[Ide]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like you're asking specifically about background text, like stuff you'd have on a website, rather than in-game text, like descriptions and whatnot. With that in mind:

1) How much are you willing to read before you get into the game?

I'm willing to read a fair bit, at a rough estimate 30-40 pages of material not including forum posts (I read a lot of the forums beforehand if I can). Most of it I skim though, so good organization, lists, etc. are key.


2) About how much text are you okay with seeing before you decide "That's just too much; I'm not reading it."?

There's really no limit (see below).


3) Are you more interested in knowing about the lore before you get into the game or after you get into the game?

After, I'm not so much interested in lots of lore as key details to base a character on. So like, "Dromgoog is a citadel of dwarves set high in the mountain pass, the walls built of cloud giant skulls" is what I want to read, not really five pages detailing the geneaology of each keeper of the citadel's keys.


4) Is the lore more important to you at first (while you're developing your character), or are you more interested in knowing about the mechanics?

I guess see the answer to (3), and, I don't care too much about the mechanics, only insofar as it'll affect what my class/race/skill options are as prerequisites or mutually exclusive types and so on.


5) Do you rely on intuition or accessible docs first?

I think you mean, do I look up in your docs what a dwarf is, or do I rely on what I know a priori? I guess it's a little bit of both, depending on how original the concept is. I do look to see what is canon for the game, so to speak (like playing a dwarf on Armageddon, just as an example).


6) What will make you simply stop reading?

10. Stupid names. Ar'aloth. Tandarzi. Eleowenithilin. It's kind of a pet peeve.
9. Bog stock races or ill-disguised bog stock races. "Yes, but our elves are called Aiflorn."
8. Bog stock classes if they're not interestingly presented.
7. Five pages of dwarf geneaologies.
6. 10 pages of gnome geneaologies.
5. Dumb creation myths -- "In the beginning, was the void -- and the void farted."
4. Ugly web sites.
3. Web sites done in Drupal.
2. A stupid mud name: Abysses of Sorrowfulness.

and the number one thing that will make me stop reading...





1. dark grey text on a black background. Even if there are flames for a border. Really people, it's not the mid 90s anymore.