...maybe it isn't as obvious as "from front to back."

How do you read an RPG book?  The organization of some books downright sucks.  I know it's silly to generalize too much (feel free to name specific games), but for me: I almost always look over the character sheet first, then the table of contents.  If the basic task resolution isn't described early, I do read that part first.  Then character creation.  After that, I'll usually read it in the order prescribed by the author.

Anything you skip or skim on first read?  I skip the fiction the first time, sometimes I can never bring myself to read it.  I'll usually gloss over vehicle rules, or things like spell lists until I think I "get it" with a game.  Those are reserved for second reads.

I mainly design my own rulesets, so I look at all games from a sort of utilitarian/theft-level.

Like you, I look at the task resolution early.  I want to see how broad, flexible, and how much room for growth and differentiation it has.  

Secondly, I look for how well rounded the ruleset is and how much of the rules (% wise) is dedicated to what areas of the game.  Lots of gear and items descriptions is a big plus, as is evenness in different types of skills and abilities.  If I see 60%+ of the skill/ability descriptions relating to 'within combat' skills (as opposed to social, exploration, creation, interactive, artisan, etc) I put it down immediatly.

I treat spells and the magic system similarly, if the game has magic.   I am looking for how the rules frame the world and fit the players into the world of the game.

Cover to cover. In the order it has been laid out. That way I can bitch about the logic of the layout

Front to back, but I don't always pay attention to all the fiddling things such as Feats or Talents. Or even all the combat options.

Seanchai

I skim through the book first as I look at its organization, table of contents etc and get a sense of what it might be about. Then I start reading carefully, following the text and the (see page XX) mentions.

I sort of skim around, try to figure out the basic mechanic and skip an just refer to stuff as and when I need it. I doubt I've ever read an entire roleplaying game (outside the most minimalist one).

Oddly the one section I do often read properly (and often first) is the GM advice section. Even if I disagree with the authors approach, I'm still interested to read the different ways adventures and campaigns can be structured or ways to alter the pace or capture a specifc mood.

Cover to cover first, though skipping anything I already know (GM advice in a d20 game, say, or mechanisms that are derived from something I already play). Then once more as I go through playing subsystems myself -- roll a character, run a small fight, and whatever else the system "does". Then I yell about the shitty index on the internet.

• Skip foreword.
• Skip "what is roleplaying" (if any).
• Skip any introductional fluff.
• Skip all fiction.
  
• Read character creation rules.
• Read core "how to do stuff and kill thing" rules.
• Read the rest if and when it's germane to my game.

Quote from: Insufficient Metal;414743

• Skip foreword.
• Skip "what is roleplaying" (if any).

That's the first two things I look for. I don't care much for forewords, unless they're included, in which case I read them first. But "What is Role Playing", man, that I want to see, and am disappointed if I'm not getting it. Understanding what the author(s)/designer(s) mean(s) by "Role Playing" with his game helps me understand where the text's going much better. Plus, I have a dislike of games that just don't give a fuck about newbies.

This is why the new Red Box was extremely useful to me in "getting" Essentials D&D.

Read character creation stuff.
See if I can make something fun.
Read front to back.
Re-read rule elements.


If I make it through all that without getting overwhelmed, or disgusted.

I run it.

I generally skim through the book first, just to get an overall feel for it. Then I sit down and read, skipping stuff like "What is roleplaying?". If there is a spell section, I'll read the spell names, but not the entire description, unless I know I'm going to be playing or running the game in the near future.

Quote from: Benoist;414753That's the first two things I look for. I don't care much for forewords, unless they're included, in which case I read them first. But "What is Role Playing", man, that I want to see, and am disappointed if I'm not getting it. Understanding what the author(s)/designer(s) mean(s) by "Role Playing" with his game helps me understand where the text's going much better. Plus, I have a dislike of games that just don't give a fuck about newbies.

I don't have anything against those things being there, I just don't get any utility out of them personally.

Quote from: Insufficient Metal;414786I don't have anything against those things being there, I just don't get any utility out of them personally.

It's fine by me. Just pointing out what I'm looking for with those is all.

Quote from: Benoist;414788It's fine by me. Just pointing out what I'm looking for with those is all.

Yet another reason to skip my games, then. You won't find it.

I'm not interested in how the designer thinks I should roleplay. More precisely, I am actively hostile to the designer telling me how to roleplay. I'm also not interested in telling others how to roleplay.

I read the reolution bits. I read chargen. I read any other bits that interest me, rules, tools, or setting.

I skip all fiction, any fluff that isn't usable in play, advice, and other designer wank-offs.

-clash

Quote from: flyingmice;414811Yet another reason to skip my games, then. You won't find it.

I'm not interested in how the designer thinks I should roleplay.

I know this, Clash. Yet, if you were to release that game about the Holy Land, I would give it a look. Just sayin'...