What details do you NEED?

[ajanders]

PLACE NAME (accompanied by a detailed map)?

Definitely need the name and a map, but it doesn't need to show every street and building.

History (how was city started, and what events of historic importance were there?)?

Not really: if the history doesn't roll into an adventure hook, tagline, or location, it's probably not worth mentioning.

Population and Economy basis (imports and exports, and rough population numbers)?

This turns out to be really important: the economy and population are really important for figuring out how hard the party has to look for exotic services and goods. Imports/exports are handy too, because they give a good feel for who has money (and might be hiring adventurers) and who doesn't (and might need heroes.)
Plus, when all else fails for adventures, I tend to encourage my PC's to guard caravans. It's a lot easier to do that when you know what's caravanned in and out.

Distinguishing features and noteworthy places ?

ABSOLUTELY! I'd love to see "signature locations", the equivalent of the Washington Monument or the Eiffel Tower. Something that identifies the city clearly and is memorable.

Chief Religious influence?

Not usually needing this, actually.

Important NPCs or legendary monsters ?

If they don't generate adventures, buy or sell goods, or punish bar fights, I'm not really interested, thank you. That said, I do need local authorities, economics, and adventure hooks, so maybe it is simpler to put all the NPC's in one place.

Local authorities (from constables to armies)?

Yes. Somebody's got to break up the bar brawls....or maybe end spitting in the street. A rough legal code is a good help too...

Typical means of transportation?

Shrug. If it's a signature item, sure, but you don't need to tell me "shank's mare"

Adventurers equipment shops?

No...hopefully the economy and demographics have driven this.

Places to sell loot?

Ditto.

Guilds or training halls?

And ditto some more.

adventure hooks/politics ?

Oh yes. Throw in as many of these as you like.

 

[Nathal]

You're kind of mixing good prep concepts with highly arbitrary content, which is going to get you a some-what confusing, mixed bag of replies.

If my list contains common themes mixed with things highly arbitrary, then I am not meeting my goal and I still need some revision. I wonder, do others find this little exercise as entertaining as I do?

I dig it. You're going to get a lot of different opinions on what you need and don't need from that list from anyone who posts here. Some groups micromanage and like working economies, however many do not and every store has what is in the PHB.

You are absolutely correct, and it's what I count on. The greater the diversity of opinion, the easier it will be discerning the most common elements for my list. I'm trying to create a template that addresses the core of what DMs look for when opening a campaign setting sourcebook, while recognizing the great variance in preference I'm likely to find.

There is nothing wrong with that, but you have to decide how much depth you AND your players want in the game. I like the prospect of being able to allow my character to own property and know local legends (which a good DM can then twine in as side or main storylines).

I agree with you. And I'd likely expand upon and even change my own template to suit my narrower tastes, but see above; you know now what I'm aiming for.

 

[Agback]

I want to know what a typical person's typical day is like: by sex and social class. If the PCs are looking for Henry Draper, JP, at 9:30 in the morning, I want to know whether he is in his draper shop, in his courthouse, or at the public baths.

I want to know what people's homes are like. Also, to a lesser extent, public places such as markets, theatres, courts, shops…

I want to know what people's families are like: monogamous? Polygynous? Polyandrous? Polyamoric? Polygynous for rich men and polyandrous for rich women? Nuclear? Extended? Avuncular? Is marriage endogamous, exogamous? Confined within social classes or even castes? Sacred or secular? Permanent or revokable? Can people marry without permission? Without a job? Without a trousseau and fortune? Without a house?

I want to know what people aspire to. Wealth? If so what forms are respectable and what means of getting rich are accepted? Glory? Being made a knight? Marrying a prince? Becoming an avatar of a god? Being sacificed? Bedding lots of attractive members of the appropriate sex? Producing lots of children? Killing lots of enemies?

I want to know what people find shaming, what they will strive to avoid doing or avoid being revealed about them.

It is all about what people do, where they do it, when, and why.

 

[Agback]

This turns out to be really important: the economy and population are really important for figuring out how hard the party has to look for exotic services and goods. Imports/exports are handy too, because they give a good feel for who has money (and might be hiring adventurers) and who doesn't (and might need heroes.)

I'm glad to see you point out that the important stuff about the economy is other than imports and exports.

The important things in a pre-industrial economy are the production and distribution of food, fodder, fuel, and fibre, plus to a lesser extent tools and weapons and building materials. Don't be distracted by the fact that comparative trivialities were often transported long distances, or that different things have tended to survive better archaeologically. Food, fodder, fuel, and fibre breed armies.

 

[Nathal]

I want to know what a typical person's typical day is like: by sex and social class. If the PCs are looking for Henry Draper, JP, at 9:30 in the morning, I want to know whether he is in his draper shop, in his courthouse, or at the public baths.

There is a book that was written for you it seems: Gary Gygax's "Living Fantasy", published by Troll Lord games. It attempts to lay out exactly the sort of information the interests you, focused on any typical fantasy setting. It really is excellent, check it out.

 

[danbuter]

Pictures of males and females from every culture, in normal clothing.

Typical weapons used.
Magic level.
Common monsters.
Crime organizations.
Areas suitable for adventure (old ruins, etc).

 

[The Shaman]

What information in a campaign setting is essential to your games? How important are imports, exports, population numbers (including demi-human percentages), and other demographic information?

All of it - it all gets turned into plot hooks and adventure fodder.

Do any of you feel that the typical campaign setting presents information that goes unused most of the time?

Not by me it doesn't.

Unless you're RPing a crowd of rowdy demographers and their followers, demographics in detail just isn't up there near the top of the list.

Or if one of your players is a demographer who's likely to ask questions (if it fits the character of course) about things like imports, exports, power centers, and such...