Quote from: LordVreeg;687273Crunch and fluff support each other.  Any setting with crunch written to support that setting-specific logic is an intrinsically better gaming product, all other things being equal.

My opinion is that it depends on what is being accomplished. Sometimes the inclusion of mechanics is needed at other times it would just add to the clutter of already voluminous work.

The advice I would give is put in what needed no more and no less. Of course figuring out what needed is the trick.

Quote from: estar;687284My opinion is that it depends on what is being accomplished. Sometimes the inclusion of mechanics is needed at other times it would just add to the clutter of already voluminous work.

The advice I would give is put in what needed no more and no less. Of course figuring out what needed is the trick.

I also mean that it should include them or be written for them, 99% of the time.  I love me some Grimtooth and Citybook, but they are the rare exceptions, I believe that there is a synergy with a product whose contents work with the physics engine of the game.

Quote from: LordVreeg;687298I also mean that it should include them or be written for them, 99% of the time.  I love me some Grimtooth and Citybook, but they are the rare exceptions, I believe that there is a synergy with a product whose contents work with the physics engine of the game.

There's a place for generics, mostly setting based rules are add-ons to the stuff that already exists in a generic system. The gist of what I was saying however is that a compelling setting, an interesting world with interesting stuff in it, is far more valuable than any amount of rules and can be turned to many different and profitable ends. I don't know if any setting that started out as an RPG has successfuly achieved a notable level of interest though.

Some of the D&D worlds were pushed along by sheer inertia into novels, and Warhammer has The Black Library and PC games because it actually is a good setting, but other than that, not much to boast of.

The phenomenon of DW and shared narrative games which are not only rules lite but setting lite too (or completely settingless) is an interesting one. As far as I can see they appear to be gaining traction largely through and among a vocal cheerleading camp which will support anything as long as it comes from approved authors or is done in an approved way, taking the concept of plot and running with it straight into a different pastime entirely. Some really nasty stuff in there too, like those jeepform creepers.

The rules aren't that unique and the settings, where they exist, are pretty sparse so I can't imagine there's much of a shelf life there. Storm in a teacup really.

Personally I don't need or want a book to give me a setting. I can make up settings myself, alone or in conjunction with the group, and I find the results to be more satisfying than any published world. What I'm looking for out of a new RPG product is either interesting new rules or other gameable content such as monsters, dungeons, NPCs, etc that I can convert and adapt for my own world.

I'm the absolute inverse. I could care less about another rules system, especially since I'm unlikely to use them anyway. I want more setting material to play with.

If most of my experience with modules was not so bad I'd search there for my cheap setting fix. I'm still scouring bryce's blog tenfootpole.org for stuff. But as of yet give me setting splats and box sets.

I'd like more modules that aren't pre-planned 'adventures' so much as interesting locations and interesting npcs