Quote from: Pat;834466Really like the phantasmagoric text. You're not dumping information; you're hinting at things left unsaid, and letting their imaginations run wild.

If I were to make one suggestion, I'd recommend building the text more into the map. Right now, it's just a bunch of paragraphs next to a picture, each kinda sorta nearish the the thing it describes. Arrows, call out balloons, text spilling into or off the map, alternate black and white boxes, that kind of thing.

Acid Lake: Put a comma after "live".
Freak City: Is "Ragling" correct?
Outpost 15: Do they know what outposts are? Because you didn't describe it, at all.
Weird Woods: m-dash after the first "dreams"
The Wurm: Umlaut, or no?
Outpost 17: Another m-dash.
Skarn: "Skarn, the Jewel"
Empire Roads: Add "and" in front of "keep".

Haha, thanks, man. I'll fix it tomorrow.
Ragling is correct.
Outposts are another map.

I thought about using arrows, tbh, but it changes the feel.

You nailed it Aos. One page with a catchy visual is exactly the best way to present setting info to players. I absolutely envy your ability to draw.

Quote from: Aos;834429Well, shit.

Sorry!

I like it, and work like this should get bounced up to the top of the topic page. But outside of short and sweet text alluding to interests and mysteries, the process seems to elude me. Main problem, I doodle for shit. I sketch mindlessly and let images bubble up, but they look all abstract and incoherent in the end.

I don't know if you could break down so organic looking a product into its component process. Is there some creative format that guides your work? Or is it more fluid philosophically, like Bob Ross and "No Mistakes, Only Opportunities," and "Happy Little Trees."

I mean, take Torgo and the Sentinel (and the Murder Moon, who can forget the now immortal Murder Moon?). That stuff has to come from somewhere before you plop them on a map. I'd just end up with a blob of erased line remains instead and ruin my map.

Quote from: One Horse Town;834510Sorry!

Navel is the proper american spelling, terrorist, or so I choose to believe. FREEEEDOM!

Quote from: Opaopajr;834542I like it, and work like this should get bounced up to the top of the topic page. But outside of short and sweet text alluding to interests and mysteries, the process seems to elude me. Main problem, I doodle for shit. I sketch mindlessly and let images bubble up, but they look all abstract and incoherent in the end.

I don't know if you could break down so organic looking a product into its component process. Is there some creative format that guides your work? Or is it more fluid philosophically, like Bob Ross and "No Mistakes, Only Opportunities," and "Happy Little Trees."

I mean, take Torgo and the Sentinel (and the Murder Moon, who can forget the now immortal Murder Moon?). That stuff has to come from somewhere before you plop them on a map. I'd just end up with a blob of erased line remains instead and ruin my map.

I find that I am unable to explain myself, but I am pretty sure anyone can come up with equally good nonsense.

Great stuff but I'd probably cut it down to just the map with its wonderfully evocative keys, myself. As a player having just that map would make me foam at the mouth to play and I'd have a hard time choosing which cool thing to go find out about.

Some players will read a ten-page document, some will not.

Having one-page summaries are great, especially if they can be strewn on a gaming table. Having lots of one-page summaries turns into a ten page summary, which some players will not read.

Quote from: soltakss;834575Some players will read a ten-page document, some will not.

Having one-page summaries are great, especially if they can be strewn on a gaming table. Having lots of one-page summaries turns into a ten page summary, which some players will not read.

Really, that only happens if you lay them out all at once. How hard is it to think this sort of shit through? Jesus fuck.

A (very) little more detail on the setting and a class and some arts:
http://themetalearth.blogspot.com/2015/06/state-of-empire-and-leech-class.html

The OP seems like a good way to get across the vital info. Graphics help. Blocks of precious GM-written text is usually a fast way to get players to stop reading. I usually give a player a 3x5 of important info the character should be aware of and tell them anything else as needed in the course of play. Most info dumps by GMs are full of irrelevant stuff they just think is awesome because they authored it.

Quote from: Aos;834588Really, that only happens if you lay them out all at once.

My experience is that even if you put out one sheet, some players will read it straight away, some will read it when they need it and some players will never read it.

Your experiences may differ of course.

Good luck with getting players to read all that material, whether you put it out one sheet at a time, or all at once.

Quote from: Aos;834588How hard is it to think this sort of shit through? Jesus fuck.

I thought this through a long time ago and no longer produce material for the players to read. If they need to read something, I'll show them on a Tablet PC.

Quote from: Aos;834557I find that I am unable to explain myself, but I am pretty sure anyone can come up with equally good nonsense.

I don't know... your nonsense has that graphic panache. I think I can craft good nonsense with words. But with actual art supplies, I fear not so much.

(I see misterguignol has lain at your feet the responsibility of the title page for his new Arksylvania setting. I sympathize with his struggle of self-criticism.)

Quote from: soltakss;834709My experience is that even if you put out one sheet, some players will read it straight away, some will read it when they need it and some players will never read it.

Your experiences may differ of course.

Good luck with getting players to read all that material, whether you put it out one sheet at a time, or all at once.



I thought this through a long time ago and no longer produce material for the players to read. If they need to read something, I'll show them on a Tablet PC.

Haha. You are not making any sense, but you are patronizing and superior, at least.

Quote from: Aos;834757Haha. You are not making any sense, but you are patronizing and superior, at least.

Not at all, I was just sharing my experience with getting players to read text.

Hopefully your handouts will work for your players.

Quote from: Aos;834588Really, that only happens if you lay them out all at once. How hard is it to think this sort of shit through? Jesus fuck.

Quote from: Aos;834757Haha. You are not making any sense, but you are patronizing and superior, at least.

The one page is nicely executed. If I could draw, I might try something similar. But there really isn't any reason to be a dick to people who don't provide you with solely positive feedback.