a room, or includes details that are missing in the room description. This sort of sloppyness is all over dozens of D&D adventures, and is the main reason I don't like running published adventures.

-Boxed text often tries to relay a lot of information in a way that is difficult for the players to parse, especially if the boxed text is overly wordy and English is not the groups primary language. This prompts the DM to either have to reread the boxed text, or translate in his own words what the boxed text means. Which raises the question, why not just always let the DM do this himself?

-Boxed text breaks immersion. It calls attention to itself when read aloud in a manner that takes players out of the game.

Only a small percentage of players run their adventures in English? Do you have any data for this, because it doesn’t make a lot of sense. While sure, the game is played all over, there are several primarily English speaking countries, all where the game is popular. Presumably players are running the adventures in English in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, etc.

The only thing I could find was this

How Many D&D Players Are There Worldwide?

I've been playing D&D for a long time. But apparently, I'm not the only one. There is an ever growing number of Dungeons & Dragons players out there. But, how many D&D players are there worldwide?

dungeonvault.com

Also, I’d presume those adventures not written in English, that the box text wouldn’t be in English either. So it’s a weird complaint for me

 

[Imaculata]

Only a small percentage of players run their adventures in English? Do you have any data for this, because it doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Sure it does. There are more countries in the world where English is not the primary language. There for, there are more none-english players in the world. Its not that hard to reach this conclusion.

And sure, D&D books are translated to a few other languages... but all languages? I suppose French and German players may have D&D books in their own language, but a lot of other languages are not supported.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Sure it does. There are more countries in the world where English is not the primary language. There for, there are more none-english players in the world. Its not that hard to reach this conclusion.

And sure, D&D books are translated to a few other languages... but all languages? I suppose French and German players may have D&D books in their own language, but a lot of other languages are not supported.

Well, if you read that article I linked to, you’d see the google trends are almost all primarily English speaking countries. So it’s safe to assume a lot more than “a small percentage”of players are playing in English. Your claim gets even less probable when you’re also arguing the players are playing in a different language than what the books are written in.

so I’d like to see some data that backs up that only a small percentage of players are running their games in the same language that the text is from the book they are using. Cuz that makes no sense. I would think most players are playing the game in the same language that their text is

edit for clarity

 

[Imaculata]

Well, if you read that article I linked to, you’d see the google trends are almost all primarily English speaking countries. So it’s safe to assume a lot more than “a small percentage”of players are playing in English. Your claim gets even less probable when you’re also arguing the players are playing in a different language than what the books are written in.

To clarify, when I say a small percentage, I mean of the total number of all D&D players in the world.

There are more countries in the world where people don't speak English as a primary language. And even if they do speak English, it is unlikely they don't run their campaigns in their native language. That is just common sense.

So imagine being a Vietnamese player, and reading the English boxed text aloud in the middle of your Vietnamese campaign. Heck, I'm a Dutch player, and our country is considered the most fluent English speaking country of all none-english speaking countries. Do you think we run our campaigns in English? Hell no!

This is one of the reasons I'd rather see boxed text go the way of the dodo.

 

[Sacrosanct]

To clarify, when I say a small percentage, I mean of the total number of all D&D players in the world.

There are more countries in the world where people don't speak English as a primary language. And even if they do speak English, it is unlikely they don't run their campaigns in their native language. That is just common sense.

So imagine being a Vietnamese player, and reading the English boxed text aloud in the middle of your Vietnamese campaign. Heck, I'm a Dutch player, and our country is considered the most fluent English speaking country of all none-english speaking countries. Do you think we run our campaigns in English? Hell no!

This is one of the reasons I'd rather see boxed text go the way of the dodo.

Again, I’d have to see some data that only a small percentage of D&D players speak one of the following: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Polish, and Portuguese (translations by Gale Force Nine as of 2017). The sales numbers don’t back that up at all. I think it’s pretty clear that the majority of players speak one of those languages (as their primary language) based on sales numbers. And if not a majority, certainly a lot more than “a small percentage”.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

I feel like boxed text is especially helpful to new DMs. As a DM gains experience, they figure out ways to paraphrase boxed text. As they gain more experience, they can embellish it or ignore it completely as meets the needs of the group. The existence of boxed text is not inherently bad. The reliance on it may simply vary by DM confidence/experience level.

Some boxed text is excellently written to help set the scene. Other examples of boxed text are... less excellently written. Given that reading it is not mandatory to gameplay, the DM simply determines what serves them and the game best.

 

[Imaculata]

Again, I’d have to see some data that only a small percentage of D&D players speak one of the following: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Polish, and Portugese.

You do realize that there are A LOT more countries than that where people play D&D?

 

[Sacrosanct]

You do realize that there are A LOT more countries than that where people play D&D?

Yes, but that doesn’t mean the vast majority of D&D players play outside of that list, right? The sales data (at least what we’ve been told over the past few years) tell us where the game is being played the most. If you’re gonna make a claim that only a small percentage of D&D players come from that list of countries, you have show at least some data. The more outrageous claim, the more substantive data you need to show it.

Besides, if English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, etc players only made up a tiny percentage of total players, you’d think HASBRO would be placing the emphasis on where it is being played, right? Pretty obvious English speaking countries make up a lot more than “a small percentage” of D&D players...(and that’s not even counting all of the other countries on that list)