What makes a gaming book fun to read?

[Andor]

What makes a gaming book fun to read?

Reading a 4e book to me is like trying to read the instruction manual for a combination microwave/vcr designed in Russia, built in Taiwan, and with the manual translated by the lowest bidder in India.

Conversely I have a Palladium book that's a lot of fun to read even though it's a SF setting and what KS knows about science could comfortably fit on the head of a pin with room left over for 40 angels dancing the hoopa and a brass band with elephant.

Most 3e books I found fun to read, once, but rarely worth revisting. I also have several games done by quirky small companies. Some are a delight to read and reread and others, apparently written with the same degree of thought and care are like trying to watch "Fox's Worlds Greatest Dentist Disasters" while getting a root canal.

So what is it that makes some gaming books so much fun as books and others so dreadful?

 

[Vorput]

For me personally, I loved fluff. I liked the crunch- but what I really liked was the description of that crunch. Lists of items didn't do it for me, but I loved the descriptions given to each item (even just what they looked like). I loved the sample NPC write-ups that would show up in 3.5 books, particularly the history and motivation of the characters.

I loved reading about organizations- how they function, who leads them, what their goals are, etc. (the epic level handbook and the 3.0 supplement 'defenders of the faith' were great at that).

I loved those stupid little charts labeled '100 random adventure ideas' (or something like that). I'd read those things again and again. I loved setting books- even if I had no desire to play the setting, they were fun to read. I must have read 'Sharn: city of towers' 3 or 4 times even though very little of our Eberon campaign took place in Sharn.

Same with the ecology sections that eventually started to be included in Monster manuals. I could always come up with my own stats and numbers- but I loved the little descriptive things that would cause my mind to spring into action and create ideas for adventures and campaigns.

 

[billd91]

Good and interesting examples of play to illustrate rules. 1e had a few really good ones, so did 2e.

I like clear and concise rules, easy to plumb for information. But I also like some more evocative, descriptive elements. I just don't like them for the rules as much as to introduce the sections... and in examples of play.

 

[jdrakeh]

A casual authorial voice, good fluff, and minimal crunch. One of the reasons I never got too heavily into games like HERO or GURPS (despite trying several times) is because the core books for both read like scientific studies of applied mathematics (there are a lot of numbers and very little entertaining text in between).

I much prefer the tone of writing in things like the AD&D 1e DMG and comparatively light focus on numbers in games like OD&D, BD&D, T&T, etc. Also, slipping the occassional joke into the text is nice. Too many game authors come off as deadly serious and, frankly, that's not what I got into RPGs for. I came for the entertainment, dammit, so give me that!

 

[pawsplay]

A casual authorial voice, good fluff, and minimal crunch. One of the reasons I never got too heavily into games like HERO or GURPS (despite trying several times) is because the core books for both read like scientific studies of applied mathematics (there are a lot of numbers and very little entertaining text in between).

Well, you know, the fnords. But you aren't cleared for that.

 

[jdrakeh]

Well, you know, the fnords. But you aren't cleared for that.

I guess I should clarify: I run fnord with GURPS Lite 3rd Ed semi-regularly, but have not explored fnord because of the fnord, as previously mentioned. All Hail Bob!

 

[Aus_Snow]

Knowing that I'll be using it for GMing or playing. Otherwise, no fun at all.

Assuming the book will be used in the foreseeable future, I require clarity and conciseness.

 

[jeffh]

All I know is that the old Dark Sun books had it like very few things I've seen since.

 

[Hjorimir]

The best RPG rule books are those tied to a strong setting. Shadowrun, Eclipse Phase, Alpha Omega are all very fun to read. Dungeons and Dragons not so much.

 

[Stuntman]

I'm not that interested in the fluff. I want to read about the nuts and bolts of the game mechanics. I actually really like the 4E books because the game mechanics are better defined than in previous editions. I just really like reading the rules of games. I can read the rules of Clue and enjoy it without even playing the game.